Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2017 were approved as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors under the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, or contact with applicants/objectors under the Planning Code.

a) Disclosures of interest under the Members’ Code of Conduct

Councillor R.A. Smith Ainsley declared an interest on behalf of all members of the Committee in relation to Item 4e, 17/00628/HOU at 92 Village Way, Ashford as the applicant was Councillor A. J. Mitchell.

b) Declarations of interest under the Council’s Planning Code

Councillors R.A. Smith-Ainsley, R.O. Barratt, J. Boughtflower, M.P.C. Francis and R.W. Sider BEM reported that they had received correspondence or been contacted in relation to application 16/01158/FUL at 17-51 London Road, Staines-upon-Thames but had made no comment.

Councillor M.P.C. Francis reported that he had received correspondence in relation to applications 16/01591/FUL and 16/01592/LBC at Hithermoor Farm, 6 Farm Way, Stanwell Moor but had made no comment.

Description:

Redevelopment of the site to provide 5 buildings of varying height comprising 12,787 square metres of office floor space (Use Class B1a) and 253 residential units (Class C3), provision of a new landscaped area, vehicular access, car parking, cycle storage and energy centre.

Additional Information:

The Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management) reported an update in respect of ecology matters by reference to the Habitat Regulations Assessment which had been circulated to the Committee.  Reference was drawn to the 2^nd page – “Note in respect of the former Centrica site:”

“The application site is in close proximity (433 metres) to the nearest part of the South West London Waterbodies Special Protection Area (SPA) which is a European designated site and also designated under the Ramsar Convention.

The reservoir is elevated above ground level and there is no public access to the top of the embankment. Between the application site and the reservoir is the A30 Staines Bypass which is a dual carriageway with no footways, the Thames Water Reservoir Aqueduct across which public access is confined to very limited routes and also other intervening open space at Birch Green and Moormede Park which the public can use for recreation. Staines Moor is also a large area of common land to the west of the Reservoir.

Under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (Regulation 61) (referred to as the ’Habitat Regulations’) the Council, as ‘competent authority’, before making  a planning decision in this case, must have regard for any potential impacts the proposal may have. This is called a ‘Habitat Regulations Assessment’.  In making this assessment the Council must consult the appropriate nature conservation body which in this case is Natural England.  It has also consulted Surrey Wildlife Trust.

Having regard to the conservation objective for the SPA, which is to maintain it in a favourable condition, Natural England has raised no objection to the proposal (letter dated 4 August 2016).  It has commented specifically “the proposal is unlikely to have a significant effect on any European site, and can therefore be screened out from any requirement for further assessment”.  In justification for their conclusion they refer to the intervening barriers and nearby open space which is closer than the reservoir.  As a matter of clarification both the applicant in its Preliminary Ecological Appraisal and Natural England in their letter refer to the reservoir aqueduct as a railway.  This is a factual error, but both are structures protected from public access with the aqueduct being at least as great a barrier as a railway and I consider the conclusions provided therefore remain sound. Surrey Wildlife Trust has not made any objection to the proposal in respect of significant adverse impact on the South West London Waterbodies SPA.

My assessment under the Regulation 61 of the ‘Habitat Regulations’ is that, having regard to the advice given, this proposal will have no significant effect on the South West London Waterbodies SPA and on this issue planning permission  ...  view the full minutes text for item 442/17

Description:

Application for planning permission for: -

(i) Conversion of 4 no. buildings and farmhouse to 14 dwellings;

(ii) Alterations to the external elevations;

(iii) Demolition of remaining redundant farm/light industrial buildings;

(iv) Erection of 3 no. 2-storey buildings to create 9 dwellings;

(v) Provision of associated parking, bin stores, cycle stores, private

and communal amenity space, and other alterations,

For overall development comprising 23 no. dwellings

Additional Information:

The Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management) reported an amended site location plan had been received.  Consequently, Condition 2 of 16/01591/FUL needed to be amended as set out below:

Condition 2

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

2014A/26/P02; /P04; /P05; /P06; /P06A; /P07; /P08; /P09; /P10; /P11; /P13; /P14; /P15; /P16; /P17; /P18; /P19; /P20; /P21; /P22; /P23; /P24; /P25; /P26; /P27; /P28; /P29; /P30; /P31; /P34; /35; /36; /P37; /P38 received 21 September 2016.

