Agenda item

Description:

The demolition of existing buildings and the erection of commercial units together with associated car parking, hardstanding and landscaping.

Additional Information:

The Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management) reported the following:

Amendment to Paragraph 3.2 (red text only):

The application site includes the pond adjacent to Charlton Road and access roadway to the west of Manor Farm House. It also includes a strip of land to the east, which has previously been subject to Enforcement Notices (see the planning history section in this report). Whilst I understand that the applicant originally complied with these enforcement notices by clearing the land of the hardstanding and structures (and reducing the metal fencing in height to 2m – the Permitted Development limit), my site visit revealed that this area of land was being used for the parking/storage of lorries. I will raise this issue with the applicant and consider enforcement action if necessary. The Council’s Planning Enforcement Officer is aware of this breach of planning control and is currently in contact with the owner to rectify the breach as soon as possible.

Amendments to condition 2 (drawing numbers) as follows:

Condition 2

010; 011 Rev. 01; 012; 100 Rev. 01; 101; 030 Rev. 01; 031 Rev. A; 32 Rev. A; 033; 040; 200 Rev. 02; 201 Rev. A; 202 Rev. 02; 203 Rev. 02; 204 Rev. 02; 205 Rev. 02; 206 Rev. 02; 300; 400 received 14 July 2016.

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

Conditions 20 and 21 are a duplicate, condition 21 should be deleted.

The following informatives are required to be added to the decision notice.  (The first informative is recommended in paragraph 7.16 of the committee report and the second and third informatives by Thames Water):

Informatives

1.   Works affecting the roof and tiles should be done by hand to ensure any bats which may be sheltering beneath them will not be harmed. These works should ideally be timed to avoid the hibernation season (November to February inclusive). It will also be important to advise roofers removing the tiles to lift each tile carefully before removal and to check the underside does not have a bat clinging to it before moving the tile away. Tiles should be lifted rather than slid along. Workers should keep watch for fur and should be informed that bats take up to half an hour to rouse from the deep sleep that they enter each day called torpor and hence can easily be damaged before they are able to move when disturbed. If a bat is seen work should cease immediately and advice sought from Natural England or a qualified specialist.

The applicant should be aware of the requirement to apply for a European Protected Species derogation Licence for any activity that may adversely impact on a potential bat roost or disturb bats, in order to avoid contravention of the above referenced legislation.

2.  Thames Water would recommend that petrol / oil interceptors be fitted in all car parking/washing/repair facilities. Failure to enforce the effective use of petrol / oil interceptors could result in oil-polluted discharges entering local watercourses.

3. There is a Thames Water main crossing the development site which may/will need to be diverted at the Developer's cost, or necessitate amendments to the proposed development design so that the aforementioned main can be retained. Unrestricted access must be available at all times for maintenance and repair. Please contact Thames Water Developer Services, Contact Centre on Telephone No: 0800 009 3921 for further information.

Public Speaking:

In accordance with the Council’s procedure for speaking at meetings, Mr Wayne Michaels spoke for the proposal raising the following key points:

·         Will attract employment and investment to the borough.

Debate:

During the debate the following key issues were raised:

·         Replacement is comparable in size and impact within the green belt.

·         Drainage and flooding issues addressed in the report.

·         Query over what the comparison was in terms of floorspace and volume.

Decision:

The application was approved as per agenda subject to the amendment to condition 2, the deletion of condition 21 and the three additional informatives as reported by the Assistant Head of Planning (Development Management).