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.

There was a change in membership for this meeting: Councillor Williams replaced Councillor Watkin.   

No disclosures of interest were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2022 to be submitted and signed.

The minutes from the meeting on 1 November 2022 were approved and signed.

The Principal Planning Officer (AC) presented his report to the committee, the details of which were included in the agenda. 

The chair thanked the officer for his report and invited the speaker who was against the proposal, June Wilkinson, to address the committee.

June Wilkinson introduced herself and stated she was speaking on behalf of over sixty local residents who opposed the development, as they had done previous proposals for the site. Those previous objections being upheld by the committee as they would cause unacceptable harm to the residents of the area.  The new proposal had a greater height and, where there had been improvements, they were minimal, in some places only 50 cm.  The roof design was not in keeping with the look and character of the other properties in the area.  She stated that the proximity and size of the building would affect the privacy of local residents.  She requested that if the proposal was to be approved a condition be added that the hedge be retained.  She further stated that there would be a reduction in light exceeding the Building research Establishment recommended limit and there had not been an ecology report.  She moved on to discuss the parking, stating that there were two promised disabled parking spaces from Hanover Court that had never been delivered and that the area was prone to flooding.   She concluded by asking the committee to reject the proposal.

The chair thanked her and invited the officer to address three of the points the resident had raised.

·        Day light

·        Disabled parking

·        Ecology survey

The Principal Planning Officer (AC) responded to the day light/sunlight survey which showed that there would be no significant impact to the neighbouring properties.  In relation to the parking issue the new parking would be an amalgamation and was compliant with local policy and as a minor development there was no requirement to include disabled parking.  Finally, there was an ecology survey which did not demonstrate any evidence of an ecological reason to prevent the project.

The chair thanked the Principal Planning Officer and invited James Doherty, the developer, to speak on behalf of the application.

James Doherty thanked the chair, he went on to say that there had been a long history of the developers working with officers to deliver a suitable project, and that the reason the development was being heard at committee was due to the number of objections.  He stated that many of the objections were duplications.  James Doherty went on to say that the planning inspector had commented that the proposal would not negatively impact the local area, and despite that they had further reduced the size and scope of the project to fulfil officer recommendations.  He stated they had mitigated all the previous concerns that had led to the last application being refused.  The units were designed to exceed national minimum levels, and would help the council meet its housing requirements and provide quality homes to the future occupants.

The chair thanked Mr.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

The Chair advised that this application had been withdrawn by the applicant.

The Principal Planning Officer (CO) introduced his report, the details of which were included in the agenda.  The officer also advised that it was proposed to change the wording of condition 8 as set out in the update sheet.

        The Chair thanked the officer. There was a question from the committee in relation to the trees behind the proposed development. It was clarified that the trees would not be affected by the development and were outside of the application site.  The Chair then invited Aaron Folkes to speak in support of the development.

        Aaron Folkes thanked the Chair and introduced himself.  He stated that the new development would be both in keeping with the original design whilst giving it a fresh and modern look and fitting in well with the other properties on the street.  He pointed to it providing an economic and employment boost to the area. It would have both disabled and electric vehicle parking and would be an energy saving building. Also it would offer additional office space. Finally, that the development was in line with policy and he hoped the committee would support it.

        The Chair thanked him for his comments and stated he was very much in favour of reusing a building, praising the green impact of doing so and that he would be supporting it before inviting the committee to comment.  

        The committee responded positively highlighting both the sky roof and the reuse of an existing building.

The Chair moved for the committee to vote on the officer’s recommendation with the amended Condition 8.

On being put to the committee the application was approved.

          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 the submission and implementation of a full Travel Plan.

(ii) To secure a financial payment to Hertfordshire County Council of £6,000 for the long term monitoring of the Travel Plan for the site.

Conditions

1. Time Limit

The development to which this permission relates shall be begun within a period of three years commencing on the date of this permission.

2. Approved Drawings and Documents

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

0001 Rev P01; 0002 Rev P01; 0003 Rev P03; 0004 Rev P01; 0011 Rev P03;

1001 Rev P01; 1002 Rev P01; 2001 Rev P01; 2002 Rev P01; 2003 Rev P01;

2004 Rev P01; 5001 Rev P01; 0316-BDL-XX-XX-DR-L-0801-P01.

3. Construction management plan

No development shall commence until a Construction Management Plan has 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) photographic condition survey of public carriageways, verges and footways in the vicinity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

The Planning Officer introduced her report, the details of which were included in the agenda.  In addition she provided an update to the report contained in the agenda.

        The Chair thanked the officer, and added that he thought it was a good industrial development before inviting the committee to comment.

        The committee had no comments in relation to the application.

The Chair moved for the committee to vote on the officer’s recommendation with the the updated condition 8.

On being put to the committee the application was approved.

          RESOLVED –

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

Conditions

1. Time limit

The development to which this permission relates shall be begun within a period of 3 years commencing on the date of this permission.

2. Approved drawings and documents

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved drawings and documents: Page 116

- 0395-A100 SITE PLANS

- 0395-A101 EXTG PLANS

- 0395 A107

- F22002_02 REV A

- F22002_03 REV A

- F22002_04 REV A

- F22002_05 REV A

- 0395-A103 PROPOSED PLANS (UNIT 1)

- 0395-A104 PROPOSED PLANS (UNITS 2&3)

- 0395-A300 EXTG N&S ELEVATIONS

- 0395-A301 EXTG E&W ELEVATIONS

- 0395-A302 PROP ELEVATIONS- ORIENT CENTRE

- 0395 CAR PARK SITE

- 0395-A200 SECT 1 & 2 (REV A).

- 0395-A102 PROPOSED SITE PLANS (REV A).

- 0395-A105 PROPOSED PLANS (UNIT 4)(REV A

- DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 1

- DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 2

- MPL TREE CONSULTANCY LTD ARBORICULTURAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT. REF. PD002248A. DATED JUNE 2022

- F22002 GREYCAINE ROAD WATFORD – TRANSPORT STATEMENT. REF. BANCROFT CONSULTING. DATED JANUARY 2022.

3. Surface Water Drainage

No construction works shall commence until a detailed surface water drainage strategy has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The strategy shall include surface water storage/attenuation for the 1 in 100 year storm event with a 40% allowance for climate change and greenfield run-off rates.

4. Materials

No development shall commence until details and samples of the materials to be used for all the external finishes of the development hereby approved, including all external walls, all roofs, doors, windows, fascias, rainwater and foul drainage goods, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and samples.

5. Highway Works

No unit shall be occupied until the modified access and egress arrangements for that unit, as shown in principle on the revised approved drawings F22002/02, 03, 04, 05, has been completed in full.

6. Car Parking

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 the approved drawings. 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. EV charging points  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.