Issue - meetings

Resolved to grant planning permission as recommended subject to the Secretary of State’s decision not to call in the application.

RECOMMENDATION: That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission and grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives to secure the matters set out within the Committee reports.

That the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to make changes to the wording of the committee’s decision (such as to delete, vary or add conditions, informatives, planning obligations or reasons for the decision) prior to the decision being actioned, provided that the Head of Planning is satisfied that any such changes could not reasonably be regarded as deviating from the overall principle of the decision reached by the Committee nor that such change(s) could reasonably have led to a different decision having been reached by the Committee.

That the Committee confirms that adequate provision has been made, by the imposition of conditions, for the preservation or planting of trees as required by Section 197 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

In setting the background to the application, Mr Colin Leadbeatter (North Area Deputy Development Team Leader) informed the Committee that the application was being presented for consideration following a judicial review.  He referenced the grounds (3) that the claimant cited for the challenge and added that following officers’ review and QC opinion, the Council agreed to the planning permission to be quashed only on the basis of misconstruction and misapplication of policy DMP19 of the Brent Development Management Policies. He then introduced the report, referenced the supplementary report that responded to additional objections received since the report was published and answered Members’ questions.

Mr Michael Rushe (Chair of South Kenton and Preston Park Residents, SKPPR) spoke in objection to the application and answered Members’ questions.  In his view, the application was an unjustified departure from policies and alleged that the advice given to the Committee was misleading.  In reiterating SKPPR’s concerns as set out in the report, he spotlighted on the breakdown and calculation of the amenity space per flat. 

Ms Grace Brown (objector) spoke in a similar vein and answered Members’ questions.  She spoke in objection in relation to a number of matters, including the impact of the proposed development on on-street parking in the vicinity and that she considered the proposal is contrary to Brent Policy CP23.  She alleged that the application had no regard to the residential amenity of the occupiers and the operation of the library.

Mr Phillip Bromberg (Chair of Preston Road Library) spoke in support of the application and answered Members’ questions.  Members heard about a catalogue of design problems with the existing library, a grant of £267,000 from Brent Council for fittings for the new library which would be protected for 49 years at peppercorn rent. Mr Bromberg wished  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4