Demolition of existing building (Town and Country Club) and construction of four storey building comprising 39 dwellings (1 and 2 bedroom flats) with 12 car parking spaces, cycle store , bin store and amenity space.  All units to be affordable housing.

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

 

The Development Management Team Leader (PB) introduced the report, explaining that the application was for the demolition of the existing building (Town and Country Club) and the construction of a four storey building comprising 39 dwellings (one and two bedroom flats) with 12 car parking spaces, cycle store, bin store and amenity space.  All units would be affordable housing.

 

It was noted that members of the committee had visited the application site prior to the meeting.

 

Although there were some reservations about the design of the proposed scheme, committee members welcomed the application which provided much needed affordable housing.  Members of the committee expressed regret that this comprised only affordable rent and shared ownership accommodation, with no social rent provision.

 

The Chair moved the officer’s recommendation subject to completion of a section 106 agreement.

 

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 39 flats as affordable housing comprising  23 flats (7 x 1 bed and 16 x 2 bed) for affordable rent and 16 flats (16 x 2 bed) for low cost home ownership.

 

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:-

           

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2007/SO/P01

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2003/SO/P010

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2009/SO/P07

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2008/SO/P08

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2006/SO/P010

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2010/SO/P09

            5149-TFP-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2011/SO/P08

           

3.         No demolition or construction works shall commence until the tree protection measures detailed in Section 4 and the  Draft Tree Constraints Plan of the Arboricultural Impact Assessment by Middlemarch Environmental (Report No. RT-MME-127193-02, dated April 2018) have been implemented in full, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These measures shall be retained at all times during demolition and construction works.

 

4.         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 building, including walls, roofs, doors, windows, fascias 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.

 

5.         No construction works above damp proof course level shall commence until detailed drawings of the window and door reveals and brick detailing to the external walls, 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 details.

 

6.         The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the approved surface water drainage assessment carried out by Thomasons Ltd (reference C12600, dated May 2018):

           

1.         Limiting the surface water run-off generated by the critical storm events so that it will not exceed the surface water run-off rate of 5 l/s during the 1 in 100 year event plus 40% of climate change event.

 

2.         Providing storage 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 providing a minimum of 115 m3 (or such storage volume agreed with the LLFA) of total storage volume in four underground tanks.

 

3.         Discharge of surface water from the private drain into the Thames Water surface water sewer network.

 

            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.

 

7.         No construction works above damp course level shall commence until a detailed surface water drainage scheme for the site, based on the approved surface water drainage strategy and sustainable drainage principles, 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:

 

1.         Detailed modelling for the proposed drainage strategy to include the modelling for the 1 in 1 year event, the 1 in 30 year event and the 1 in 100 year rainfall event including 40% for climate change allowance.

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

3.         Final detailed management plan to include arrangements for adoption and any other arrangements to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

 

8.         No construction works above damp proof course level shall commence until a scheme for active and passive electric charging points for on-site vehicles has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The electric charging infrastructure and charging points shall be installed in accordance with the approved scheme prior to the first occupation of the development.

 

9.         No part of the development shall be occupied until full details of a hard and soft landscaping scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and the approved hard landscaping has been laid out in accordance with the approved details. The approved soft landscaping 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.

 

10.       No part of the development shall be occupied until the refuse and recycling stores 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.

 

11.       No part of the development shall be occupied until the existing vehicle crossover at the northern end of the Rosslyn Road frontage has been removed and the footpath has been reinstated.

 

12.       No dwelling shall be occupied in the respective blocks until details of a communal terrestrial television aerial(s) and satellite dish(es) for the block have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

13.       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.         You are advised of the need to comply with the provisions of The Control of Pollution Act 1974, The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, The Clean Air Act 1993 and The Environmental Protection Act 1990.

 

            In order to minimise impact of noise, any works associated with the development which are audible at the site boundary should be restricted to the following hours:

 

            ·         Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

            ·         Saturdays 8am to 1pm

            ·         Noisy work is prohibited on Sundays and bank holidays

 

            Instructions should be given to ensure that vehicles and plant entering and leaving the site comply with the stated hours of work.

 

            Further details for both the applicant and those potentially affected by construction noise can be found on the Council’s website at:

            https://www.watford.gov.uk/info/20010/your_environment/188/neighbour_complaints_%E2%80%93_construction_noise .

 

2.         This development may be considered a chargeable development for the purposes of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010 (as amended). The charge is non-negotiable and is calculated at the time planning permission is granted. The charge is based on the net increase of gross internal floor area of the proposed development.

 

            A person or party must assume liability to pay the levy using the assumption of liability form 1 which should be sent to the CIL Officer, Regeneration and Development, Watford Borough Council, Town Hall, Watford, WD17 3EX or via email (semeta.bloomfield@watford.gov.uk).

 

            If nobody assumes liability to pay the levy this will default to the land owner.  A Liability Notice will be issued in due course. Failure to adhere to the Regulations and commencing work without notifying the Council could forfeit any rights you have to appeal or pay in instalments and may also incur fines/surcharges.

 

3.         This planning permission is accompanied by a unilateral undertaking under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure 24 flats as affordable housing, the exclusion of the development from the local controlled parking zone, the necessary fire hydrants to serve the development, a monitoring fee for the Travel Plan and a parking space for a car club vehicle.

 

4.         All new developments granted planning permission and to be constructed require naming or numbering under the Public Health Act 1925. You must contact Watford Borough Council Street Naming and Numbering department as early as possible prior to commencement on streetnamenumber@watford.gov.uk or 01923 278458. A numbering notification will be issued by the council, following which Royal Mail will assign a postcode which will make up the official address. It is also the responsibility of the developer to inform Street Naming and Numbering when properties are ready for occupancy.

 

5.         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 entered into extensive pre-application discussions with the applicant.

 

6.         All works required to be undertaken on the highway network will require an Agreement with the Highway Authority. Before commencing the development the applicant shall contact HCC Highways Development Management, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8DN to obtain their permission and requirements. This is to ensure any work undertaken in the highway is constructed in accordance with the Highway Authority's specification and by a contractor who is authorised to work in the public highway.