There were none.

The Chair welcomed the interim Head of Development Management, Fiona Dunning, who had taken over from Adrien Waite.

There were no disclosures of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2019 to be submitted and signed.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2019 were submitted and signed.

Demolition of the existing building and erection of a new office building with an ancillary ground floor cafe and basement parking

The committee received the report of the interim 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) explained that the application proposed the demolition of the existing building and erection of a new office building, with an ancillary cafe at ground floor, basement parking and associated ground, drainage, landscaping, engineering and access works.

Attention was drawn to the update sheet which included amendments to the drawing numbers and a correction to the report.  In addition, it was noted that the applicant had signed a unilateral pledge to make a financial contribution to local environmental improvements and to travel plan monitoring.

There were no speakers.  The Chair invited comments from the committee.

Members of the committee welcomed the development, which would make a positive contribution to the important employment area on Clarendon Road.  It was hoped that early progress would be made to develop the site.

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendations.

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)                    The provision of fire hydrants to serve the development in accordance with Policy INF1 of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31 and saved Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000 if this were to be required.

ii)                  The cost of monitoring and administrating Travel Plan to the sum of £6000.

iii)                Financial contribution to the Clarendon Road public realm improvements to the sum of £94,000.

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:-

3066-199-Rev E-Location plan-A3

3066-201-Rev J-Basement B1 floor plan-A1

3066-202-Rev L-Proposed Landscape Plan-A1

3066-203-Rev N-Ground floor plan-A1

3066-204-Rev K-First floor plan-A1

3066-205-Rev J-Second floor plan-A1

3066-206-Rev J-Third floor plan-A1

3066-207-Rev J-Fourth floor plan-A1

3066-208-Rev J-Fifth Floor Plan-A1

3066-209-Rev K-Sixth Floor Plan-A1

3066-210-Rev J-Seventh Floor Plan-A1

3066-211-Rev J-Eighth Floor Plan-A1

3066-212-Rev J-Ninth Floor Plan-A1

3066-213-Rev G-Roof Plan-A1

3066-215-Rev B-Tenth Floor-A1

3066-220-Rev M-Elevations-A1

3066-230-Rev E-Level 06-Proposed Terrace Landscape Plan-A1

3066-231-Rev D-Level 08-Proposed Terrace Landscape Plan-A1

3066-232-Rev A-Level 07-Proposed Terrace Landscape Plan-A1

3066-240-Rev B-Refuse Store-A1

3066-302-Rev J-Planning Sections-A1

3.         No construction works above damp proof course shall commence until full details and samples of the materials to be used for the external surfaces of the building (including walls, roofs, windows, doors and balconies) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

4.         The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the Drainage Strategy and Sustainable Drainage Maintenance Plan carried out by CWA reference CWA/18/125 dated 19 July 2018 and the following mitigation measures:

1.      Implementing appropriate SuDS measures to include porous surfacing.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

Redevelopment of the site to provide a new multi-storey car park with capacity for up to 1455 car parking spaces

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

The Principal Planning Officer (AR) introduced the report.  She advised that the application sought the redevelopment of the site to provide a new multi-storey car park (MSCP) with capacity for up to 1,455 car parking spaces.

Attention was drawn to the update sheet, which included a representation from the local lead flood authority, which had removed its previous objection.  Two additional conditions were recommended and two were removed.  The recommendation had also been amended.

There were no speakers.  The Chair invited comments from the committee. 

Members of the committee acknowledged the need for the car park and the benefits it would bring to the Riverwell site, freeing up space to enable subsequent development and regeneration of the area and improving access to the hospital buildings.

Reservations were expressed about the car park design, particularly the external cladding, although it was noted that its dominance on the landscape would diminish as subsequent phases of the Riverwell masterplan were realised.  Some members of the committee were also concerned about the potential for displacement car parking to overcrowded streets in West Watford during construction.

Following a query from the committee, the Deputy Managing Director confirmed that the number of disabled spaces for the car park had not been finalised but would conform to nationally accepted standards.  In addition, the management and enforcement contract for the car park had yet to be agreed.  These details would be made available to committee members.

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED –

That planning permission be granted subject to the recommended conditions with final decision delegated to the Head of Development Management, in consultation with the Chair of Development Management Committee, following the expiry of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultation:

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 shall be carried out in accordance with the following drawings, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The following drawings are hereby approved: 

TPE_000 00   Location Plan 1:1250

TPE_000 00   Location Plan 1:2500

TPP_001 00   Proposed Site Plan 1:500

TPP_001 00   Proposed Site Plan 1:1250

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30001 P1        Proposed MSCP Ground Level

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30002 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 01

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30003 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 02

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30004 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 03

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30005 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 04

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30006 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 05

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30007 P1        Proposed MSCP Level 06

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30007 P1        Proposed MSCP Roof Level

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30541 P1        Proposed MSCP North Elevation

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30542 P1        Proposed MSCP East Elevation

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30543 P1        Proposed MSCP South Elevation

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30544 P1        Proposed MSCP West Elevation

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30601 P1        Proposed MSCP Section A

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30602 P1        Proposed MSCP Section B

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30603 P1        Proposed MSCP Section C

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30604 P1        Proposed MSCP Section D

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30605 P1        Proposed MSCP Section E

6570-STRIPE-WP-XX-DR-AX-30801 P1        North elevation Headlight Protection

11284-WAT-NR-XX-DR-C-92140 P01          Section  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

To discuss the findings of the Planning Advisory Service’s review of DMC

The committee received the report of the former Head of Development Management, Adrien Waite.  This provided an overview of the Planning Advisory Service’s (PAS) review of, and recommendations for, the council’s Development Management Committee (DMC) following a series of interviews with key stakeholders and observance of a sitting of the DMC on 6 September 2018.

The Chair invited comments from the committee. 

Members of the committee noted the findings of the peer reviewers, who had provided a helpful challenge and perspective on the council’s development management function.  The council was always open to external scrutiny and would be adopting a number of the reviewers’ recommendations. 

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED –

That members of the Development Management Committee:

a)                 support the proposal to encourage greater public use of the ground floor of the Council Chamber during DMC meetings

b)                 use name plates for committee members in order to promote greater transparency

c)                  agree that it would be inappropriate to hold group meetings prior to DMC and would continue to desist from doing so

d)                 support continuation of member development emphasising the point that committee members are individually representing the council in applying local and national planning policy

e)                 support an investigation into the introduction of a limited call in procedure as set out in 4.5 – 4.7 of the report

f)                   note the PAS report and the comments of the Head of Development Management in relation to other matters.