PLANNING MATTERS - Riverside Garden Centre

The owner is seeking the removal of a condition of planning approval for the new building, requiring timber cladding to be provided. He argues that the planting in front of the building provides ‘natural and attractive screening’. We objected on the grounds that the planting has a highly unnatural appearance and is manifestly trying to hide something. The metal building is still seen for what it is, and as an industrial-style building it does nothing to preserve the rural character of the Green Belt in this location. Even if the planted finish were a satisfactory alternative, it is notoriously difficult for planning authorities to ensure that planting is retained and maintained in a satisfactory condition in perpetuity. To date this application has not yet been determined.