Demolition of existing office building and erection of a mixed-use building of part 4, part 9 and part 14 storeys comprising 41 no. residential apartments and 1,800sqm of office space

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 proposed the demolition of the existing office building and erection of a mixed-use building of part four, part nine and part 14 storeys comprising 41 residential apartments and 1,800m² of office space (Class B1a), with associated infrastructure including landscaping and basement car parking.

 

The Chair invited Charles Dunn, the agent, to speak for the application.  Mr Dunn advised that the scheme was largely unchanged from a previous scheme approved by the committee in April 2017.  The significant change was the addition of an underground car park.  Although this impacted on the viability of the overall scheme, the developer had committed to retaining the previously agreed commuted sum of £368,000 towards affordable housing.

 

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

 

RESOLVED –

 

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 contribution of £368,000 towards the provision of affordable housing in the Borough of Watford;

 

ii)         To secure a financial payment to the Council of £2,000 towards the variation of the Borough of Watford (Watford Central Area and West Watford Area) (Controlled Parking Zones) (Consolidation) Order 2010 to exclude the site from the controlled parking zone, thereby preventing residents’ parking permits being allocated to this site.

 

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:-

           

                        2259 (90) 001

                        2259 (08) 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009,

                        2259 (07) 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006

                        017-03-CP1 E, CP3 C, CP6   

           

3.         No construction works shall commence until a detailed noise mitigation scheme for the proposed flats (to include acoustic glazing, acoustic trickle vents and mechanical purge ventilation), to protect the future occupiers from noise from rail traffic on the adjacent railway line and the plant and equipment associated with the adjacent Holiday Inn Express and Egale office building, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall achieve the internal noise levels for individual rooms as set out in British Standard 8233: 2014.

 

4.         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.

           

5.         No construction works shall commence until details of the window reveals for the office glazing and the windows to the flats have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall only be implemented in accordance with the approved materials.

 

6.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the approved surface water drainage assessment carried out by JMP (ref. NW91602-FRA-01 dated July 2016) and the following mitigation measures detailed within the FRA:

 

i)          Limiting the surface water run-off generated by the critical storm events so that it will not exceed the surface water run-off rate of 10.6 l/s during the 1 in 100 year event plus 40% of climate change event.

 

ii)         Providing storage to ensure no increase in surface water run-off volumes for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + climate change event providing a minimum of 29.1 m3 (or such storage volume agreed with the LLFA) of total storage volume in underground attenuation tanks.

 

iii)        Discharge of surface water from the private drain into the Thames Water sewer network.

 

            The mitigation measures shall be fully implemented prior to occupation and subsequently in accordance with the timing / phasing arrangements embodied within the scheme, or within any other period as may subsequently be agreed, in writing, by the local planning authority.

 

7.         No development shall take place until a detailed surface water drainage scheme for the site based on the approved Drainage Strategy and sustainable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological and hydro geological context of the development, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The drainage strategy should demonstrate the surface water run-off generated up to and including 1 in 100 year + climate change critical storm will not exceed the run-off from the undeveloped site following the corresponding rainfall event. The scheme shall subsequently be implemented in accordance with the approved details before the development is completed.

 

i)          Detailed, updated modelling for up to and including the 1 in 100 year rainfall event including climate change allowance to accommodate the latest changes of drainage layout.

i)          Detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SuDS features including their size, volume, depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs.

iii)        Final detailed management plan to include arrangements for adoption and any other arrangements to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

 

8.         No impact piling shall take place until a piling method statement (detailing the depth and type of piling to be undertaken and the methodology by which such piling will be carried out, including measures to prevent and minimise the potential for damage to subsurface sewerage infrastructure, and the programme for the works) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Any piling must be undertaken in accordance with the terms of the approved piling method statement.

 

9.         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.

           

10.       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.

 

11.       No part of the development shall be occupied until a detailed soft landscaping scheme for all the land within the site has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved landscaping scheme shall be carried out 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, or in accordance with details approved by the Local Planning Authority.

 

12.       No part of the development shall be occupied until a detailed hard landscaping scheme for all the land within the site, including details of all site boundary treatments, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and the works have been carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

13.       No part of the development shall be occupied until details for the secure and weatherproof storage of 58 cycles (41 for residents of the flats and 17 for occupiers of the office floor space) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and the facilities have been provided as approved. These facilities shall be retained at all times.

 

14.       The office floor space shall not be occupied until a detailed Travel Plan, based upon the Hertfordshire County Council document 'Hertfordshire Green Travel Plan Guidance’, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning.

 

15.       No dwelling 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.

           

16.       For the avoidance of doubt, no 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 shall be undertaken on the building.

 

17.       No plant or equipment shall be sited on the external elevations of the building unless details of the plant or equipment have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details shall include size, appearance, siting and technical specifications relating to noise.

 

Informatives

 

1.         You are advised of the need to comply with the provisions of The Control of Pollution Act 1974, The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, The Clean Air Act 1993 and The Environmental Protection Act 1990.

 

            In order to minimise impact of noise, any works associated with the development which are audible at the site boundary should be restricted to the following hours:

 

·         Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

·         Saturdays 8am to 1pm

·         Noisy work is prohibited on Sundays and bank holidays

 

            Instructions should be given to ensure that vehicles and plant entering and leaving the site comply with the stated hours of work.

 

            Further details for both the applicant and those potentially affected by construction noise can be found on the Council’s website at:

 

            https://www.watford.gov.uk/info/20010/your_environment/188/neighbour_complaints_%E2%80%93_construction_noise.

 

2.         This development may be considered a chargeable development for the purposes of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010 (as amended). The charge is non-negotiable and is calculated at the time planning permission is granted. The charge is based on the net increase of gross internal floor area of the proposed development.

 

            A person or party must assume liability to pay the levy using the assumption of liability form 1 which should be sent to the CIL Officer, Regeneration and Development, Watford Borough Council, Town Hall, Watford, WD17 3EX or via email (semeta.bloomfield@watford.gov.uk).

 

            If nobody assumes liability to pay the levy this will default to the land owner.  A Liability Notice will be issued in due course. Failure to adhere to the Regulations and commencing work without notifying the Council could forfeit any rights you have to appeal or pay in instalments and may also incur fines/surcharges.

 

3.         This planning permission is accompanied by a unilateral undertaking under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure a financial payment towards the provision of affordable housing in the Borough and to exclude the development from the local controlled parking zone.

 

4.         All new developments granted planning permission and to be constructed require naming or numbering under the Public Health Act 1925. You must contact Watford Borough Council Street Naming and Numbering department as early as possible prior to commencement on streetnamenumber@watford.gov.uk or 01923 278458. A numbering notification will be issued by the council, following which Royal Mail will assign a postcode which will make up the official address. It is also the responsibility of the developer to inform Street Naming and Numbering when properties are ready for occupancy.

 

5.         In dealing with this application, Watford Borough Council has considered the proposal in a positive and proactive manner having regard to the policies of the development plan as well as paragraphs 186 and 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework and other material considerations, and in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010, as amended. The Council also gave advice on the proposal and sought amendments during the application process.