To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2021 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2021 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

There were none.

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

Councillors C Bateson, A Brar, M Gibson, T Lagden, R Noble, R Sider BEM, R Smith-Ainsley, B Spoor and J Vinson reported that they had received correspondence and/or telephone calls from the applicant in relation to application 21/00010/FUL but had maintained an impartial role, had not expressed any views and had kept an open mind.

Councillors C Bateson, M Gibson, T Lagden, R Smith-Ainsley and J Vinson reported that they had received correspondence and/or telephone calls from the applicant in relation to application 20/01112/FUL but had maintained an impartial role, had not expressed any views and had kept an open mind.

Councillor R Smith-Ainsley reported that he had attend meetings with the Chief Executive, Residents Associations’ representatives and residents in relation to application 20/01483/FUL but had maintained an impartial role, had not expressed any views and had kept an open mind.

The Principal Planning Officer provided the Committee with an update to the National Planning Policy Framework that was revised on 20 July 2021 and sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The main changes that Members should be aware of are as follows:

Improve design quality, including a new requirement for councils to produce local design codes or guides

Updated policies aiming to improve the design of new developments:

·         Changes to the overarching social objective of the planning system (paragraph 8b) to include the fostering of ‘well-designed, beautiful and safe places’. The old version had merely required a ‘well designed and safe built environment’

·         Introducing a new test that development should be well-designed (paragraph 133). This says that ‘development that is not well designed should be refused, especially where it fails to reflect local design policies and government guidance on design, taking into account any local design guidance and supplementary planning documents such as design guides and codes’.

·         It goes on to say that ‘significant weight’ should be given to ‘development which reflects local design policies and government guidance on design, taking into account any local design guidance and supplementary planning documents such as design guides and codes’. Significant weight should also be given to ‘outstanding or innovative designs which promote high levels of sustainability, or help raise the standard of design more generally in an area’, the new paragraph 133 says.

·         Para 128 states that in order to ‘provide maximum clarity about design expectations at an early stage’, all local planning authorities ‘should prepare design guides or codes consistent with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design code, and which reflect local character and design preferences’.

An emphasis on using tress in new developments – para 131

Adjusting the presumption in favour of sustainable development for plan-makers – para 11a

Meet the development needs of their area; align growth and infrastructure; improve the environment; mitigate climate change (including by making effective  ...  view the full minutes text for item 265/21

Ward

Staines

Proposal

Demolition of existing industrial buildings and redevelopment to provide 2 new buildings (5-13 storeys) comprising 397 build-to-rent residential apartments (Use Class C3) including affordable housing, ancillary residential areas (flexible gyms, activity space, concierge and residents lounge), landscaping, children’s play area and cycle parking.

Recommendation

The recommendation is to approve the application subject to a legal agreement and conditions as set out at Paragraph 8 of the Report.

Description:

Demolition of existing industrial buildings and redevelopment to provide 2 new buildings (5-13 storeys) comprising 397 build-to-rent residential apartments (Use Class C3) including affordable housing, ancillary residential areas (flexible gyms, activity space, concierge and residents lounge), landscaping, children’s play area and cycle parking.

Additional Information:

Members will have received two briefing notes from the applicant that have sought to address specific planning issues. One of the issues the applicant has sought to improve is parking provision and they have submitted a revised basement parking layout Drwg L800 Rev P4 which provides an additional 11 parking spaces taking the provision to 0.51 spaces per unit (a total of 203 spaces). The applicant maintains their position that the level of parking is acceptable in planning terms and meets the operational needs.

As a result of this revised plan it is recommended that Condition 2 be revised to refer to drawing L(-)800 Rev P4.

It has been noted that after Condition 26 in the report, incomplete conditions have been appended. These should be deleted from the report as a drafting error.

The applicant has requested that certain conditions allow for demolition and/or site preparations works to be undertaken. It is therefore recommended that condition 10 (archaeology) and condition 17 (Travel Plan) be amended as follows:

10.      No development, excepting demolition to slab level, shall take place until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation, submitted tom and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority.

17.       Prior to the commencement of the development, with the exception of demolition or site preparation works, a Travel Plan shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority in accordance with the substantive development aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework, and Surrey County Council’s ‘Travel Plans Good Practice Guide’. The approved Travel Plan shall be implemented upon first occupation and for each and every subsequent occupation of the development, thereafter maintain and develop the Travel Plan to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority.

Para 7.45 and 7.46 of the report refers to specific paragraphs within section 12 of the NPPF 2019 concerning design. The NPPF 2021 retains this guidance, but has altered the paragraph numbers and the section has put greater emphasis on the provision of good design in development.

An additional Heads of Terms is to be added to the proposed Section 106 legal agreement (paragraph 8A of the report) to secure the development as ‘Build to Rent’.

Public Speaking:

In accordance with the Council’s procedure for speaking at meetings, Anne Damerell spoke against the proposed development raising the following key points:

-       The proposed development is higher than the consented scheme

-       The flats are too small

-       The proposed rent is too high

-       Lack of adequate amenity space

-       The children’s play area is too small and badly sited

-       Inaccessible to some people with mobility issues

In accordance with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 266/21

Ward

Staines

Proposal

Redevelopment of the site to provide 64 new residential units (Use Class C3) with flexible commercial business and service floor space (Use Class E) and drinking establishment (Sui Generis) at ground floor, rooftop amenity space, associated highways works and other ancillary and enabling works.

Recommendation

The recommendation is to approve the application subject to a legal agreement and the conditions as set out in Paragraph 8 of the Report.

Description:

Redevelopment of the site to provide 64 new residential units (Use Class C3) with flexible commercial business and service floor space (Use Class E) and drinking establishment (Sui Generis) at ground floor, rooftop amenity space, associated highways works and other ancillary and enabling works.

