Agenda item

Granted planning permission subject to conditions as set out in the main report.

PROPOSAL:

Variation of condition 4 (change opening hours from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to

Sunday to 08:00 to 22:00 Monday to Sunday), of full planning permission reference 13/3646 dated 07/02/2014 for construction of a permanent "Home Shopping" van loading canopy and grocery collection "Drive To" canopy within the car park, with associated fencing and alterations to the existing store of leaning building including the provision of a chiller and freezer.

RECOMMENDATION: Grant planning permission subject to conditions.

Andy Bates (Area Planning Manager) in reference to the supplementary report responded to the issues raised by members during the site visit. He informed members that with each customer being allowed 15 minutes for collection of their purchases, up to 12 cars could visit the facility every hour during opening times.  Members heard that the investigation into noise complaints as a result of the operation of the air conditioning vents and the compactor was historic and on-going and that the Council’s Environmental Health  officers were in dialogue with Asda regarding those concerns.  He confirmed that the application did not include proposals for external lighting and that any new lighting columns would require a separate planning application.

In respect of parking Andy Bates clarified that despite the loss of car parking spaces as a result of the applications, the standard would exceed the current restraint-based car parking standards for a supermarket of this size which would permit a maximum of 378 spaces, hence the Council’s Transportation officers did not raise any objections.  The car wash facility was considered to be incidental to the supermarket and would not require planning permission. Andy Bates advised members that the issuing of parking tickets to customers parking in excess of 2 hours was in accordance with the legal agreement and furthermore, the management arrangement of the car park was outside the control of the Council as it was privately owned.

Alan Jones (applicant’s Estate Planning Manager) speaking in support stated that the application only sought an extension of hours of operation (variation of condition 4) to an extant planning permission.  He continued that no additional noise nuisance would be generated by the application and clarified that the operation of the service yard was not connected with this application.

In response to members’ questions, Alan Jones stated that the car wash facility was incidental to the store and although parking provision had been reduced as a result, the number of remaining parking bays exceeded parking standards for a store of Asda’s size.  He noted members’ concerns on the air conditioning vents and compactor and undertook to reconsider the policy about charging customers who parked their vehicles at the car park in excess of 2 hours.  Alan Jones further stated that because not all users of the car park visited the store, Asda did not have the data with which to consult users of the car park about any changes to the parking bays at its Wembley store.

The Chair noted that Councillor Choudhary, ward member, had a number of peripheral questions which needed to be resolved and in bringing the discussion to an end the Chair urged Asda, through the Estate Planning Manager, to engage with the local ward members and progress the other concerns they may have regarding the application.

DECISION: Planning permission granted as recommended.