Background
Inner House case considering the interpretation of a detailed planning permission granted in respect of Springkerse Retail Park near Stirling.

The provision at the centre of the dispute (condition 3) contained a definition of household goods which listed various specific types of (non-food) goods permitted for sale.

Coal Pension Properties (CPP) argued that the retail units within the park could be used for the sale of a wider range of goods than those contained in the condition 3 list and applied for a certificate of proposed lawful use permitting “the retail sale of any non-food goods”. Stirling Council refused the application and a reporter appointed by the Scottish Ministers refused an appeal of that decision. CPP appealed to the Inner House.

Argument
CPP contended that the condition 3 list only applied to units engaged in the selling of household goods. (i.e. those which were not engaged in selling household goods could sell any non-food goods). They also argued that the planning permission did not exclude the operation of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order (which allows buildings within class 1 (shops) to be used for the retail sale of goods other than hot food without it being taken as a development requiring planning permission).

Decision
The Inner House rejected those arguments and refused the appeal.

The court noted that, when interpreting a planning permission, the question is not what the parties intended but what a reasonable reader would understand would be permitted by the planning authority. On that basis, the court found that the condition 3 list applied to all of the retail units in the park. The court also agreed with the Scottish Ministers’ argument that, if CPP were correct then, if no unit sold household goods, the condition would not apply and would serve no purpose. In addition, the court took account of an earlier decision letter in relation to the grant of outline planning permission (to which the detailed planning permission expressly referred) which indicated that the condition 3 list applied to all of the retail units in the park.

With regard to the Use Classes Order, the court found that, when construed as a whole considering the purpose and context of the permission (including the earlier outline permission which had referred to the need to restrict the non-food goods sold at the retail park to protect town centre shopping facilities), the planning permission had the effect of excluding the operation of the Use Classes Order.

The full judgement is available from Scottish Courts here.

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