Additional Information:

The final two paragraphs of the executive summary to be amended as follows:

With the exception of 1 disabled parking bay in the link road, and 3 disabled bays in the Phase 1A basement car park, the applicant initially proposed for the development to be ‘car free’. During the application process, the applicant undertook an occupancy survey of the basement parking spaces in Phase 1A. Consequent to this survey, the applicant offered 20 of the parking spaces in the Phase 1A basement car park to the occupiers of Phase 1C, giving a total of 21 spaces, including the space on the link road.

Officers initially understood that such spaces could not be secured through the planning process. However, further legal advice has been sought indicating that this is possible. This would give a parking ratio at Phase 1C of 0.33 spaces per dwelling, and 0.67 spaces across Phase 1A and 1C developments combined. This alongside the sustainable location of the site, a £100,000 contribution to improved pedestrian facilities between the site and Staines Railway Station and Staines High Street and free membership to the car club for the first occupiers of each unit, is considered to be acceptable mitigation for the shortfall against the Council’s minimum Parking Standards.

Paragraph 3.2 should  refer to Grade I, Grade II and Grade III* Listed Buildings rather than Grade I*.

Paragraph 7.111 amended to:

The applicant initially stated that with the exception of 3 disabled parking bays in Phase 1A and 1 disabled parking bay proposed in the link road, the development would not provide any off-street parking spaces for the proposed occupiers of Phase 1C. Therefore, with the exception of the disabled parking bays, the development would have been ‘car free’.

As noted in paragraph 7.109, the  applicant has submitted a Technical Notice, which includes an occupancy survey of the parking bays in Phase 1A. The applicant has also confirmed that 255 of the 260 units in Phase 1A have been sold. In a further email the applicant has also confirmed that they understand that 93% of the units in Phase 1A have been occupied.

The applicant conducted a day parking survey (2pm on 11 May 2021), which found that 93 of the basement parking spaces in Phases 1A were in occupation and 124 were unoccupied. A night time survey was also conducted (1am on 13 May 2021) and found that there were 124 spaces occupied and 95 spaces free.

When factoring in the 5 unsold units, 95 of the 217 spaces in Phase 1A would haver been expected to have been in use at the point of the daytime survey and 125 spaces would have been expected to have been occupied at the time of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 267/21

Ward

Laleham and Shepperton Green

Proposal

Demolition of the existing buildings, retention of existing buildings 1, 15 and 17 and part retention of building 10 (as defined in CLUED 18/01054/CLD), creation of new buildings ranging between 1 and 2 storeys providing up to approximately 4,358.7sqm of floorspace for use classes A3, B1, B2 and B8, creation of outside storage areas for use class B2, creation of hardstanding and access routes, car parking, cycle storage, servicing, plant areas, creation of green areas and landscaping and other associated works.

Recommendation

The recommendation is to approve the application subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 8 of the Report.

Description:

Demolition of the existing buildings, retention of existing buildings 1, 15 and 17 and part retention of building 10 (as defined in CLUED 18/01054/CLD), creation of new buildings ranging between 1 and 2 storeys providing up to approximately 4,358.7sqm of floorspace for use classes A3, B1, B2 and B8, creation of outside storage areas for use class B2, creation of hardstanding and access routes, car parking, cycle storage, servicing, plant areas, creation of green areas and landscaping and other associated works.

Additional Information:

There was none.

Public Speaking:

In accordance with the Council’s procedure for speaking at meetings, James Leuenberger, spoke for the proposed development raising the following key points:

-       The proposed development is similar in size and layout to the existing industrial estate

-       The proposed site layout seeks to mitigate impact at the site boundaries with single storey units to the edges

-       Landscape buffer will be incorporated within the site

-       Landscaped areas are proposed within the site

-       The buildings are of a contemporary agricultural barn style

-       There would be less Heavy Good Vehicle movements because of the revised layout

-       Different types of businesses will be grouped together

-       No harmful impacts in respect of contamination, archaeology, flood risk and drainage, ecology and biodiversity, lighting, noise and air quality as a result of the development

-       The proposal was subject to extensive consultation with local community groups and feedback was incorporated into the design scheme

Debate:

During the debate the following key issues were raised:

-       The site will continue as a small business park to alleviate the impact on local residents

-       The proposed alterations to the site are a vast improvement on what is currently there

-       The site will not be accessible to Heavy Good Vehicles

-       The scheme is imaginative and will greatly improve the appearance of the site

-       There is currently only 22 Electric Charging Points planned but would like an informative added requiring either more to be provided or the provision to be built in for future points to be added.

Decision: The application was APPROVED

Ward

Ashford East

Proposal

Planning application for the erection of 11 no. apartments comprising 8 no. 2  bed units, 1 no. one bed unit and 2 no. studio apartments with associated car parking, landscaping and amenity space following demolition of existing bungalows and outbuildings.

Recommendation

This application is recommended for approval subject to conditions.

Description:

Planning application for the erection of 11 no. apartments comprising 8 and no. 2 bed units, 1 no. one bed unit and 2 no. studio apartments with associated car parking, landscaping and amenity space following demolition of existing bungalows and outbuildings.

This item was deferred to the next meeting of the Planning Committee, the date of which is to be confirmed.

To note details of the Planning appeals submitted and decisions received between 10 June 2021 and 9 July 2021.

The Chairman informed the Committee that if any Member had any detailed queries regarding the report on Appeals lodged and decisions received since the last meeting, they should contact the Principal Planning Officer.

To note the details of future major planning applications.

The Principal Planning Officer presented a report outlining the major applications that may be brought before the Planning Committee for determination.