The proposed change of use of the vacant ground floor retail unit (Use Class A1) to a betting office (Use Class A2) by virtue of its operations and privacy requirements, which include the installation of window boards and notice displays, will effectively block all glazed shopfronts and stultify associated views into and out of the application premises from both Castle Street and Water Street. The resulting inactive frontages will relate poorly at a human scale, creating the perception of a poorly surveyed and uninviting environment on adjacent streets. Furthermore, the associated external alterations, including the replacement entrance door to Castle Street with asymmetrical arrangement and the satellite dish and air conditioning units to the side roof plane will constitute incongruous, overly prominent and visually harmful building additions. The proposal will therefore detract from the character and appearance of the Grade II listed application building, and undermine the special character and setting of the surrounding historic area, which includes the Grade I listed Town Hall, an identified landmark building within Liverpool¿s World Heritage Site with key views along Castle Street, Duke Street and Water Street, heritage assets of outstanding significance, namely Grade II* listed Martins Bank, listed properties on Castle Street, and the wider Castle Street Conservation Area. As a consequence, the proposal would contravene Policies GEN3, HD4, HD5, HD8, HD11, HD13, HD18, S13, S16 & SPG9 of the adopted Liverpool Unitary Development Plan, Liverpool¿s Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage Site ¿ Supplementary Planning Document and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework.