Delivering Planning succes for the Amazing Grace Chuch at Royal Papworth House.
- Admin
- May 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 7
En-Plan were appointed as Planning Consultants to produce a planning application that sought approval for the part change of use of Justinian House to a place of worship and office space at Royal Papworth House, 10 Spitfire Close, Huntingdon. The proposed change of use would be limited to the ground floor of the property.
The site and Principle of Development
The building the subject to this application is a three-storey red brick office building located with the Ermine Business Park (Policy LP18 - Established Employment Areas) with its access from Spitfire Close. A parking area is provided to its north-eastern side. The site immediately abuts Ermine Street on its rear south-western elevation and otherwise is surrounded by business/commercial uses. The site is in flood zone 1 and has no heritage assets in the vicinity. The supporting statement accompanying the application states that the applicant RCCG Amazing Grace Huntingdon (AGH) is a church organisation and registered charity based in Huntingdon. The new centre will contain a meeting venue and equipment for worship and will still be used as office space for the charity to operate when services are not being held. Currently, the church meets regularly on Sundays between 10am and 2pm and on Wednesdays between 7pm and 9pm. Also, activities are organised for local children and young people (between 8am and 6pm) but currently significantly limited by the availability of suitable space.
The site is located within the settlement of Huntingdon - which the adopted Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 identifies as a Spatial Planning Area (Policy LP7). Policy LP7 states that a proposal for a non-residential institutional use (Use Class F1, which includes the proposed use of a place of worship) other than those defined as a main town centre use will be supported where it is appropriately located within the built-up area of an identified Spatial Planning Area settlement. Policy LP18 (Established Employment Area) states that a proposal for a use other than business (Use Class E) within an Established Employment Area will only be supported where it demonstrates that
(a) it will be compatible with surrounding employment uses taking into account of amenity and public safety issues;
(b) it will not adversely affect the role and continuing viability of the Established Employment Area as an attractive and suitable location for employment uses;
(c) it will not significantly reduce the range, availability and suitability of land and buildings for
employment uses in the nearest Spatial Planning Area of Key Service Centre; and
(d) the sequential approach to site selection, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, has been followed if the proposal includes main town centre uses.
Given the proposal seeks approval for the change of use of the ground floor only, to a mixed use of buiness and communit use the principle of development is considered to be acceptable, subject to all other planning matters being addressed.
Looking to the design of the scheme Policy LP11 of the Local Plan states that a proposal will be supported where it is demonstrated that it responds positively to its context. Policy LP12 states that new development will be expected to be well designed and that a proposal will be supported where it can be demonstrated that it contributes positively to the area's character and identity and successfully integrates with adjoining buildings and landscape. This is also reflected in the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework. This application seeks approval for the part change of use of Justinian House to a place of worship and office space at Royal Papworth House, 10 Spitfire Close, Huntingdon.
The proposed change of use would be limited to the ground floor of the property only and would not result in any external alterations. As such, the Local Planning Authority are satisfied that the proposal would not result in any impacts on the character or appearance of the site, the streetscene of Spitfire Close or the surrounding area. As such, the proposal is deemed to be in accordance with Policies LP11 and LP12 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework in this regard. En-Plan were able to utilsie digital mapping and our in house architectural services to prove this point to the Council.
Policies LP16 and LP17 of the Local Plan to 2036 seeks to ensure that new development
incorporates appropriate space for vehicle movements, facilitates access for emergency vehicles and service vehicles and incorporates adequate parking for vehicles and cycles.
The proposed development would utilise existing vehicular access points off Ermine Street and Spitfire Close that serve the existing property. No alterations are proposed to the existing access points. The Local Planning Authority are satisfied that the comings and goings from the site as a result of the change of use would not significantly increase and therefore the existing access arrangements National Planning Policy Framework in this regard.
Flood Risk
The site is at the lowest risk of flooding according to the Huntingdonshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 2017 and Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning (Flood Zone 1). The NPPF (2023) details that some developments are exempt from the Sequential and Exceptions Tests in relation to flood risk. One such exception is applications for change of use. In this case, the proposal relates to a change of use only and does not include any increased footprint or built development. Accordingly, the proposal is considered to be acceptable with regard to its impact on both flood risk and surface water and therefore accords with Policies LP5, LP6 and LP15 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036 and Section 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework in this regard. The Council deemd that a Flood Risk Assessment was not required in this instance.
Prior Approval Application to create two new flats.
This Prior Approval Application seeks to determine whether prior approval is required of the local planning authority concerning the change of use from Class E (Commercial, Business and Service Buildings) to a use Class within Class C3 (Dwellinghouses) of the of the Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987 as amended as per the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (as amended), the proposal submitted is deemed permitted development by Schedule 2, Part 3, Class MA, subject to various limitations and conditions. One of the conditions stipulates that the applicant
must apply to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for a determination as to whether the prior
approval of the authority will be required.
The closest residential dwelling to the site appears to be approximately 100 metres south east on the same business park which was approved in April 2025 for a conversion from office to dwelling (25/01313/PRI031). The site is located within Flood Zone 1 per Environment Agency Flood Risk Mapping and Huntingdonshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 2024. The site is not located within any Conservation Area (CA), nor is the site located within the setting of a listed building and no ecological or legally protected tree designations are within or in proximity to the application site. The applicants seek to convert the second (top) second floor into two self-contained dwellings from its existing office use with associated parking with no private amenity space garden proposed. No external alterations to the building are required as part of the change of use and the existing
approximate 21 vehicle spaces would be retained.
Hutingdon Council Planning Department concluded that the application was sustainable development and granted approval in May 2025.
If you woudl like see furtehr examples fo projects where we have assisted Church groups achieve success in the plannig system please refer to the followig projects:
Bryggen Road King's Lynn - Change fo Use of Commercial unit to a new place of worship.
New Faith Church In Fakeham - Planning Permission secured for the chage of use of a commercial unit in Fakenham to a place of worship.
New place of worhsip secured for the Telford Christian Fellowship in Halesfield.
Comments