Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall

Contact: Ishbel Morren  Email: legalanddemocratic@watford.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

58.

Apologies for absence/Committee membership

Minutes:

There were a number of changes to the committee for this meeting; Councillor Johnson replaced Councillor Martins as Chair, Councillor Collett replaced Councillor Sharpe and Councillor Laird replaced Councillor Watkin.

59.

Disclosure of interests (if any)

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

60.

Minutes

The minutes of the Development Management Committee held on 25 January 2017 to be submitted and signed.

 

Copies of the minutes of this meeting are usually available seven working days following the meeting.

 

All minutes are available on the Council’s website.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2017 were submitted and signed.

61.

16/01676/FUL 2, Melrose Place pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Erection of an attached, 3 storey house.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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 introduced the item, explaining that the application was to erect a three storey, attached house with single storey side extension within the side garden area of the application property.  The house would have five bedrooms and two car parking spaces on the frontage.

 

Attention was drawn to the update sheet.  This included comments from the Highway Authority, as well as from one of the ward councillors, and recommended changes to two of the conditions.

 

The Chair invited Mr Frost to speak against the application.  Mr Frost explained that he was speaking on behalf of local residents, who had a number of objections to the application.  The first concerned road safety.  Due to the large number of parked cars, only some of which belonged to local residents, the road was dangerous to navigate particularly at the junction of Wentworth Close and Melrose Place.  Residents considered that the proposed development would exacerbate these parking and road safety problems.

 

Mr Frost continued that residents questioned the applicant’s motive for building the new dwelling.  It was suggested that the house was being built to provide a rental income, rather than as a family home.  This was contrary to stipulations contained in a local covenant.

 

Residents also had concerns about the detrimental impact of the development on the environment, specifically relating to water, sewerage and drainage issues. 

 

Concluding his remarks, Mr Frost commented that residents considered the development would change the character of the area.  The new dwelling would be an over development and should be refused by the committee.

 

The Chair invited Mr Jenkins to speak for the application.  Mr Jenkins explained that he was the agent for the applicant, who was seeking permission to build a home for himself and his family.  Constructive discussions had taken place with planning officers at pre-application stage and the final design was both sympathetic and fully compliant with all relevant local and national policies.

 

Mr Jenkins responded to a series of objections which had been raised by residents, confirming inter alia that no protected trees had been removed during early site works; the proposed design included off street parking and bicycle storage; and room sizes conformed to nationally prescribed standards.

 

Rather than being a garden grabbing scheme, Mr Jenkins advised that the proposed development would provide a good sized family home for his client, which would contribute to meeting Watford’s housing need.

 

In response to a query from the Chair about highway safety concerns, the Development Management Team Leader confirmed that the Highway Authority had not raised any objections to the development other than in regard to the pedestrian visibility sight splays.  Conditions 4 and 5 had been amended to reflect the Highway Authority’s comments. 

 

The Development Management Team Leader further advised that existing car parking issues were outside the remit of the Development Management  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

62.

16/01585/FULM 18-20, Caxton Way pdf icon PDF 121 KB

Erection of a two storey building to provide four industrial units incorporating mezzanine floors (Use Classes B1(c), B2 and/or B8), including car parking, access arrangements and external bin and bike stores.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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 introduced this item.  He explained that the application was to erect a two storey building to provide four industrial units incorporating mezzanine floors (Use Classes B1(c), B2 and/or B8), including car parking, access arrangements and external bin and bike stores.

 

In a clarification, the Development Management Team Leader stated that the reason provided for condition 7 had been placed in error before the final paragraph.

 

The Chair invited comments from the committee.

 

The committee welcomed the speculative development and the employment prospects that it represented. 

 

Responding to a query regarding on-street parking spaces, the Development Management Team Leader confirmed that there had not been a reduction in the number of parking spaces, only in the width of the parking bays opposite the site on Caxton Way.  The resultant width was still in excess of minimum width requirements.

 

In a further clarification, the Development Management Team Leader confirmed that the Secured by Design provisions were voluntary and could not be enforced by condition.  However, as the applicant, the council could seek to implement any recommendations as fully as possible.

 

The Chair moved the officer 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:-

           

            0452/PL/001A, 010A, 011A, 100A, 101A, 102A, 200A, 300A, 751

           

3.         Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, the units hereby approved shall only be used for purposes within Use Classes B1(c), B2 and B8 and for no other use.

 

4.         The building shall be constructed in the materials described in the Design and Access Statement by Black Architecture and detailed on approved drawing nos. 0452/PL/200A and 1452/PL/751, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

5.         If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site then no further development shall be carried out until the developer has submitted to, and obtained written approval from, the Local Planning Authority for a remediation strategy detailing how this unsuspected contamination is to be dealt with. All works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

           

6.         The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the approved DSA reference 16/23672 Rev A dated November 2016, and the following mitigation measures detailed within the FRA:

 

1.         Implement appropriate drainage strategy based on attenuation and discharge into Thames Water Sewer.

2.         Implementing appropriate SuDS measures as indicated on the drainage drawing (Appendix C).

3.         Providing attenuation to ensure no increase in surface water run-off volumes for all rainfall events up to and including the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

 

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