Agenda item

Report of Head of Regeneration and Development

A report was received from the Head of Regeneration and Development regarding an additional policy on tall buildings.  This was necessary as there had been a significant increase in the pre-application discussions for tall buildings.  The current planning policy needed to be strengthened to prevent inappropriate tall building development.

Councillor Sharpe introduced the report and stated that the policy had emerged from approaches by developers.  These approaches were understandable as there was a need for more housing but Watford was a compact Borough.  There were some tall buildings already within Watford such as the YMCA and the Meriden tower blocks.  It was important for the Council to be clear where tall buildings were acceptable or not acceptable.

Appendix A to the report included a general policy.  This was what the Council wanted to see when considering applications for tall buildings.  There would also be a supplementary planning document produced.  This would be quite descriptive and prescriptive.  There was a supplementary planning policy as part of the 2000 District Plan but now it needed to be updated to respond to changing times.  The draft would be available for consultation.

The Mayor explained there had been a policy on no tall buildings in the town centre.  As a result there had been no hotels so it had been necessary to make some adjustments.  The Mayor felt that this approach was the right one and thanked the Planning Policy Advisory Group and the members who had attended the tall buildings workshop.

From the report the Mayor favoured the Merton approach in their local plan.  New legislation from the government meant that brownfield site developers would not need planning permission.  In the District Plan any area which had been identified as a housing site would have an assumption of planning permission so developers could start building.  Brownfield sites in Watford were at risk of inappropriate development so the council needed to have the policy in place.

The Planning Policy Section Head informed Cabinet that work was progressing as fast as possible.  Currently they were considering views by looking at a model and using photographic techniques.  Some 3D work had been commissioned to look at blocks of buildings.  A workshop had been arranged with Design South East to include officers and councillors. 

In response to a question from the Mayor the Planning Policy Section Head explained with regards to quality that officers were looking at other schemes which worked.  For the design of interiors the Council already had a residential guide.  Planning policy would also look at how uses were split within a tall building vertically e.g., cafes, offices and residential or spaces to mix in the middle of a building.

Officers would look at winds and microclimates created by tall buildings and review guidance on how winds circulated around buildings and how this could be prevented by using canopies over cafes.  All the information would be included in the guidance to help achieve the desired outcome for Watford.

Councillor Bell welcomed the report and referred to the potential locations which would be identified.  The Mayor suggested that residents were shown the model to reassure them.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. endorse the broad approach to tall buildings and support further work being undertaken to prepare a policy for inclusion in Local Plan Part 2.
   
   
2. supports the preparation of a tall buildings supplementary planning document to guide such development and to assist decision makers in advance of the adoption of LP2.
   
   
3. agrees that the Head of Regeneration and Development in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Development has delegated authority to agree the wording of a draft Tall Buildings Policy and supplementary planning document for consultation, to undertake that consultation and report back to Cabinet following the conclusion of the consultation.