There were no apologies for absence.

There were no disclosures of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2018 to be submitted and signed.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2018 were submitted and signed.

Erection of a new three bedroom dwelling to the rear of 17 and 19 Bucks Avenue

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (HN) introduced the report explaining that the application included revised plans for the erection of a new three bedroom dwelling to the rear of 17 and 19 Bucks Avenue.

In the absence of any speakers, the Chair invited comments from the committee.

Committee members welcomed the application which was considered to be broadly in keeping with the character of the area.  Following a query regarding the colour of the external bricks, it was confirmed that details of the materials to be used were subject to approval by planning officers.

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED –

that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

1.         The development to which this permission relates shall be begun within a period of three years commencing on the date of this permission.

2.         No development shall commence within the site until full details or samples of the materials to be used for the external surfaces of the building, including doors, and windows have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter, the development shall only be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

3.                     Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (or any modification or re-enactment thereof), no development permitted under Schedule 2, Part 1, Classes A, B, C, D, E, F and G of the Order shall be carried out to the dwelling hereby approved without the prior written permission of the Local Planning Authority.

4.         Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (or any modification or re-enactment thereof), no window on the flank elevation of the extension hereby approved shall be installed without the prior written permission of the Local Planning Authority.

5.         No development shall commence on site until a hard and soft landscaping scheme for the site (including a detailed method statement covering tree planting, tree, shrub and grass specie, planting size and density and all hard surfacing materials) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved hard landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of any part of the development and shall be retained at all times. The soft landscaping shall be carried out not later than the first available planting and seeding season after completion of the development.  Any trees or plants whether new or existing which within a period of five years die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, or in accordance with details approved by the Local Planning Authority.

6.         No external lighting shall be installed on the site except in accordance with details which have been submitted to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.

Demolition of existing detached house and erection of a detached building comprising 6 x 2 bedroom apartments and associated amenities

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (PB) introduced the report.  He explained that planning permission was sought for the demolition of the existing detached house and erection of a detached building comprising 6 x 2 bedroom apartments and associated amenities.

There were no speakers.  In response to a query from the committee, the Development Management Team Leader confirmed that the facing bricks would be more varied and not as dark as appeared in the images presented to the committee.

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED –

that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

1.         The development to which this permission relates shall be begun within a period of three years commencing on the date of this permission.

2.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved drawings:-

            1706-B-01B, 1706-B-02A, 1706-B-03A

3.         No demolition or construction works shall commence until the tree protection fencing has been installed in full, in accordance with the Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Report by Andrew Day Arboricultural Consultancy dated 2^nd November 2017. The demolition and construction works shall only be carried out in accordance with the recommendations in Appendix 3 of the Arboricultural Report, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

4.         No development shall commence until details of side privacy screens for the balconies at first floor level have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall only be constructed in accordance with the approved details and the approved privacy screens shall be retained at all times.

5.         All the external surfaces of the approved building shall be finished in the following materials, as detailed in the submitted Design and Access Statement:

            Ibstock Borrowdale Blend facing bricks

Marley Equitone [pictura] fibre cement cladding

Colourcoat Urban metal standing seam roof in Anthracite colour (RAL 7016)

Velfac 200 aluminium windows and doors colour coated in RAL 7016

            Details of any alternative materials shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of the development and the development shall only be carried out in accordance with any alternative details approved by this condition.

6.         The hard and soft landscaping of the site shall be carried out in accordance with approved drawing no. 1706-B-01B unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

7.         No flat shall be occupied until full details of the bin store and cycle store have been provided submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall only be constructed in accordance with the approved details and the approved bin store and cycle store shall be retained at all times.

Informatives

1.         You are advised of the need to comply with the provisions of The Control of Pollution Act 1974, The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89.

Construction of new 7 bedroom house on land formerly part of 4A Bay Tree Walk (formerly known as 10 Nascot Wood Road); alterations to previously approved dwelling ref: 16/00680/FUL (Amended plans submitted)

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the report explaining that the applicationsought the construction of a new 7 bedroom house on land formerly part of 4A Bay Tree Walk (formerly known as 10 Nascot Wood Road) and alterations to the previously approved dwelling (16/00680/FUL – amended plans submitted).

The Chair invited Andy Marsden, a local resident, to speak to the committee in opposition to the application.  Mr Marsden expressed the concern of local residents about the scale, design, dominance and overbearing impact of the proposed dwelling, which would result in overshadowing and a loss of light and privacy to neighbouring properties contrary to the council’s Residential Design Guide.  They considered it would be out of keeping with the character and appearance of the area.

Residents disputed the officer’s report, particularly the extent of changes to the size and scale of the proposed dwelling, the dominance of the property on the streetscene and the legitimacy of its siting close to the front boundary with Nascot Wood Road.  They also raised concerns about the adequacy of parking provision and the potential for spill over parking in Bay Tree Walk.

Local residents expressed a willingness to meet with the developer to find a more workable solution for the site.

In response to a query from the Chair, the Principal Planning Officer advised that whilst a first floor feature window would breach the 27.5 metre privacy arc described in the council’s Residential Design Guide, the requirement to use obscure glazing would mitigate any overlooking concerns and therefore no harm to the neighbour would be caused.  He further clarified that some internal amendments to the plans had altered the number of bedrooms approved under the 2016 planning application, but these had not altered the total amount of residential accommodation.  Lastly, the Principal Planning Officer confirmed that the maximum parking standard for this site was three spaces.

