The Development Management Manager delivered his report and reminded the committee that there were some late updates that had been provided and had been published online. 

 

The Chair thanked the Development Management Manager and invited Mr Stephen Harrington, Director of Regal Clarendon to address the committee.

 

Mr Harrington briefly described the proposed changes to the application and added that demolition had started the day before.  He went on to describe the positive benefits of the scheme:

·        The immediate generation of 380 full time jobs.

·        1200 jobs once the scheme completed.

·        The generation of £87 million per annum for the local economy.

·        The sustainable nature of the development.

·        Improved well-being of people returning to office accommodation. 

 

Mr Harrington went on to explain the real estate academy that was set up by his company.  This offered support to military veterans and local people with 120 completing a five week course to assist them with securing skills and jobs. 

 

The Chair thanked Mr Harrington for his presentation and reminded the committee that this scheme had already obtained planning permission, so this application was only for minor changes and enhancements.  Many of these changes had been made in the light of the Grenfell disaster.  He then handed the matter to the committee for debate. 

 

Members were in general approval of the proposed changes and they commended Mr Harrington for the innovative idea of a skills academy. 

 

The Chair moved to approve the officer’s recommendation that, pursuant to a Deed of Variation 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 (and including the updates):

 

RESOLVED –

To accept the officer’s recommendation to approve the application that, pursuant to a Deed of Variation 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 (and including the updates):

 

 

Deed of Variation Heads of Terms

 

i)                    To secure a total financial contribution of £2,008,241 in lieu of on-site affordable housing. (i.e. uplift from £1,650,000 to £1, 858,241 allowing for indexation, plus an uplift of £150,000)

 

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 issued 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 (as updated):

 

1152-PL-AA90 SITE LOCATION PLAN

1152-PL-AA00 - GROUND FLOOR PLAN

1152-PL-AA01 - 1ST FLOOR PLAN

1152-PL-AA02 - 2ND FLOOR PLAN

1152-PL-AA03 - 3RD FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

1152-PL-AA04 - 4TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 3RD FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA05 - 5TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 4TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA06 - 6TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 5TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA07 - 7TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

1152-PL-AA08 - 8TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 6TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA09 - 9TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 7TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA10 - 10TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 8TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA11 - 11TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL 9TH FLOOR OFFICE

1152-PL-AA12 - 12TH-21ST FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

1152-PL-AA13 - 22ND-24TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

1152-PL-AA14 - 25TH FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

1152-PL-AA20 - BASEMENT LEVEL -1 FLOOR PLAN

1152-PL-AA21 - BASEMENT LEVEL -2 FLOOR PLAN

1152-PL-AA30 - SOUTH ELEVATION

1152-PL-AA300 - RESIDENTIAL - GIA UNIT AREAS ACCOMMODATION

SCHEDULE

1152-PL-AA301 - OFFICE - AREAS

1152-PL-AA31 - WEST ELEVATION

1152-PL-AA32 - EAST ELEVATION

1152-PL-AA33 - NORTH ELEVATION

1152-PL-AA34 - SECTION ELEVATIONS

1152-PL-AA502 - RESIDENTIAL FACADE

1152-PL-AA503 - OFFICE FACADE

1152-PL-AA504 - CAFE_OFFICE FACADE

1152-PL-AA91 RED LINE PLAN

PL_501 – WINDOW CLEANING STRATEGY

DAS ADDENDUM (DATED JUNE 2021)

 

3.      The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the approved Drainage Strategy Report by SLR Consulting (ref. 402.06661.00004 Version 2.0, dated July 2017) approved as part of planning permission reference: 17/00470/FULM and the following mitigation measures detailed within the FRA:

 

i)                    Limiting the surface water run-off rates to maximum of 54.3l/s for the 1in 100 year rainfall event with discharge into Thames Surface Water sewer.

 

ii)                  Provide attenuation 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. iii) Implementing the appropriate drainage strategy using appropriate SuDS measures as indicated on drawing no. 1620002979-RAM-XX-DRC-00100 Rev P2.

 

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.

 

4.      The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in full accordance with the approved Drainage Layout 9ref: 140682/2000_rev D, dated 15.02.2021, as approved under planning reference: 20/01485/DISCON.

 

5.      No external facing materials shall be installed on the building until full details and samples of all the materials to be used for the external surfaces of the building, including the plant enclosures at roof level, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

6.      No external facing materials shall be installed on the building until a noise mitigation scheme for all the proposed residential dwellings on the 1 st-6th floors with windows facing Beechen Grove, based upon the recommendations of the Environmental Noise Assessment by SLR dated March 2017 (Ref. No. 403.06661.00003, Version Final), 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.

