Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall, Watford

Contact: Ian Smith  Email: democraticservices@watford.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

Conduct of the meeting

Prior to the start of the meeting, the Chair explained the procedure for the meeting.  The Chair also ensured that all participants were introduced and reminded those watching on the webcast that the officer’s presentation was available online.  

 

The committee will take items in the following order:

 

1.      All items where people wish to speak and have registered with Democratic Services.

2.      Any remaining items the committee agrees can be determined without further debate.

3.      Those applications which the committee wishes to discuss in detail.

41.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies had been received from Councillor Pattinson.

42.

Disclosure of interests

Minutes:

There were the following disclosures of interest:

Councillors Jeffree and Watkin declared that they had an interest in agenda item 5 (Cassiobury School). It was noted that Councillor Jeffree lived near to the school and Councillor Watkin’s grandson attended the school. 

 

Councillors Johnson and Watkin both declared that they had an interest in agenda item 6 (Faraday Close) as they had introduced the item to Cabinet and voted on the matter. 

 

43.

Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021 to be submitted and signed.

Minutes:

The minutes from the meeting on 7 December 2021 were approved and signed.

 

 

44.

21/01770/GPDO16 - Grass Verge, North Orbital Road pdf icon PDF 516 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Development Management Manager delivered his report and referred the members to the update sheet that supplemented the report. 

 

The Chair thanked the officer and invited the Ward Councillor, Councillor Tim Williams to address the committee.

 

Councillor Williams accepted the modern day requirements of good data and mobile phone connectivity and that this was fully supported by central government.  He also accepted that to achieve this a network of masts was required.  However, he pointed out that the government accepted the masts were not attractive and so encouraged mitigations. These could include mast sharing, proving the requirement of the mast and that the appearance and siting of the mast should not have any significant adverse impact on the character and appearance of the locality. 

 

Councillor Williams noted that whilst the applicant’s paperwork stated that mast sharing and alternative sites were considered, there appears to be no evidence that this had actually occurred.  He had requested a detailed report during the consultation period, but this had not been forthcoming.  He asked whether the Council had sought such a report from the applicant. 

 

Councillor Williams questioned why the mast could not be sited alongside the mast that was already situated adjacent to the nearby petrol station and expressed his view that it would have been better to mast share or site next to an existing mast. 

 

He felt that the mast would be a blot on the landscape and have a significant adverse impact on the locality.  He criticised the applicant for their standard application, with no thought as to the particular impact this mast would cause. 

 

Councillor Williams concluded by asking the committee to refuse the application on the grounds that its prominent siting, scale and height, would result in a highly visual and unduly obtrusive development.  This would impact on the visual amenity of the area and the outlook of the nearby residential properties and fail to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework 2021. 

 

The Chair thanked Councillor Williams and asked the Development Management Manager to address the issue of mast sharing.

The Development Management Manager explained that in the past, operators had shared masts and this was still the case in many areas across the country.  However, the requirement for faster data speeds and greater volumes of data, meant that masts had become taller.  The current 5G mast were 20 metres tall and a shared mast would need to be still taller.  Furthermore, the 5G network required masts to be closer together than in the past as due to the higher volumes of data, the signal range was reduced.  This meant that in order to fill an existing gap in the network coverage, the options for siting this mast were limited and there were no suitable masts nearby to share. 

In response to a question, the Development Management Manager confirmed that it was a requirement for operators to consider mast or site sharing. 

It was acknowledged that there were limited options for the committee to refuse the application,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

45.

21/01493/FUL Cassiobury Junior School pdf icon PDF 375 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Planning Officer delivered his report.

           

The Vice-Chair, in the Chair thanked the officer and invited discussion from the members. 

 

There was general agreement to the scheme.  Positive comment was made about the extra outdoor use for young people. 

 

In response to a question about the petition, the Planning Officer confirmed that 14 people had signed it and the issues were:

·        noise disturbance,

·        revenue obtained from additional events and people,

·        problems from additional parking and traffic flow. 

 

There was also a question concerning control of the hours.  The officer explained that it was difficult to control the hours as the playground next door could be used at any time.  That said, whilst there were no controls on hours by way of conditions, the lack of any artificial lighting provided a natural control of the area, particularly during the winter months.  

  

There being no further questions or comments from the committee, the Vice-Chair moved that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions contained in the officer’s report.

 

 

RESOLVED –

 

That, planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

 

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 shall be carried out in accordance with the following drawings, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The following drawings are hereby approved:

 

Drawing Number: CASSIOBURY JUNIOR SCHOOL MUGA POSTER A3

Drawing Number: CASSIOBURY_MUGA_DWG001-ISO A1(1)

Drawing Number: Site Location Plan

Drawing Number: Site Plan Satellite

 

46.

21/01605/VARM 1-5 Faraday Close And 1-6 Greenhill Crescent Watford pdf icon PDF 447 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair returned to the Chamber and resumed his role, inviting the Development Management Manager to deliver his report.

 

The Chair thanked the officer and invited comment from the committee. 

 

In response to a question about the amount of parking, the Development Management Manager informed the members that whilst there had been a reduction of 12% in floor space, there were now an extra 20 car parking spaces.  This was still within the maximum permitted levels as detailed in the adopted Watford District Plan. 

 

The Chair then moved that revised planning permission be granted under Section 73 subject to a deed of variation to the Section 106 legal agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and subject to the conditions and informatives contained in the officer’s report.

 

RESOLVED –

 

That, planning permission be granted, subject to a deed of variation to the Section 106 legal agreement and subject to the below listed conditions and informatives.

 

Conditions

 

1. Time Limit

The development to which this permission relates shall be begun before 6th April 2024. 

 

2. Approved Drawings

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved drawings:

 

0383-SEW-00-ZZ-DR-A-000050 - Existing Site/Demolition Plan

0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-000300 - Existing Site Elevations Faraday Close

0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-000301   - Existing Site Elevations Greenhill Crescent

Site Location Plan (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-000001)

Existing Block Plan (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-00-A-000040)

Proposed Masterplan Ground Floor (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-DR-A-001100 Rev 02)

Proposed Masterplan First Floor (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-DR-A-001101 Rev 02)

Proposed Masterplan Roof Plan (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-DR-A-001102 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Elevations Yarn North and South (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A001300 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Elevations Greenhill and Croxley (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A001301 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Elevations Entrance Road (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-001302 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Elevations Croxley Connection (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A001303 Rev 02) Proposed Building GW01 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G1-ZZ-DR-A-001310 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW02 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G2-ZZ-DR-A-001311 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW03 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G3-ZZ-DR-A-001312 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW04 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G4-ZZ-DR-A-001313 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW05 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G5-ZZ-DR-A-001314 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW06 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G6-ZZ-DR-A-001315 Rev 02)

Proposed Building GW07 Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-G7-ZZ-DR-A-001316 Rev 02)

Proposed Substations and Bike/Bin Store Elevations (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZDR-A-001320 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Sections (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-501200 Rev 02)

Proposed Site Sections (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-501201 Rev 02)

Proposed External Works Plan (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-DR-L-301100 Rev 02)

Proposed External Works Levels Plan (drawing no. 0383-SEW-ZZ-00-DR-L-301101 Rev 02)

 

3. CTMP

Prior to the commencement of the construction, a Construction Traffic Management Plan shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter, the construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Plan. The Construction Traffic Management Plan shall 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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

 

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