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.

There was a change of membership for this meeting; Councillor Grimston substituted for Councillor Pattinson.  Apologies were received from Councillor Trebar.

Councillor Smith was absent without apologies.

There were no disclosures of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2024 to be submitted and signed.

The minutes from the meeting on 9 January 2024 were approved and signed.

The Planning Officer (EP) delivered her report and the update sheet that had previously been circulated to the membership and speakers. 

The Chair thanked the officer and invited the committee to ask questions.

There was a question asked about the location of the borehole, this was clarified on the plans.

The Chair then invited Peter Bradley to speak against the application.

Peter Bradley introduced himself as being a local resident and stated that most of the residents had lived there for many years.  He continued to say that there had been a significant expansion of the club in recent years, with more people playing and with maintenance taking place from 6am.  Local residents had been aggrieved and imposed upon by this.  He commented that while they saw the advantages of a sprinkler system they believed it would create an unacceptable noise disturbance especially when operated on the closest two courts.  The residents believed that this would be intrusive especially when the park was not busy and that the residents did not believe the times were reasonable and would like an 8pm to 7am curfew, which they believed, should be enforced.

The Chair thanked Mr. Bradley and invited Simon Hathrell to speak.

Simon Hathrell stated that he wanted to focus on evidence from other locations with similar circumstances. His first example was from another croquet club, in Alexandra Park on suburban land in a large public park.  That croquet club has seven courts, all of which were located less than 50m from the nearest house, with the closest only 10m from the nearest court.  This club operated an automatic irrigation system and had done for many years.  The system they use was identical to the one that had been proposed for use by the Watford club.  It was used with no restrictions on time, in the summer the other croquet club had routinely used their sprinklers from 4am.  They had never had any noise complaints.  Furthermore, information from that club demonstrated that the booster pump, which drove the system, could only be heard when standing  next to it.

The second example he cited was in Watford, in Cassiobury Park itself. The Watford Bowls Club, which had had an automatic irrigation system for many years, again operating without restriction.  He indicated that this was also located close to residential properties, again with no complaints and also highlighted that it had been installed by Watford Borough Council. 

Mr. Hathrell continued to give examples of other croquet clubs and other sites in Watford which had similar or deeper boreholes and had also had no complaints. 

The Chair thanked Mr. Hathrell and invited Councillor Kloss to speak.

Councillor Kloss thanked the Chair and introduced himself to the committee and those in attendance.  He stated he was representing the residents.  He summarised the complaints that had been passed to him as being three-fold.  The first issue was the trees, which he believed had been dealt with by the officer’s report.  The second was the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

The Chair noted that there were no speakers for or against the application and no councillors wishing to speak.

The Chair moved for the committee to vote on the officer’s recommendation that planning permission be granted.

On being put to the committee, the application was granted.

RESOLVED –

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

Conditions

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 a financial payment to the Council of £2,000 (two thousand pounds) towards the variation of the Borough of Watford (Controlled Parking Zones) (Consolidated) Order 2023 to exclude future residents of the Development from entitlement to resident and visitor parking permits for the controlled parking zone in Zone D as defined by that order in accordance with paragraph 11.58 of the Watford Local Plan 2021-2038.

Conditions

1. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 2019-L-00-01, 2019-L-01-01,2076-L-01-02, 2019-A-D01-01, 2019-A-D02-01, 2076-A-01-00, 2076-A-01-01, 2076-A-01-02, 2076-A-01-03, 2076-A-01-04, 2076-01-05,2076-A-02-01, 2076-A-02-02, 2076-A-02-03, 2076-A-02-04, 2076-A-02-05, 2076-A-02-06, 2076-A-03-01, 2076-A-03-02, 2019-A-09-01-A,2019-A-07-01, 2076-A-09-10, 2076-A-09-11 and 2076-A-09-12.

2. No construction works 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. The development shall be carried out in accordance with those approved details.

3. No flat shall be occupied until details of a communal terrestrial television aerial(s) and satellite dish(es) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Other than the communications equipment agreed by this condition, no other communications development permitted by Class B or Class C of Part 16 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification) shall be undertaken on the building.

4. No plant or equipment shall be sited on the external elevations of the building unless details have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

5. No part of the development shall be occupied until the refuse and recycling store to serve the development, as shown on the approved drawings, has been constructed and made available for use. This facility shall be retained as approved at all times.

6. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Statement prepared by Infrastruct CS Ltd (reference ICS-2616.07.001) and drawing ref: 1655-300-P02, including its mitigation measures. The scheme shall be fully implemented and subsequently maintained in accordance with the timing/phasing arrangements within that assessment, or within any other period as may subsequently be agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

7. No development above damp proof  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.