Agenda item

The Principal Planning Officer delivered his report to the committee.

 

The Chair thanked the officer and noted that there were no speakers for or against the application and invited any councillors who wished to comment to do so.

 

Some members felt that that was a material change in the loss of two-bedroom flats in favour or one-bedroom flats, however it was not believed that this constituted a reason to refuse the application. 

 

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

 

1. Time Limit

The development hereby permitted shall be begun before 26th September 2026.

 

2. Approved Drawings and Documents

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance

with the following approved drawings:

21473-CW-XX-A-DW-0201-P00; 0202-P00; 0203-P00; 0204-P00; 0210-P00;

0211-P00; 0220-P00; 0221-P00; 0301-P00; 0302-P00; 0303-P03; 0304-P00; 21473-CW-XX-B1-A0310-P13; 00-A-0311-P12; 01-A-0312-P10; 02-A-0313-P09; 03-A-0314-P09; 04-A-0315-P10; 05-A-0316-P11; 07-A-0318-P07; 08-A-0319-P10; 17-A-0328-P11; 20-A-0331-P08; ZZ-A-0350-P09; 0351-P05; 0352-P06; 0353-P07; 0360-P04; 0361-P03; 0362-P03; 0363-P01; XX-A-0370-P03; 0341-P02; 0342-P01; 0343-P01; 0344-P01; 0345-P01.

 

3. No development, including demolition, shall commence until a Demolition Environmental Management Plan (DEMP) has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The DEMP must include details of:

a) demolition vehicle numbers, type, routing;

b) access arrangements to the site;

c) traffic management requirements;

d) demolition and storage compounds (including areas designated for car

parking, loading / unloading and turning areas);

e) siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

f) cleaning of site entrances, site tracks and the adjacent public highway;

g) timing of demolition activities (including delivery times and removal of

waste) and to avoid school pick up/drop off times;

h) provision of sufficient on-site parking duplication;

i) where works cannot be contained wholly within the site, a plan should

be submitted showing the site layout on the highway including extent

of hoarding, pedestrian routes and remaining road width for vehicle

movements;

j) all air quality mitigation measures consistent with the Air Quality Assessment, dated 23 June 2022.

Thereafter the demolition of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved DEMP.

 

4. No development shall commence until an assessment of the risks posed by any contamination has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. This Risk Assessment must be undertaken by a suitably qualified contaminated land practitioner, in accordance with BS10175: Investigation of potentially contaminated sites - Code of Practice and the Environment Agency’s Model Procedures for the Management of Land Contamination (CLR 11) (or equivalent British Standard and Model Procedures if replaced), and shall assess any contamination on the site, whether or not it originates on the site. The Assessment shall include:

a) a survey of the extent, scale and nature of contamination;

b) the potential risks to:

·                 human health;

·                 property (existing or proposed) including buildings, crops,

·                 livestock, pets, woodland and service lines and pipes;

·                 adjoining land;

·                 ground waters and surface waters;

·                 ecological systems; and,

·                 archaeological sites and ancient monuments

 

5. (A) No development shall take place where (following the Risk Assessment) land affected by contamination is found which poses risks identified as unacceptable in the Risk Assessment, until a detailed Remediation Scheme has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The Scheme shall include an appraisal of remediation options, identification of the preferred option(s), the proposed remediation objectives and remediation criteria, and a description and programme of the works to be undertaken including the verification plan. The Scheme shall be sufficiently detailed and thorough to ensure that upon completion the site will not qualify as contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to its intended use.

(B) The approved Scheme shall be carried out and upon completion a Verification Report by a suitably qualified contaminated land practitioner shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority before the development is occupied.

 

6. No development shall take place, excluding any demolition, until a detailed Surface Water Drainage Scheme (SWDS) for the site, including the details below based on the approved drainage strategy and sustainable drainage principles, has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The SWDS must include:

a) a fully detailed drainage strategy showing all SUDS/drainage features,

manholes and pipes, demonstrating how the entire site will be drained

including the access roads, basement ramp, roof surfaces and

shared/communal areas;

b) detailed network calculations (informed by FEH2022 rainfall data) for

all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% climate

change storm, including half drain down times;

c) further consideration of the proposed discharge rate to determine if a

restriction to greenfield runoff rates (or as close as is practicable) is

feasible;

d) further consideration of the feasibility of SUDS features such as

permeable paving, tree pits, rain gardens and swales to promote

open, multifunctional SUDS in preference to below-ground storage;

e) a detailed assessment of how runoff quality treatment will be provided

on site for drainage from roads and parking, through the use of SUDS

features;

f) detailed ground investigations to confirm the height of groundwater

on site, in consideration of the proposed basement parking and belowground drainage features such as attenuation tanks;

g) detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SUDS features including

cross section drawings, their size, volume, depth and any inlet and

outlet features including any connecting pipe runs; and,

h) identification of the exceedance flow paths for surface water for

events greater than the 1 in 100 year +40% climate change storm.

The SWDS shall subsequently be implemented in accordance with the

approved details before the development is completed.

 

7. Development shall not commence until details and a Method Statement for interim and temporary drainage measures during the demolition and construction phases have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. This information shall provide full details of who will be responsible for maintaining such temporary systems and demonstrate how the site will be drained to ensure there is no increase in the off-site flows, nor any pollution, debris and sediment to any receiving watercourse or sewer system. Where temporary discharges to a sewer are proposed, written confirmation from the sewer owner that these have been accepted shall be provided. The site works and construction phase shall thereafter be carried out in accordance with approved Method Statement.

 

8. No development, excluding demolition, shall commence until a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority.

