Agenda and minutes

The report before Members proposed the demolition of the existing buildings and the re-development of the site to create forty six affordable residential units and two commercial units, with new access roads, associated planting, landscaping, servicing and car parking.

The development would comprise of thirty six flats and two commercial units in a three-storey block to the south of the site and a terrace row of ten houses to the north.

With its agreement Councillor Philip Hyde addressed the Committee.

Councillor Hyde commented that the proposal was saturating the Harold Hill area with more housing and eroding the clean, safe and green initiatives that were the Council’s corporate objectives. Councillor Hyde also commented that the increased density of housing in the Harold Hill area was leading to parking and noise issues which were in some instances causing neighbour disputes.

Councillor Hyde also commented that additional healthcare provision was needed in the area due to the cumulative impact of all the recent housing development that had and was taking place. Councillor Hyde commented that the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had approached the Council regarding exploring the possibility of expanding the healthcare provisions in the Harold Hill area. Negotiations were on-going but were not expected to concluded in the short term.

During the debate Members received clarification of the numbers of new occupiers the scheme would attract to the area and also raised concerns regarding the lack of additional healthcare provision.

Members also debated the current condition of the site which had suffered from poor building standards, empty retail units and was in a general state of disrepair.

Members also noted that there were two GP surgeries situated in Straight Road which were approximately 400 yards from the proposed development site.

Members were also advised that it had been the Council that had initially approached the CCG regarding additional healthcare provision in the area. Members noted, from other Members involved in the borough’s healthcare scrutiny, that the Health Service was not looking to increase the number of GPs in the area.

Members agreed that consideration of the proposal was clearly a judgement call as to whether the benefits of the proposal outweighed the loss of green and open spaces.

The report recommended that planning permission be granted, however following a motion to defer consideration of the report which was carried by 6 votes to 5 it was RESOLVED that consideration of the item be deferred to allow officers to clarify the current position on the potential inclusion of a GP surgery in the scheme.

The vote for the resolution to defer the consideration of the item was carried by 6 votes to 5.

Councillors Hawthorn, Donald, Nunn, Whitney, Martin and Williamson voted for the resolution to defer consideration of the item.

Councillors Misir, Kelly, Wallace, Thompson and best voted against the resolution to defer consideration of the item.

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED that the Head of Regulatory Services be authorised to negotiate and agree a Deed of Variation under section 106BA of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by the Growth and Infrastructure Act), to vary the legal agreement completed on 19 November 2009 in respect of planning permission P2246.07, to change the provision of affordable housing within the scheme and authority be given for the Council to enter into the agreed Deed of Variation.

The variation of the affordable housing provision would be as follows:

·         8.86% affordable housing amounting to 31 units and 86 habitable rooms comprising 16 no. Shared Ownership units (1 No. studio, 3 No. one bedroom and 12 No. 2 bedroom) and 15 No. Affordable Rented units (3 No. one bedroom, 11 No. two bedroom and 1 No. three bedroom) to be provided within the first phase of the development.

The Developer and/or Owner to bear the Council legal costs in respect of the preparation of the Deed of Variation irrespective of whether the matter is completed.

Save for the variation to the level of provision of Affordable Housing set out above and any necessary consequential amendments to the legal agreement dated 19 November 2009 all recital, terms, covenants and obligations in the said agreement shall remain unchanged.

The planning obligations recommended in the report had been subject to the statutory tests set out in Regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and the obligations were considered to have satisfied the following criteria:-

(a)         Necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms

(b)       Directly related to the development; and

(c)          Fairly and reasonable related in scale and kind to the development.

Consideration of this item was deferred at officer’s request to enable an objector and the applicant the opportunity to speak and to enable a ward Councillor the opportunity to explain their call-in.

Consideration of this item was deferred at officer’s request to enable an objector and the applicant the opportunity to speak and to enable a ward Councillor the opportunity to explain their call-in.

The Committee considered a report that updated Members on the position of legal agreements and planning obligations. This related to approval of various types of application for planning permission decided by the Committee that could be subject to prior completion or a planning obligation. This was obtained pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Acts.

The report also updated the position on legal agreements and planning obligations agreed by this Committee during the period 2000-2015.

The Committee NOTED the report and the information contained therein.

The report accompanied a schedule of appeals and a schedule of appeal decisions, received between 14 February 2015 and 29 May 2015.

The report detailed that 46 new appeals had been received since the last meeting of the Monitoring Committee in March 2015.

The Committee NOTED the report and the results of the appeal decisions received.

The Committee considered and noted the schedules detailing information regarding enforcement notices updated since the meeting held in March 2015.

Schedule A showed notices currently with the Secretary of State for the Environment (the Planning Inspectorate being the executive agency) awaiting appeal determination.

Schedule B showed current notices outstanding, awaiting service, compliance, etc. with up-dated information from staff on particular notices.

The Committee NOTED the information in the report.

The report updated the Committee on the progress and/or outcome of recent prosecutions undertaken on behalf of the Planning Service.

The Committee NOTED the report.

To consider whether the public should now be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public were present during those items there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 9 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972; and, if it is decided to exclude the public on those grounds, the Committee to resolve accordingly on the motion of the Chairman.

Following the completion of normal business, the committee decided to exclude the public for the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public were present during those items there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 9 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. It was decided to exclude the public on those grounds, the Committee RESOLVED accordingly on the motion of the Chairman.

The report before the Committee compiled a schedule listing, by Ward, all the complaints received by the Planning Control Service over alleged planning contraventions for the period from 14 February 2015 and 29 May 2015.

The Committee NOTED the report and AGREED the actions being taken.