Agenda item
20/0568 Aneurin Bevan Court Garages, Coles Green Road, London
Minutes:
PROPOSAL:
Demolition of garages and erection of a three storey building comprising 9 self-contained flats; provision of waste storage, car and cycle parking with amenity space and associated landscaping
RECOMMENDATION:
To grant planning permission subject to conditions and informatives.
That the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority 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.
Ms Paige Ireland (Planning Officer) introduced the report, setting out the key issues and answered Members’ questions. She drew Members’ attention to an amendment to condition 2 as set out within the supplementary report.
Mrs Neela Goyal (objector, in remote attendance) raised a number of issues and answered Members’ questions, including the following:
· The current drying area was a hotspot for anti-social activity as it was being used to store stolen scooters, bikes, drinking, fly tipping and rubbish disposal.
· Loss of privacy and overlooking to her kitchen area and she requested additional hedge planting.
· Requested a gate on the exit leading to Coles green road to prevent non residents walking through the area and to prevent thoroughfare.
· Requested scooter parking spaces with one for her husband.
Mr Ranjith Wijesinghe (objector, in remote attendance) raised several issues including the following:
· Health and safety concerns and lack of a number of environmental and health and safety report as listed in his submitted statement.
· Lack of adequate infrastructure relating to the existing sewer system and highways for safe habitable environment to the existing occupants.
· The proposal would contravene a number of planning policies as set out in his statement.
· The proposal would affect the value of existing houses in the area.
In responding to issues raised above, Mr Gerry Ansell (Head of Planning) advised the Committee that adequate environmental controls were in place to address the planning related matters raised. As most of the issues were outside of the planning regime officers offered to signpost the objector to the appropriate departments.
Kerry Csuka(agent, in remote attendance) submitted the following in support of the application:
· The redevelopment of the under-utilised brownfield site would provide 9 new homes for genuinely affordable London Affordable Rent, significantly exceeding policy requirements homes and supported by planning policy.
· The design of the proposed 3-storey building with flat roof and projected balconies would respect the scale of the existing Aneurin Bevan Court buildings.
· The proposal would protect the privacy and amenity of neighbouring properties with an 18-metre separation distance between all habitable room windows at Aneurin Bevan Court.
· The submitted daylight and sunlight report confirmed that neighbouring properties would retain acceptable levels of daylight, sunlight and outlook with the proposal in place.
· The proposal would provide high-quality living standards with all homes exceeding minimum internal space standards and benefitting from private amenity space in the form of a ground floor garden or balcony.
· The proposed level of car parking fully complied with Brent’s maximum parking standards.
· 28 trees were proposed to be planted as part of a comprehensive landscaping and tree replacement strategy to replace the 9 low quality trees to facilitate the proposed development, an approach supported by the Council’s Tree Officer.
· Over 2,300 sqm of communal amenity space would be retained and enhanced, through the provision of a new drying area, new planting and pathways both within the courtyard area and along the estate frontage.
In the ensuing discussions, Members took note of the comprehensive advice by Mr Lawrence Usherwood (Principal Tree Officer), officers’ advice to signpost the other objectors to the appropriate department and the fact that recommended conditions would address the planning related matters. The provision of disabled parking spaces and the amount of external amenity space were discussed. Members were in agreement with the request for additional screen planting, installation of gates to every exit and the provision of disabled car parking space.
DECISION: Granted planning permission as recommended as amended in condition 2 (approved plans) to include the revised drawings, as set out within the supplementary report, additional conditions for additional screen planting, installation of gates to every exit and the provision of disabled car parking space.
(Voting on the amended recommendation was unanimous).
Supporting documents: