Report attached

The Committee received aDeveloper Presentation on the comprehensive redevelopment of the Harold Hill District Centre, Harold Hill site that comprised the demolition of existing buildings and construction of a mixed-use development to provide residential and retail floorspace, landscaping and associated works.

The proposed development was presented to enable Members of the Committee view the proposal before a planning application is submitted and to comment upon it.

As set out in the committee rules, the Developer was given 20 minutes to speak. The Committee was not required to make any decisions with respect to the developer briefing.

The Committee noted the presentation and the following considerations were summarised as the points raised by the Committee at the meeting:

A Ward Councillor attended the meeting and sought reassurance on the War Memorial site, access to play space for all identities including disabled area and location of the Post Office in the new development.

Councillor Anderson also welcomed the opportunity to address antisocial behaviour created through the current layout in the centre.

The Committee received clarification of the following during the discussions:

·         Are parking spaces going to be allocated?

·         What provisions are going to be put in place in relation to rubbish collection.

·         Accessibility for those that have mobility issues, particularly in light of the proposed method for waste collection; bringing that down to ground floor.

·         Whether there would be an opportunity to consider that into a management scheme.

·         On the theme of waste there was observations around trade waste servicing and seeking some confidence around its management. Also including the details around trade waste storage.

·         Observation around the loss of retail floor space and whether that works commercially and wanting to understand if that works as part of the submission and to understanding whether there is sufficient capacity for on street car parking spaces for visitors to the centre.

·         There was a question raised whether there was an opportunity to increase the amount of social rent being progressed on the scheme along with the ability to increase the amount of three bedroom units in the development.

·         Reassurance around bus capacity with the observation that buses were often full and what steps will be taken to increase bus capacity.

·         There was an invitation to consider how the front and back of retail units relate to Hilldene Road will be treated; picking up on the observations in the QRP report.

·         Waste understanding; what provisions were in place for food waste.

·         The details around electric vehicles, way finding.

·         Understanding and inviting a consideration of infrastructure provision up front so that the public is built into the public realm from the get go.
Including an electric supply for in the events that then held in the public spaces.

·         There are questions around provision of school places.

·         What considerations are in consideration for fire safety and emergency services provision?

·         Treatment of parking spaces. Linked back to the public realm point in so far as the quality of the spaces, including consideration for surface water collection.

·         Further information on the rain water harvesting.

·         The opportunity to involve residents more to create character and a sense of place in the development.

·         And also observation around ventilation with the ground floor residential units. 

Members were informed that any further comments and questions be sent to planning officers within the next week.