2014A/26/P41; /P42; /P43; /P44 and site location plan received 27 October 2016.

2014A/26/P01 Rev. B; /P12 Rev. A; /P32 Rev. A; /P33 Rev. A; /P39 Rev. A; /P40 Rev. A received 08 December 2016.

2014A/26/P03 Rev. B; /P45 Rev. A received 27 April 2017.

2014A/26/P-LOC Rev. B received 30 May 2017.

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of proper planning

An additional informative is to be added to the decision notice:

The applicant is advised that the removal of dense shrubbery/vegetation and buildings with nesting opportunity should be done outside the main bird nesting season (March to August inclusive) to avoid adverse effect to nesting birds.

Public Speaking:

There were no public speakers for this item.

Debate:

During the debate the following key issues were raised:

• Size and footprint virtually no different to the previous hotel permission.
• Query over height of buildings
• Concern over where off site affordable housing provision would go
• A nice development
• No on-site affordable housing proposed
• Paddock area will be retained
• Concern over access to the site
• There have been a number of previous applications on the site

Decision:

The application was approved as per the officer reportsubject to the amendments set out above and the prior signing of a s106 agreement.

Description

Application for Listed Building Consent for: -

(i) Conversion of 4 no. building and farmhouse to 14 dwellings;

(ii) Internal and external alterations to the 4 no. buildings and

farmhouse;

(iii) Other associated works,

For overall development comprising 23 no. dwellings

Additional Information

The Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management) reported an amended site location plan had been received.  Consequently, Condition 3 of 16/01592/LBC need to be amended as set out below:

Condition 3

2014A/26/P02; /P04; /P05; /P06; /P06A; /P07; /P08; /P09; /P10; /P11; /P13; /P14; /P15; /P16; /P17; /P18; /P19; /P20; /P21; /P22; /P23; /P24; /P25; /P26; /P27; /P28; /P29; /P30; /P31; /P34; /35; /36; /P37; /P38 received 21 September 2016.

2014A/26/P41; /P42; /P43; /P44 and site location plan received 27 October 2016.

2014A/26/P01 Rev. B; /P12 Rev. A; /P32 Rev. A; /P33 Rev. A; /P39 Rev. A; /P40 Rev. A received 08 December 2016.

2014A/26/P03 Rev. B; /P45 Rev. A received 27 April 2017.

2014A/26/P-LOC Rev. B received 30 May 2017.

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of proper planning.

Public Speaking:

There were no public speakers for this item.

This item was debated in conjunction with the previous application – 16/01591/FUL.

Decision

The application was approved as per the officer reportsubject to the amendments set out above.

Description:

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a new building with 2 floors of accommodation to provide 10 flats (4 no. 1-bed and 6 no. 2- bed) together with associated parking and amenity space.

Additional Information:

The Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management) reported that the last paragraph of Section 2 of the report (Page 116) should be updated as follows:

16/01326/FUL: Appeal allowed 26 May 2017

Public Speaking:

There were no public speakers for this item.

Debate:

During the debate the following key issues were raised:

• Impact on adjoin properties and within the street scene is an improvement.
• Reduction in internal floorspace compared with appeal scheme
• Increase in amenity space compared with appeal scheme

Decision:

The application was approved as per the officer report.

Description:

The erection of a new front porch and for an extension to the existing bay window.

Additional Information:

There was no additional information reported.

Public Speaking:

There were no public speakers for this item.

Debate:

During the debate the following key issues were raised

• The extensions are within the existing roof line
• There are no objections

Decision:

The application was approved as per the officer report.

To consider any items which the Chairman considers as urgent.

There was none.