Agenda item

Application for the development for 10 residential units (Class C3), including the erection of a new apartment block together with the conversion of the vacant ground floor of the existing neighbourhood centre, with associated access, parking, amenity space and landscaping.

The Committee received a report of the Development Management Section Head including the relevant planning history of the site and details of 10 letters in respect of the application: one letter raised no objection to the proposal; the other nine listed a number of objections. 

 

Councillor Bell noted that, whilst 31 enquiries had initially been received with regard to the units on the site, there had been no further interest.  He expressed concern that were the application to be approved there would be no community facility on the larger site.  He asked how actively the units had been marketed.

 

The Major Cases Manager said that in some major development sites it had proved possible to introduce retail floorspace on site; this had not been possible at this location, however, as there was minimal footfall past these buildings.  He advised that the units had been marketed both locally and nationally but no interest had been forthcoming – this was understandable in view of the location. 

 

With regard to community use, the Major Cases Manager explained that it was difficult to find groups willing to take responsibility for renting and running community facilities and no interest had been expressed.  The options available were either to leave the units vacant or to find acceptable occupiers. 

 

Councillor Derbyshire expressed concern that there was a lack of local retail facility for residents at the site.  He felt that the units were badly sited for community use and that the originally intended use would not be viable.  It would be more sensible to use the units as homes than to leave them empty. 

 

Councillor Watkin, however, considered that the units would benefit youth groups who could, conceivably, be unaware that the buildings were available. 

 

The Chair questioned how long the units could reasonably be left vacant in the hope that a proposal for a community use might come forward 

 

Councillor Johnson suggested that the units could be utilised for much-needed health facilities and asked whether there had been discussion on such a use. 

 

Councillor Sharpe referred to the location of the units as being somewhat ‘tucked away’; they were not in a position passed which residents were likely to walk.  They did not, therefore, offer opportunity for ‘stocking up’ as residents passed by.  He felt that it was unsurprising that little interest had been shown. 

 

RESOLVED –

 

(A)       That planning permission be granted subject to the completion of a planning obligation under s.106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure the following contributions and subject to the conditions listed below:

 

Section 106 Heads of Terms

 

i)           To secure financial payments to the County Council of:

 

a)       £6,625 (index linked) towards the implementation of the South West Hertfordshire Transport Strategy and sustainable transport measures in Watford in accordance with Policies T3 and T5 of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31;

 

b)       £1,379 (index linked) towards the provision of secondary education in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000;

 

c)       £3,303 (index linked) towards the provision of primary education in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000;

 

d)       £761 (index linked) towards the provision of nursery education in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000; 

 

e)       £223 (index linked) towards the provision of childcare facilities in Watford in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000;

 

f)        £47 (index linked) towards the provision of youth facilities in Watford in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000;

 

g)       £762 (index linked) towards the provision of library facilities in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000;

 

ii)         To secure 4 of the units (3 x 1 bed and 1 x 2 bed) as affordable housing for affordable rent.

 

iii)        To secure the provision of fire hydrants as required by the County Council in accordance with Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000.

 

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:-

           

            1408/P/101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108

           

 

3.         No development hereby permitted shall take place before 8am or after 6pm Mondays to Fridays, before 8am or after 1pm on Saturdays or at any time on Sundays and Public Holidays.

           

4.         No demolition or construction works shall commence within the site until a Construction Environmental Management Plan has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. This Plan shall include details of temporary access for construction vehicles, contractors parking, the delivery and storage of materials, measures to mitigate noise and dust, wheel washing facilities, plant and equipment and a contact procedure for complaints. The Plan as approved shall be implemented throughout the construction period.

 

5.         No construction works shall commence until details of the materials to be used for all the external finishes of the building, including walls, roofs, doors, windows and canopies 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.         No construction works shall commence until details of a sustainable surface water drainage scheme for the development have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. No part of the development shall be occupied until the approved drainage scheme has been implemented in full.

 

7.         No part of the development shall be occupied until full details of a soft landscaping scheme have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved landscaping scheme shall be carried out not later than the first available planting and seeding season after completion of the 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.

 

8.         No part of the development shall be occupied until full details of a hard landscaping scheme, including all boundary treatments, have 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.

 

9.         No flat hereby permitted shall be occupied until the respective bin store and the cycle store, as shown on the approved drawings, have been constructed. These shall be retained as such at all times thereafter and shall not be used for any other purpose.

 

10.       No part of the development shall be occupied until the 13 car parking spaces, as shown on the approved drawings, have been provided in full. These spaces shall be retained at all times thereafter for the parking of cars.

 

 

 

Informatives

 

1.         This planning permission is accompanied by a unilateral undertaking under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure financial contributions towards the provision or improvement of education facilities, childcare, youth facilities, library facilities and sustainable transport measures within the Borough of Watford. The agreement also requires the provision of affordable housing and necessary fire hydrants to serve the development.

 

2.         In dealing with this application, Watford Borough Council has considered the proposal in a positive and proactive manner having regard to the policies of the development plan as well as paragraphs 186 and 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework and other material considerations, and in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010, as amended. The Council also gave pre-application advice on the proposal prior to the submission of the application and undertook discussions with the applicant’s agent during the application process.

 

Drawing numbers

1408/P/101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108

 

(B)       In the event that an acceptable planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 has not been completed by 9^th February 2015 in respect of the Heads of Terms set out above, the Development Management Section Head be authorised to refuse planning permission for the application for the following reasons:

 

1.         The proposal fails to contribute towards the implementation of sustainable transport measures forming part of the South West Hertfordshire Transportation Strategy, either in the form of off-site highway works or commuted payments and as such is contrary to Policies T3, T4, T5 and INF1 of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31.

 

2.         The proposal fails to contribute to the provision or improvement of community facilities (education, childcare, youth facilities and libraries) in the Borough and as such is contrary to Policy INF1of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31 and saved Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000.

 

3.         The proposal fails to make provision for affordable housing on-site and as such is contrary to Policy HS3 of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31.

 

4.         The proposal fails to make provision for fire hydrants to serve the development and as such is contrary to Policy INF1of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31 and saved Policy H10 of the Watford District Plan 2000.