Decision details

The Chair invited the Principal Planning Officer (AC) to deliver his report. 

           

The Chair thanked the officer and invited Mr Ian Tottman to address the committee. 

 

Mr Tottman opened by stating the proposed scheme would be discordant and would cause harm to the character and appearance of the surroundings.  He asserted that five flats, with one in the attic would not be in keeping with the adjoining houses.  He pointed out that this was an old village of Leavesden. 

 

He went on to detail past refusals for developing this site and suggested that these reasons remained valid for refusing the current application and described the application as merely tinkering with the proposal. 

 

Mr Tottman went on to provide detail of the size and scale of the proposed building in relation to the adjoining properties and asserted that this would give a feeling of enclosure and a loss of outlook. 

 

He also criticised the bin layout arrangements, the privacy for the ground floor flats and the lack of electric car charging points.  He also criticised the parking arrangements and the siting of the cycle stores.  

 

He concluded by urging the committee to refuse the application. 

 

The Chair thanked Mr Tottman and asked if the Principal Planning Officer wished to address any of the points Mr Tottman had made.  The officer stated that it was considered the scheme fitted in well with the streetscape and it was 1.9 metres from the boundaries, far more than many of the houses along the street.  He also pointed out that there were other flatted developments along the High Road.

 

The Chair then invited Mr Martin Toye, the applicant, to address the committee. 

 

Mr Toye explained that he had been trying to develop the site for two years.  The proposal had evolved, taking into account the previous application and the comments of officers.  He pointed out the need for Watford to provide housing and remarked that there seemed to be no valid reasons why this application should be refused and mentioned that despite continued objection by some residents, one of the closest neighbours had not lodged any objection. 

 

He expressed the opinion that the officer’s recommendation was correct and that planning permission should be granted. 

 

The Chair thanked Mr Toye and invited Councillor Glen Saffery to address the committee. 

 

Councillor G Saffery stated that he was here to support High Road residents in their opposition to the application.  He noted that numerous similar applications for the site had been rejected. 

 

Councillor G Saffery described the character of the road as being defined by the detached houses and the historic nature of the area.  He acknowledged the contributions of both the developer and the officers, but stated that the nature of the application was inappropriate for the area. 

 

He added that whilst he accepted the tilted balance direction from central government, he asserted that the application should still be refused on the basis of the harm it would do. 

 

The Chair thanked Councillor G Saffery. 

 

In response to a question from the Chair, the officer confirmed that this was not in a conservation area. 

 

There was a brief discussion regarding the application, before the Chair moved the officer’s recommendation that planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions contained within the officer’s report.

 

RESOLVED –

 

That outline planning permission be granted subject to conditions, as set out in section 8 of the officer’s report.

 

Conditions

 

1.      No development shall commence until details of the:

 

a)      Access

b)      Landscaping

 

          (hereinafter referred to as "the Reserved Matters") have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.

 

2.      Applications for approval of the Reserved Matters shall be made to the Local Planning Authority before the expiration of three years from the date of this Decision Notice.

 

3.      The development to which this permission relates must be commenced not later than two years from the date of approval of the final Reserved Matters application.

 

4.      For those matters not reserved for later approval, the development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the approved plans and document:

 

-                Drawing number: 3203-SK1

-                Drawing number: 3203-3B-01

-                Drawing number: 3203-3B-02

-                Drawing number: 3203-5D-03

-                Drawing number: 3203-5D-05

-                Drawing number: 3203-5D-06 Rev: A

-                Drawing number: 3203-3B-49

-                Report on the impact on trees. Ref: S237-J1-IA-1. Dated: 18^th August 2020

 

5.      No construction works shall commence until details of the materials to be used for all the external finishes of the building, including walls, roof, dormers, porch, doors, windows and rainwater goods have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out only in accordance with the approved materials.

 

6.      The development hereby approved shall not be occupied until the new on-site car parking spaces and manoeuvring areas have been constructed and laid out in accordance with approved drawing number: 3203-5D-03 (or any subsequent drawing submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority). The vehicular access and onsite car parking spaces and manoeuvring areas shall be retained at all times thereafter unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

7.      The development hereby approved shall not be occupied until refuse, recycling and cycle storage has been provided in accordance with approved drawing numbers: 3203-5D-03, 3203-5D-05 and 3203-3B-49 (or any subsequent drawing submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority). The storage facilities shall be retained at all times thereafter.

 

8.      The tree protection measures outlined in “Report on the impact on trees” (Report Ref: S237-J1-IA-1. Dated: 18^th August 2020) shall be implemented in full prior to the commencement of development and shall be retained at all times during demolition and construction works.

 

9.      The proposed first floor windows in the northeast facing and southwest side facing elevations shall be permanently fixed closed below 1.7m internal floor level and shall be fitted with obscured glass at all times unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Informatives

 

1. IN907 – Positive and proactive statement

2. IN909 – Street naming and numbering

3. IN910 – Building Regulations

4. IN911 – Party Wall Act

5. IN912 – Hours of Construction

6. IN913 – Community Infrastructure Levy Liability

7. IN915 – Highway Works – HCC agreement required