Agenda item

Demolition of existing buildings, site clearance and associated works, erection of perimeter hoarding and provision for a temporary commercial structure (Class A1).

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 (PB) introduced the report, explaining that the application sought the demolition of existing buildings, site clearance and associated works, erection of perimeter hoarding and provision for a temporary commercial structure (Class A1).

The Chair invited Amy Parr, a local resident, to speak against the application.  Miss Parr confirmed that in excess of 340 people had now signed an online petition opposing the demolition of two locally listed detached Victorian villas at nos. 73 and 75 Clarendon Road.  Many respondents had also added supporting comments.

Citing Watford Borough Council’s own policies and guidelines, Miss Parr underlined the view that the villas had a value which was enhanced by the fact that they were the last two remaining buildings of their type in the area.  There were no grounds for removing the villas in the absence of an application for a new building in their place.

Miss Parr continued that Watford residents did not want a new commercial site and its proximity to Watford Junction Station suggested that any building would draw employees from outside the area, rather than benefitting local people as claimed by TJX.

The Chair invited Tim Price to speak for the application.  Speaking on behalf of the applicant, Mr Price underlined TJX Europe’s commitment to Watford – evidenced by the 1,500 jobs it supported currently, set to increase to 3,000 jobs with the development of the Clarendon Road site to establish a new European headquarters.

Mr Price explained that a public exhibition had confirmed positive support for the proposed scheme, with particular desire for a landmark building on this gateway site to Watford’s employment area.  The realisation of the scheme required the demolition of the two villas, which TJX had agreed to document fully in recognition of their local historic significance.

The Chair invited Central Ward Councillor, Steve Bolton, to speak to the committee.  Councillor Bolton underlined the clear desire to retain Watford’s diminishing local heritage, which had been evidenced by the growing number of people who had signed the online petition.  Nos 73 and 75 Clarendon Road were the last remaining villas of a type which had once been common in the area.

Councillor Bolton explained that the villas were not attractive to business and the wish to retain them had to be balanced against the needs of Watford’s commercial sector.  He noted that TJX had committed to reflecting the history of the site in any new development.

The Chair invited comments from the committee.

Members of the committee considered the need to balance conflicting policies – the protection of heritage assets versus enhancing Watford’s commercial and employment centre.  The requirement to remove the Victorian villas raised the threshold of what should replace them.

It was noted that TJX was committed to the development of a new landmark building on the Clarendon Road site.  The tight build programme had prompted the application to carry out as much clearance work as possible before submitting a planning proposal.

However, in the absence of a good quality development proposal, the committee considered that it would be appropriate to permit only some clearance of the site.  This should not include removal of the villas or the protected trees.

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:-

            TJX-SRA-XX-00-DR-A-01-100B, 101B, 102B

3.         Demolition works shall only be carried out in accordance with the Construction Traffic Management and Demolition Plan (amended version received 13.01.17) by Mace.

4.         No demolition works shall commence until the tree protection measures shown on drawing no. 02571P-TPP-01A have been installed in full. These measures shall remain in place at all times until all works on the site have been completed.

5.         No demolition or construction works shall commence until a detailed scheme to deal with the risks associated with contamination of the site has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include:

i)          a preliminary risk assessment (PRA) which has identified:

?          all previous uses

?          potential contaminants associated with those uses

?          a conceptual model of the site indicating sources, pathways and receptors

?          potentially unacceptable risks arising from contamination at the site;

ii)         where the PRA in (i) above identifies the need for further investigation, a site investigation scheme to provide information for a detailed assessment of the risk to all receptors that may be affected, including those off-site;

iii)        where a site investigation scheme referred to in (ii) above is required, the results of the site investigation and risk assessment and, based on these, an options appraisal and remediation strategy giving full details of the remediation measures required and how they are to be undertaken;

iv)        where a remediation strategy referred to in (iii) above is required, a verification plan providing details of the data that will be collected in order to demonstrate that the works set out in the remediation strategy are complete and identifying any requirements for longer-term monitoring of pollutant linkages, maintenance and arrangements for contingency action.

No changes to these components shall be undertaken without the written approval of the Local Planning Authority. All works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

6.         Where a remediation strategy has been approved pursuant to Condition 5, no construction works shall commence until a verification report demonstrating completion of the works set out in the approved remediation strategy and the effectiveness of the remediation has been submitted to and approved, in writing, by the Local Planning Authority. The report shall include results of sampling and monitoring carried out in accordance with the approved verification plan to demonstrate that the site remediation criteria have been met. It shall also include a plan (a "long-term monitoring and maintenance plan") for longer-term monitoring of pollutant linkages, maintenance and arrangements for contingency action, as identified in the verification plan, and for the reporting of this to the local planning authority. The long-term monitoring and maintenance plan shall be implemented as approved.

7.         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.

8.         The buildings at 73 and 75, Clarendon Road shall not be demolished until:

i)          A Historic Building Record for each building has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority; and

ii)         A separate planning permission has been granted by the Local Planning Authority for the redevelopment of the site at 73-77, Clarendon Road, the implementation of which requires the demolition of these buildings.