Agenda item

The proposal before Members was for the erection of a new college building to be used as a 'Construction and Infrastructure Skills and Innovation Centre'. The new education facility would provide a series of modern classrooms and specialised workshops associated with construction and infrastructure skills. The proposal would also deliver a section of the strategic Rainham east-west cycle/pedestrian path.

A similar proposal was refused by the Committee on 29 June 2017, as Members raised concerns about the use of Passive Close as an access road. In comparison the current application had been amended to further reduce the potential amount of traffic using Passive Close.  

With its agreement Councillor Michael Deon Burton addressed the Committee.

Councillor Burton commented that he was in receipt of a letter from Clarion Housing Group that confirmed that they owned Passive Close and that the local authority had not adopted the road and were therefore unable to create an entrance into the college campus.

Officers reminded Members that a decision on whether to approve or refuse planning permission could still be made despite the applicant not owning Passive Close.

During the debate Members discussed the benefits of improving the education provision in the borough and the improvements to the proposal that had been made since the last time the proposal was considered.

It was RESOLVED that the proposal was unacceptable as it stood but would be acceptable subject to the applicant entering into a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), to secure the following:

•         A scheme for the payment and delivery by the developer of the section of the proposed Rainham cycle/pedestrian link path running through the application site based on the details set out in the supporting statement and accompanying drawing ‘01001’, which sets out:

-        Upon the commencement of works / implementation of planning permission P1371.17, section A of the path to be completed no later than 1 October 2021.  

-        Section B of the path to be completed prior to the occupation of the CISIC building, pursuant to planning permission P1371.17.

-        Section C of the path to be delivered through one of the following mechanisms:

i)                 Upon the commencement of works / implementation of planning permission P1371.17; if the land north of the CISIC building came forward for development, Section C of the path was to be delivered and completed prior to the occupation of the development of that land.

ii)               Upon the commencement of works / implementation of planning permission P1371.17; if the land to the west of CISIC came forward for development, Section C of the path should be delivered and completed within 6 months of the commencement of the development of that land.  

iii)              In the event that neither scenario i or ii occur, Section C of the path should be delivered and completed no later than 1 October 2025.

•         The Developer/Owner to pay the Council’s reasonable legal costs associated with the Legal Agreement prior to the completion of the agreement irrespective of whether the agreement was completed.

•         Payment of the appropriate planning obligations monitoring fee prior to the completion of the agreement.

•         It was resolved to grant planning permission subject to completion of the s106 agreement by 21 March 2018 or in the event that the s106 agreement was not completed by 21 March 2018 the item shall be returned to the Committee for reconsideration.

That the Assistant Director of Development be authorised to enter into a legal agreement to secure the above and upon completion of that agreement, grant planning permission subject to the conditions as set out in the report and to add an  additional condition requiring parking management plan to include entrance control from Passive Close and staff only parking. And also add amendments to condition 8 to ensure that the access to the parking areas were provided before the development commenced.

The vote for the resolution to grant planning permission was carried by 9 votes to 2.

Councillors Martin and Williamson voted against the resolution to grant planning permission.