The CEMP must include details of:

a) construction vehicle numbers, type, routing;

b) access arrangements to the site;

c) traffic management requirements;

d) construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for

car parking, loading / unloading and turning areas);

e) siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

f) cleaning of site entrances, site tracks and the adjacent public highway;

g) timing of construction activities (including delivery times and removal

of waste) and to avoid school pick up/drop off times;

h) provision of sufficient on-site parking prior to commencement of

construction activities;

i) post construction restoration/reinstatement of the working areas and

temporary access to the public highway;

j) where works cannot be contained wholly within the site a plan should

be submitted showing the site layout on the highway including extent

of hoarding, pedestrian routes and remaining road width for vehicle

movements;

k) all air quality mitigation measures consistent with the Air Quality Assessment, dated 23 June 2022.

Thereafter the construction of the development shall only be carried out

in accordance with the approved CEMP.

 

9. No works above slab level shall commence until a detailed scheme for the off-site highway improvement works has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall reflect drawing Ref 21473-CW-XX-A-0311 Rev P12 but be updated to provide continuous footway crossover at the proposed access on St John's Road. Prior to first occupation of the development, the highways works shall be completed in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure appropriate walking infrastructure, pursuant to

Policies ST11.1, ST11.3 and ST11.4 of the Watford Local Plan 2021-2038.

10. Prior to first occupation of the development, a Car Parking Management Plan (CPMP) shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The CPMP must include details of:

a) car parking allocation and distribution;

b) the operation, management, and implementation scheme for the car club, including a minimum of five car club spaces and cars to be provided prior to first occupation of any residential unit, and to be retained for a minimum period of five years;

c) methods to prevent on-site car parking outside of the designated spaces, including inappropriate parking within the layby; Page 30

d) a timetable for agreement of a monitoring plan regarding the implementation of the CPMP; and,

e) the provision of active EV charging spaces and chargers (at minimum 20%) and confirmation that all other spaces provide passive infrastructure.

 

11. No external facing materials shall be installed on the development until samples of all external facing materials have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. This shall include obscure glazing to the two windows for the gym nearest the north east corner of the courtyard. The relevant works shall thereafter be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

12. Prior to first occupation of the development, details of both hard and soft landscape works shall have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. These details must include:

a) the roof gardens including irrigation systems;

b) hardstanding areas;

c) soft landscaping including tree planting;

d) boundary treatments;

e) the children’s play area;

f) external lighting;

g) an extended terrace to Flat Nu G.1; and,

h) a Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan.

The hard landscaping works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details prior to first occupation of the development. The soft landscaping works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details not later than the first available planting and seeding season after completion of 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.

 

13. No dwelling shall be first occupied until the bin storage has been provided for the use of residents, in accordance with the approved drawings. These facilities shall be retained at all times for the use of the residential occupiers of the dwellings.

 

14. No part of the office floorspace shall be first occupied until the bin storage has been provided for the use of staff and visitors, in accordance with the approved drawings. These facilities shall be retained at all times for the use of the office occupiers.

 

15. No dwelling shall be first occupied until full details of the cycle storage for the residential occupiers has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. Details must include a security scheme for the parking of cycles and the type of cycle stands must also be clarified. The storage approved under this condition shall be installed and made available for use prior to the first occupation of any dwelling and shall be retained at all times for cycle storage only and shall not be used for any other purpose.

 

16. No part of the office floorspace shall be first occupied until full details of the cycle storage for the office occupiers has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. Details must include a security scheme for the parking of cycles and the type of cycle stands must also be clarified. The storage approved under this condition shall be installed and made available for use prior to the first occupation of any part of office floorspace and shall be retained at all times for cycle storage only and shall not be used for any other purpose.

 

17. No part of the development shall be first occupied until details of the proposed energy saving and renewable energy measures have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The measures shall be based on those set out in the Energy and Sustainability Statement, dated March 2022. Thereafter the construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

18. No dwelling shall be first occupied until the recommendations of the Noise Assessment, dated 8 February 2023, have been implemented and/or undertaken in full.

 

19. The residential development hereby approved shall not be first occupied until details have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority to confirm that the dwellings have been completed to meet the water efficiency requirement of 110 litres of water per person per day.

 

20. The office premises shall not be first occupied until a scheme to obscure the glazing of some of the windows in the eastern elevation of offices has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The offices shall not be first occupied until the scheme, as approved, has been carried out in full, and it shall be retained thereafter.

 

21. Prior to first occupation of the development, a detailed Verification Report, appended with substantiating evidence demonstrating the approved construction details and specifications have been implemented in accordance with the Surface Water Drainage Scheme, has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority.

The Verification Report shall include photographs of excavations and soil profiles/horizons, any installation of any surface water structure and control mechanism, as well as the following:

a) provision of a complete set of as built drawings for site drainage;

b) a management and maintenance plan for the SUDS features and

drainage network; and,

c) arrangements for adoption and any other measurements to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime including name and contact details of any appointed management company.

 

For observation

22. The offices premises shall be used only as for offices within Classes E (g)(i) and shall be used for no other purpose.

 

23. Any contamination that is found during the course of construction of the development that was not previously identified shall be reported immediately to the Local Planning Authority. Development on the part of the site affected shall be suspended and a Risk Assessment carried out and submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. Where unacceptable risks are found, remediation and verification schemes shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. These approved schemes shall be carried out before the development is resumed or continued.

 

24. The development shall be undertaken in accordance with the Drainage Strategy and SuDS Assessment, dated 18 March 2022, and must include the following measures:

a) a safe vehicular and pedestrian access through creation of an evacuation plan to ensure vehicular access is maintained for emergency services; and,

b) finished floor levels should be 300mm above the flood level of the 100 year plus climate change event.