Phase two of residential development comprising 86 no. new one, two and three bed homes with associated landscaping, parking and public realm improvements alongside diversion and reconnection of an existing cycle route

The committee received the report of the Interim Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site.

 

The Principal Planning Officer (AC) introduced the report confirming that the applicant was Hart Homes, rather than Watford Community Housing as stated in the committee report.  He explained that the application was phase two of a residential development comprising 86 new one, two and three bed homes (23 affordable) with associated landscaping, parking and public realm improvements alongside diversion and reconnection of an existing cycle route.

 

It was noted that committee members had undertaken a site visit prior to the meeting.

 

In response to a query, the Principal Planning Officer outlined the steps that would be taken to protect the active badger sett on the site.  These were in accordance with the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. 

 

Although the Interim Head of Development Management advised that the development was fully policy compliant, with affordable housing located throughout all the blocks, some committee members sought reassurance that the size and tenure mix of the affordable housing provision had been maximised in the application.  Additional concerns were raised about the height of the proposed development and its potential impact on the character of the surrounding area.

 

The chair invited Councillor Bell to propose a motion to refuse.

 

Councillor Bell proposed that the application be refused on the grounds that due to its height and impact on the local environment it would change the character of the area and would adversely affect the amenity of local residents.

 

On being put to the committee, the motion was LOST.

 

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation.

 

RESOLVED –

 

Section 106 Heads of Terms

 

i)                    To secure 23 flats as affordable housing comprising 4 x Social Rented (2 x 3 bed and 2 x 2 bed), 15 x Affordable Rented (4 x 3 bed and 11 x 2 bed) and 4 x Shared Ownership (4 x 2 bed)

 

ii)                  A financial contribution of £6,000 to Hertfordshire County Council for monitoring of the Travel Plan for the site.

 

iii)                To secure the provision of fire hydrants as required by the County Council to serve the development.

 

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:

 

       0463 PL 100

0463 PL 101

       0463 PL 102

0463 PL 103

0463 PL 104

0463 PL 105

0463 PL 106

0463 PL 107

0463 PL 150

0463 PL 151

0463 PL 200

0463 PL 201

0463 PL 202

0463 PL 700

480.04 (x 2 sheets)

Building Services Description for Planning Submission 2019

Design and Access Statement

Flood Risk Assess. & Surface Water Drainage Strategy - 133315-R1(0)-FRA

Transport Assessment

Travel Plan

Energy and Sustainability Statement

Noise Assessment Report 297358-01(01)

Stage 1: Tree Constrains, for residential development.

Stage 1 Road Safety Audit

Badger Monitoring Survey

Affordable Housing Statement

Affordable Housing Configuration

 

3.    No construction works above damp proof course level shall commence until details of the materials to be used for all the external finishes of the buildings, including walls, roofs, doors, windows, fascias, balconies and balustrades, 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.

 

4.    No development shall commence until a detailed surface water drainage scheme for the site based on the approved FRA 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.

 

The scheme should include:

 

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

 

5.    No properties shall be occupied until confirmation has been provided that either:- all wastewater network upgrades required to accommodate the additional flows from the development have been completed; or- a housing and infrastructure phasing plan has been agreed with Thames Water to allow additional properties to be occupied. Where a housing and infrastructure phasing plan is agreed no occupation shall take place other than in accordance with the agreed housing and infrastructure phasing plan.

 

6.      No properties shall be occupied until confirmation has been provided that either:- all surface water network upgrades required to accommodate the additional flows from the development have been completed; or - a housing and infrastructure phasing plan has been agreed with Thames Water to allow additional properties to be occupied. Where a housing and infrastructure phasing plan is agreed no occupation shall take place other than in accordance with the agreed housing and infrastructure phasing plan.

 

7.      No development shall commence until a noise mitigation scheme for each of the residential dwellings requiring acoustic double glazing, based upon the recommendations of the Noise Assessment Report (Report: 297359-01(01)) by RSK, has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include the details and specifications of the sound reduction performance of all glazed and non-glazed elements of the building facades. No dwelling shall be occupied until the approved mitigation measures have been installed in full, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

8.      The construction of the development hereby approved shall not commence until a Demolition and Construction Traffic Management Plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA. Thereafter, the demolition of the existing development and construction of the approved development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Plan. The Demolition and Construction Traffic Management Plan shall include details of:

 

a)      Demolition and construction vehicle numbers, type, routing;

b)     Traffic management requirements;

c)      Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for car parking);

d)     Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

e)      Cleaning of site entrances, site tracks and the adjacent public highway;

f)       Provision of sufficient on-site parking prior to commencement of demolition and construction activities;

g)      Post construction restoration/reinstatement of the working areas and temporary access to the public highway.

 

9.      Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted (or Prior to the commencement of the use hereby permitted) the proposed access /on-site car parking shall be laid out, demarcated, levelled, surfaced and drained in accordance with the approved plan and retained thereafter available for that specific use.

 

10. At least 3 months prior to the first occupation / use of the approved development a detailed Travel Plan for the site, based upon the Hertfordshire Council document ‘Hertfordshire’s Travel Plan Guidance’, shall be submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved Travel Plan shall be implemented at all times.

