Issue - meetings

Approved

The application before Members sought planning permission for a front seating area and permanent fixed canopy structure to serve an existing restaurant use in the ground floor unit.

Since the application had been submitted a fixed canopy structure had been erected to the front of the premises and planter boxes had been installed, albeit not in accordance with the plans that were originally submitted with the application. As a result a revised set of plans had been submitted for the unauthorised structure and seating area. Consequently the applicant was now seeking planning permission retrospectively for the canopy structure which had been erected without planning permission.

Members noted that the application had been called in by Councillor Joshua Chapman on the grounds that a seating area at the front of the restaurant would greatly enhance the street scene – Councillor Chapman had commented that only cars and rubbish bags were seen scattered along the newly refurbished Victoria Road – the area needed aesthetically pleasing businesses, that utilised their assets to grow, providing more growth to the local economy. The vision for Romford town saw local businesses thriving (especially in Victoria Road, the business sector). Councillor Chapman wished for Councillors to play a leading role, at the Committee meeting, in deciding how that vision was shaped.

With its agreement Councillor Joshua Chapman addressed the Committee.

Councillor Chapman commented that the Victoria Road/Battis area had recently undergone a £1.8million transformation that had sought to deal with previous issues of littering and illegal parking in the area. Councillor Chapman also commented that the town centre area needed thriving businesses as it was good for the local economy and wished for the Committee to discuss the merits of the submitted application.

During the debate Members discussed the ownership of the land and the advantages/disadvantages of the proposed seating area and its effect on the local amenity.

Members noted that Environmental health had proposed a condition regarding the hours of use in that the seating area was not to be used after 21.00 hours.

The report recommended that planning permission be refused however, following a motion to approve the granting of planning permission which was carried by 6 votes to 3 with 1 abstention, it was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the inclusion of a condition restricting use of the outdoor area to the hours of 12 noon to 21.00 hours on any day.

The vote for the resolution to approve the granting of planning permission was carried by 9 votes to 2.

Councillors Misr, J Crowder, P Crowder, Wallace, Donald, Nunn, Whitney, Martin and Williamson voted for the resolution to approve the granting of planning permission.

Councillors Kelly and Hawthorn voted against the resolution to approve the granting of planning permission.