 

7.      No external facing materials shall be installed on the building until the specification of a mechanical air supply/extract system for each of the residential dwellings on the 1st-6th floors with windows facing Beechen Grove has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The system must be capable of providing background and rapid ventilation for cooling with the windows of the dwellings being closed. The system must not compromise the sound insulation of the façades. Details of the siting of any air intake; extraction units; generators and other mechanical equipment serving this system that are likely to give rise to noise should be submitted, along with details of noise attenuation measures to be incorporated to ensure these units do not give rise to a noise nuisance. 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.      No external facing materials shall be installed on the building until the specification of a mechanical air supply/extract system for each of the residential dwellings on the 8 th-11th floors with windows on the south elevation facing Jury’s Inn has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The system must be capable of providing background and rapid ventilation for cooling with the windows of the dwellings being closed and be able to filter out cooking odours. The system must not compromise the sound insulation of the façades. Details of the siting of any air intake; extraction units; generators and other mechanical equipment serving this system that are likely to give rise to noise should be submitted, along with details of noise attenuation measures to be incorporated to ensure these units do not give rise to a noise nuisance. 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.

 

9.      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.

 

10. No part of the development shall be occupied until a detailed hard landscaping scheme for the site, including details of the roof gardens, site boundary treatments and external lighting, 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. The detailed scheme shall be based upon the Landscape Strategy contained within the Design and Access Statement dated 3rd April 2017 by PRC Architecture and Planning approved as part of planning permission reference: 17/00470/FULM.

 

11. No part of the development shall be occupied until a detailed soft landscaping scheme for the site, including details of the roof gardens and appropriate irrigation systems, and a landscape management and maintenance plan, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The detailed scheme shall be based upon the Landscape Strategy contained within the Design and Access Statement dated 3rd April 2017 by PRC Architecture and Planning approved under planning permission reference: 17/00470/FULM. The approved soft 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 the modified access and egress arrangements from Clarendon Road, as shown in principle on the approved drawings, and the servicing and delivery areas to the front and side of the building, have been completed in full.

 

13.       No dwelling within the development shall be occupied until the following facilities have been provided for the use of residents, in accordance with the approved drawings:

(i) the secure cycle store for at least 168no. cycles;

(ii) the bin store for waste and recycling;

(iii) the storage cages within the storage rooms on the 1 st-6th floors;

(iv) the roof gardens at 7th floor level and on the roof of the tower.

 

These facilities shall be retained at all times for the use of the residential occupiers of the dwellings.

14.       No part of the office floorspace shall be occupied until the following facilities have been provided for the use of employees, in accordance with the approved drawings:

(i) the secure cycle stores for at least 96 cycles and shower/locker facilities for employees;

(ii) the secure cycle stores for at least 25 cycles for visitors;

(iii) the bin store for waste and recycling, these facilities shall be retained at all times.

 

15.       No part of the office floorspace shall be occupied until a detailed Travel Plan for the development, based upon the Hertfordshire County Council document 'Hertfordshire Green Travel Plan Guidance’, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning. The approved plan shall be implemented as approved at all times, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

16.       No plant or equipment shall be installed within the roof level plant room until an acoustic assessment has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority which demonstrates that the sound pressure level from the plant room will be at least 10dB below the lowest LA90 (15 minute) noise level measured at 1m from the adjoining residential flats when all plant and equipment is operational. The assessment shall include appropriate noise mitigation measures. All plant and equipment shall be installed as approved and no plant or equipment shall be brought into operation until the approved mitigation measures have been installed.

 

17.       All plant and equipment shall only be sited within the designated plant enclosure shown on the approved drawings. No plant or equipment shall be installed outside the approved plant enclosure unless details have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Details to be submitted for approval shall include siting, size, appearance and technical specifications relating to noise.

 

18.       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.

 

19.       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.

1.      The cleaning of the building shall only be undertaken using a monorail and cradle access system with the cradle stored at ground level, in accordance with the submitted details, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

2.      The ground floor commercial unit adjoining the office entrance (eastern unit) shall only be used as a café/restaurant within Class E of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) and for no other purpose. The use shall not be open to the public before 0800 hours or after 2300 hours on any day.

 

3.      The ground floor commercial unit adjoining the residential entrance (western unit) shall only be used as a café/restaurant within Class E or as offices within Class E of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) and for no other purposes. The use shall not be open to the public before 0800 hours or after 2300 hours on any day.

 

4.      The commercial unit at 8^th floor level on the roof of the office building shall only be used as a café/bar within Class E of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) and for no other purpose.

 

Prior to commencement of the development the hours of public access to this unit and outdoor terrace shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The use shall only be operated in accordance with the approved hours for public access.

 

5.      The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in full accordance with the approved phasing scheme as set out in Construction Phasing Strategy received 26 February 2021, Phasing Programme received 26 February 2021 and Site Phasing Plan – General Arrangement (ref: 150), as approved under planning reference: 21/00281/DISCON.

 

6.      The development hereby approved shall be built in accordance with the approved plans under Condition 2 and be restricted in development quantum to the following:

13,688sqm GIA office space (Class E);

278sqm GIA ancillary office amenity space (Class E);

168 residential units (Class C3); and

402sqm GIA of café/restaurant use (Class E)

 

Informatives

 

1.  IN907 - Positive and proactive statement - GRANT

2.  IN910 - Building Regulations

3.  IN912 - Hours of Construction

4.  IN909 - Street Name and Numbering

5.  IN913 - Community Infrastructure Level Liability

6.  HIGH – Storage of Materials – Highway

7.  OBSHIG – Obstruction of the Highway

8.  MUD – Mud on highway