Proposed external air handling unit refused at St Richard’s Hospital laundry

The new air handling unit would have been located within the existing soft landscaping to the east of the existing building, adjacent to the new boiler house extension permitted in April 2022.

The application sought permission to extend the existing laundry building with a 43 square meter, two storey extension to the eastern elevation with a tall chimney servicing a new boiler within the building.

The application of the unit unit was proposed to ‘supply suitable ventilation to achieve required air change and pressure regimes to the ‘clean’ and ‘dirty areas of the laundry unit’ and ‘supply suitable targeted ventilation to the laundry finishing area to provide a reasonable working environment.’

In its statement of refusal, a spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “The application fails to provide sufficient information to verify the visual appearance of the proposals to enable officers to assess the impact of the scheme on the visual amenity of the area.

“As such, it cannot be determined that the proposals would not result in harm in this regard. In addition, without being able to secure the necessary mitigation to prevent harmful noise impacts, it is considered that the proposals would be harmful to the residential amenity of neighbours, namely within the nearest student accommodation block to the west. “It is considered that the application fails to accord with local and national planning policy and is therefore recommended for refusal.”

To view the full application visit Chichester District Council’s planning portal using the reference: 22/01299/FUL