The committee will take items in the following order:

1.      All items where people wish to speak and have registered with Democratic Services.

2.      Any remaining items the committee agrees can be determined without further debate.

3.      Those applications which the committee wishes to discuss in detail.

No apologies were received

No disclosures of interest were made.    

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 April 2023 to be submitted and signed.

The minutes from the meeting on 4 April 2023 were approved and signed.

In addition to the report set out in the agenda the committee also had circulated to them a letter from the applicant’s solicitors pointing out concerns regarding the officer’s views relating to the nearby heritage asset.   A note from the Group Head of Democracy and Governance in response to this letter was also circulated.

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the item and went through his report in great detail. He addressed the points raised in the solicitor’s letter.  He highlighted in particular the issues relating to the daylight/sunlight surveys, the effects on the Grade 1 and associated Grade 2 listed buildings and lack of affordable housing. 

The Chair thanked the officer and invited Jessica Wilson to speak in favour of the application.

Jessica Wilson stated that the applicants had spent sixteen months of active and fruitful work on this development.  The applicants had been working closely with the council and had been willing to include affordable housing despite it being financially unviable.  She pointed to several positive comments made by the place-shaping panel.  She continued to say that, none of the issues raised in the officer’s report had been brought up during the application process and that during the process they had reduced from a maximum of twelve storeys to a maximum of eight.  They had also added a footpath.  Overall, the development would be fifty units smaller than originally planned. 

Furthermore, she argued that the proposal was supported by a BRE daylight/sunlight survey. The Developer had discussed the concerns raised by local residents with the council officers during the application process and that the design had evolved with due consideration for the nearby heritage assets.  She raised concerns that Historic England had not been consulted in relation to the Grade I listed building and was of the view that the officer’s concerns were unfounded.  Amongst the benefits, she listed were the redevelopment of the plot and the creation of a high standard of housing, which would contribute towards meeting the Council’s shortfall in housing delivery.  She further indicated that the application was supported by the highways authority and highlighted that significant time and costs had been invested in the project.  She requested that the committee, if unable to approve the application, would at least be able to defer it.

The Chair thanked Jessica Wilson and invited members of the committee to ask her questions directly.

Councillor Watkin asked what the benefit there would be to deferring the application.

Jessica Wilson responded by saying that several issues had only been brought to their attention recently, in particular, the weight attached to the heritage concerns and secondly the issues in relation to the daylight/sunlight surveys. Moreover, she stated that they would be open to further discussion in relation to affordable housing.

Councillor Watkin asked a second question, stating that with respect, he was surprised at their reaction to the daylight issue due to the size of the building. As a non-architect, he could see that there would be an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.