The Chair invited Alex Gilli-Ross, the agent, to speak in support of the application.  Mr Gilli-Ross reminded the committee that the application was for alterations to the appearance and layout of the previously approved scheme.  The applicant was seeking to build a bespoke family home on a site where the principle of a large dwelling had been accepted.

Mr Gilli-Ross maintained that the alterations proposed would result in a policy compliant dwelling which would be in keeping with the character and appearance of the surrounding area.  The proposals included landscaping and planting to provide screening for the property and could result in the placing of some tree preservation orders.

The Chair invited Nascot Ward Councillor Jane Johnson to speak to the committee.  Councillor Johnson expressed concern that the significant changes proposed to the property were being diminished.  They would result in a substantial sized property on a relatively small plot, unacceptably close to surrounding dwellings.  The property would dominate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.

The redevelopment of the former Lloyds Bank site to provide a mixed use scheme for 14 residential units and retail units with associated cycle parking, car parking and waste and refuse storage

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (HN) introduced the report.  He explained that the application was for the redevelopment of the former Lloyds Bank site, with the retention of the front façade of the bank building to provide a mixed use scheme with a four storey extension on the roof for 14 residential units and retail units on the ground floor.

The update sheet included a correction to the floor space figures and comments from Hertfordshire County Council. 

The Chair invited David Marshallsay, the architect and agent, to speak in support of the application.  Mr Marshallsay explained that the current proposal was the result of two years’ dialogue with planning officers to devise a scheme which would retain and integrate the locally listed building in a high quality mixed use development.

In addition to retaining the bank façade, the proposed scheme would incorporate a number of design features reflecting the original building.  In accordance with local and national planning policies, it would enhance the character of area and would not harm the Nascot Conservation Area.  The development would provide 14 much needed residential units, although due to viability constraints would not include any affordable housing.

The Chair invited Nascot Ward Councillor Mark Hofman to speak to the committee.  Councillor Hofman questioned the need for further flatted, particularly one-bedroom, developments in central Watford.  He argued that that saturation point had been reached and that greater focus should be given to providing two and three bedroom properties. 

Councillor Hofman disputed the costs outlined by the developer in his viability appraisal, which had resulted in no affordable housing units and no section 106 contributions being included in the scheme.  In addition to concerns about the modern, out of keeping design, Councillor Hofman suggested that future developments of this type should be required to ensure better energy efficiency.

Thanking the speakers, the Chair made some opening comments about the different development options for the site.  He asked the committee to consider the merits of retaining the façade as well as the implications of the current scheme for future proposals that might be brought forward for adjacent sites.

In a clarification, the Deputy Managing Director advised the committee that the proposed scheme should be considered on its own merits.  The application was not part of a wider master plan and adjacent development opportunities were not therefore a consideration, unlike schemes that were in a masterplan area e.g. Watford Junction, where wider considerations could be taken into acccount.  However it should be noted that thought had been given to adjacent developments in the internal design layouts.

Although welcoming the efforts of the architect to retain and integrate the locally listed building, members of the committee considered that the resultant design was too dominant and failed to retain a coherent relationship between its two parts.  This was an important and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91.

Redevelopment of the site to provide 81 apartments in 3 apartment buildings with associated access, parking, amenity space, bin store and bicycle / residential storage areas.

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (PB) introduced the report, explaining that the application sought the redevelopment of the site to provide 81 apartments in 3 apartment buildings. 

In the absence of speakers, the Chair invited comments from the committee.

Members of the committee welcomed the development which was considered to be in scale with surrounding buildings, made pleasing design reference to the previous industrial building on the site, and provided good levels of affordable housing and parking.

Some committee members expressed concern about the likely impact on local traffic levels in the area, particularly at peak times.  The Development Management Team Leader advised that a cumulative transport assessment had been undertaken as part of the recent planning application for the redevelopment of the commercial site at the eastern end of Sydney Road, which included the former Watford Laundry site and the Whippendell Marine site (based on a pre-application scheme).  The transport assessment for the current application had shown that the predicted difference in two-way traffic flows in the peak periods would be slightly less than that predicted in the cumulative transport assessment.  Despite this, some committee members continued to be concerned about traffic impacts and suggested alternative access options should be considered to the site.

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED –

That, pursuant to a planning obligation under s.106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 having been completed to secure the following Heads of Terms, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions listed below:

Section 106 Heads of Terms

i)          To secure 24 flats as affordable housing comprising 5 flats (2 x 2 bed and 3 x 3 bed) for social rent, 15 flats (15 x 2 bed) for affordable rent and 4 flats (3 x 2 bed and 1 x 3 bed) for low cost home ownership;

ii)         To secure a financial payment to the Council of £2,000 towards the variation of the Borough of Watford (Watford Central Area and West Watford Area) (Controlled Parking Zones) (Consolidation) Order 2010 to exclude the site from the controlled parking zone, thereby preventing residents’ parking permits being issued to this site;

iii)        To secure a financial payment to the County Council of £2,000 for the monitoring of an approved Travel Plan;

iv)        To secure the provision of fire hydrants to serve the site as required by Hertfordshire County Council;

v)         To secure 1 parking space for the use of a car club vehicle.

Conditions

1.         The development to which this permission relates shall be begun within a period of three years commencing on the date of this permission.

2.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved drawings:-

            01258_P_00 P2, P_01 P1, P_02 P1, P_03 P1, P_04 P1, P_05 P1

            01258_EL_01 P2, EL_02 P1, EL_03 P1, EL_04 P1, EL_05 P1, EL_08 P1

01258_S_00  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.