Issue - meetings

Granted planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives as set out in the Committee report and additional condition detailed within the supplementary report to restrict access to the sedum roof above ground floor level.

PROPOSAL

Proposed demolition of existing garages and erection of two residential units with landscaping, private, and communal amenity areas, cycle and refuse storages and associated works.

RECOMMENDATION

(1)        That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report, and additional condition detailed within the supplementary report to restrict access to the sedum roof above ground floor level.

(2)        That the Head of Planning is 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.

(3)        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.

Mahya Fatemi (Planning Officer) introduced the report, with the development proposal involving thedemolition of 19 existing garages and erection of two three-bedroom family sized residential homes with landscaping, private and communal amenity areas, cycle and refuse storages and associated works.  The Committee’s attention was also drawn to the supplementary report, which included details of an additional comment received in objection to the proposals since publication of the main committee report along with the recommended inclusion of an additional condition to restrict access to the sedum roof above ground floor level.  Subject to inclusion of the additional condition alongside those outlined within the main report officers advised that the recommendation remained to grant planning permission.

Clarifying questions were raised around the significance of the shortfall in the separation distance between the development and the habitable room windows of neighbouring properties on Wrentham Avenue, which comments raised in objection had highlighted was only 13.8 metres and less than the minimum 18 metres required by SPD1.  In response, officers advised that this requirement related to directly facing habitable room windows with the ground level of the application site generally set below the rear gardens of Wrentham Road and the proposed dwellings maintaining a height and volume that sat below a 45-degree line from the rear edge of the gardens on Wrentham Avenue.  In addition, the rear habitable windows of Wrentham Avenue were positioned more than 14 meters away from the boundary, with the massing and height therefore felt to have complied with SPD1 guidance and the bulk of the proposed buildings not considered to create a detrimental impact in terms of the sense of enclosure or outlook of nearby occupiers and the 45 degree compliance also mitigating against any overshadowing on the gardens of nearby dwellings.

The Chair thanked Mahya Fatemi for introducing the report and then invited John Keutgen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5