 

11. No development shall commence until full details have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in relation to the proposed arrangements for future management and maintenance of the proposed streets within the development. (The streets shall thereafter be maintained in accordance with the approved management and maintenance details until such time as an agreement has been entered into under Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980 or a Private Management and Maintenance Company has been established).

 

12. No dwelling shall be occupied until a detailed soft landscaping scheme for all the land within the site, based upon the details given in the Landscape Plans (drawing numbers 480.04) by Philip Cave Associates, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. This shall include details of the new tree, shrub and hedge planting. 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.

 

13. No dwelling shall be occupied until a detailed hard landscaping scheme for all the land within the site, based upon the details given in the Landscape Plans (drawing numbers 480.04) by Philip Cave Associates, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and the works have been carried out in accordance with details approved by the Local Planning Authority.

 

14. Prior to the commencement of development approved by this planning permission (or such other date or stage in development as may be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority), the following components of a scheme to deal with the risks associated with contamination of the site shall each be submitted to and approved, in writing, by the local planning authority:

 

i)        A preliminary risk assessment 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)      A site investigation scheme, based on (i) to provide information for a detailed assessment of the risk to all receptors that may be affected, including those off site. This should include an assessment of the potential risks to: human health, property (existing or proposed) including buildings, crops, pests, woodland and service lines and pipes, adjoining land, ground waters and surface waters, ecological systems, archaeological sites and ancient monuments.

 

iii)    The site investigation results and the detailed risk assessment (ii) 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)    A verification plan providing details of the data that will be collected in order to demonstrate that the works set out in (iii) are complete and identifying any requirements for longer term monitoring of pollutant linkages, maintenance and arrangements for contingency action. Any changes to these components require the express consent of the local planning authority. The scheme shall be implemented as approved.

 

15. Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme and prior to the first use or occupation of the development, a verification report that demonstrates the effectiveness of the remediation carried out must be produced together with any necessary monitoring and maintenance programme and copies of any waste transfer notes relating to exported and imported soils shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval. The approved monitoring and maintenance programme shall be implemented.

 

16. Reporting of Unexpected Contamination: In the event that contamination is found at any time when carrying out the approved development that was not previously identified it must be reported in writing immediately to the Local Planning Authority. An investigation and risk assessment must be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of condition 1, and where remediation is necessary a remediation scheme must be prepared in accordance with the requirements of condition 1, which is subject to the approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority. Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme a verification report must be prepared, which is subject to the approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority in accordance with condition 1.

17. Prior to commencement (including vegetation clearance), a suitably qualified ecologist shall walk the site to monitor the setts and check for badger activity (ref: Badger Monitoring Survey, Southern Ecological Solutions, 2 April 2019). If badgers will be impacted on by the development proposals, appropriate mitigation to safeguard them must be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval, and a licence may be required from Natural England.

      

18. No development shall take place (including demolition, ground works, vegetation clearance) until a Construction Ecological Management Plan (CEMP: Biodiversity) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The CEMP (Biodiversity) shall include the following:

 

a)      Identification of “biodiversity protection zones”.

b)     Practical measures (both physical measures and sensitive working practices) to avoid or reduce impacts during construction (may be provided as a set of method statements).

c)      The location and timing of sensitive works to avoid harm to biodiversity features (including external lighting design and plans).

d)     The times during construction when specialist ecologists need to be present on site to oversee works.

e)      Specific enhancement measures including locations indicated on appropriate plans.

f)       Responsible persons and lines of communication.

g)      Use of protective fences, exclusion barriers and warning signs.

 

The approved CEMP shall be adhered to and implemented throughout the construction period strictly in accordance with the approved details, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

 

19. No development shall take place (including demolition, ground works, vegetation clearance) until a Landscape and Ecology Management Plan (LEMP) has been submitted to, and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of the development. The LEMP should include the following:

 

a)      A Description and evaluation of the features to be managed.

b)     Ecological trends and constraints on site that might influence management.

c)      Aims and objectives of management.

d)     Appropriate management options for achieving aims and objectives.

e)      Prescriptions for management options.

f)       Preparation of a works schedule (including an annual work plan capable of being rolled forward over a five year period).

g)      Details of the body or organisation responsible for the implementation of the plan.

h)     Ongoing monitoring and remedial measures.

 

20.  No dwelling shall be occupied until the bin and cycle stores to serve the dwellings, as shown on the approved drawings, have been constructed and made available for use. These facilities shall be retained as approved at all times and shall be used for no other purpose.

 

21.  No part of the flat roof of the development hereby permitted shall be used as a terrace, balcony or other open amenity space.

 

22.  No dwelling shall be occupied until a detailed external lighting scheme for the development has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and the lighting scheme has been installed in accordance with the approved details.

 

23. For the avoidance of doubt, no communications development permitted by Classes A, B or C of Part 16 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) shall be undertaken on any of the buildings hereby approved.

 

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. IN914 – Section 106 Agreement/Undertaking

8. IN915 – Highway Works – HCC agreement required