Issue - meetings

A review of Brent’s Conservation Area Design Guides is being undertaken with the overall aim of producing up to date documents to give clear guidance primarily to residents on acceptable types of development. These documents have an important role in ensuring the special character of our conservation areas is preserved and where possible enhanced. Revised Planning Design Guides for Barn Hill Conservation Area and Queen’s Park Conservation Area have been produced.

That approval be given to the the adoption of the revisedPlanning Design Guides for the Barn Hill Conservation Area and the Queen’s Park Conservation Area for development management purposes to guide the consideration of future planning applications in these areas.

The review of Brent’s Conservation Area Design Guides was being undertaken with the overall aim of producing up to date documents to give clear guidance primarily to residents on acceptable types of development. These documents have an important role in ensuring the special character of our conservation areas is preserved and where possible enhanced. Revised Planning Design Guides for Barn Hill Conservation Area and Queen’s Park Conservation Area have been produced.

In introducing the report from the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects Councillor Crane (Lead Member, Regeneration and Major Projects)reminded the Executive that design guides were the basis on which residents could obtain advice in advance of submitting a planning application. He referred to the endorsement of the guides by the Planning Committee on 16 January 2013 and the public consultation which had commenced on 28 January 2013. The report stated that general support for the revised Design Guide was an important factor in how effective they are and in both areas there was discussion with the Residents Association on the content of the Guides before local consultation with all local residents was undertaken.  The Planning Committee on 17 April 2013 considered the consultation responses and the recommendations made to revise the documents where appropriate.  The Committee endorsed these further changes and recommended that the final documents incorporating the recommended revisions be reported to Executive for adoption. Councillor Crane referred to the deputation earlier in the meeting from Robert Dunwell and observations he made over the Barn Hill Design Guide. Councillor Crane stated that he was satisfied that the consultation and decision making process had been adequate and satisfactory and recommended that the design guides be adopted.

Other members of the Executive welcomed the report and the Design Guides. Councillor Denselow was pleased to see reference specific reference to basement extensions and commended the consultation exercise that had been carried out in his ward, Queen’s Park. In response to an enquiry from Councillor Mashari, Councillor Crane was pleased to advise that a programme of Design Guides would be rolled out to other areas around the borough. Councillor Pavey (ward councillor, Barnhill), contributed that having read through the Barn Hill Design Guide he was of the opinion that competing points of view and been taken into account and Councillor Butt concurred with this view.

The Executive agreed the report and appended design guides.

RESOLVED:

that approval be given to the adoption of the revised Planning Design Guides for the Barn Hill Conservation Area and the Queen’s Park Conservation Area for development management purposes to guide the consideration of future planning applications in these areas.