Agenda item
Planning Issues
The Chair has agreed to hold a discussion, as part of this item, on the planning application which has been made for the erection of 71 dwellings with amenity open space at the Greenhouse Garden Centre Site. The Council’s Planning Service have provided the committee with a summary document on the application.
Minutes:
Following a request from a committee member, the Chair had agreed to hold a discussion on the planning application (09/3220), which had been submitted to Brent Council, for the erection of 71 dwellings with amenity open space at the Greenhouse Garden Centre site in Birchen Grove. Victoria McDonagh (Senior Planning Officer, Brent Council) introduced the summary note that was provided to the committee, which set out a summary of the proposed scheme and the key issues.
The committee sought clarification from Stephen Weeks (Head of Area Planning, Brent Council) and Victoria McDonagh on a number of points regarding the detail of the application. Following an enquiry, Stephen Weeks explained that the applicant was proposing to reduce the number of current car spaces from 170 spaces and therefore was arguing that the amount of vehicles being used would be reduced. It was noted by members of the committee that the applicant had suggested, in the information given out to the public at the site, that he was planning to go ahead with either this development in Brent or the one in Barnet, but not both. In response, Stephen Weeks stated that this had not been made a formal part of the application and would need to be confirmed. In response to another enquiry, Stephen Weeks explained that the planning permission granted in 1999, to create a new access to the site by extending the Birchen Grove carriage way and footpath, was still live because the development had been started. It was noted by a member of the committee that it seemed that this planning application was not brought to the attention of this committee in 1999.
The Chair then asked for the committee’s views on the application and agreed to feedback the committee’s views as part of the consultation process. Following a vote, the committee unanimously agreed to object to the planning application on the following grounds:
· It was noted by the committee that the application site was on Metropolitan Open Land and that the nature of the development was clearly an inappropriate use of this land.
· The committee noted the site’s proximity to the SINC and SSSI. They were concerned about the impact, in conservation terms, of the disturbance which would be caused by the construction and the completed development once occupied. The impact on wildfowl and bats was raised as a particular concern. The committee felt that the applicant had failed to provide any detailed proposals on how to limit the impact of the development on the SSSI and SINC.
· The applicant had stated that he was of the opinion that the scheme would cause less traffic as there would be less car parking spaces than there currently were at the garden centre. However, it was noted by the committee that from visiting the car park at the garden centre that the car park seemed to rarely be more than a quarter full. The committee were also concerned about the 24 hour use of vehicles which would result from a development of this nature.
· The committee were concerned that if the application was accepted that it would set an unwelcome precedent should further applications be made in the future for similar schemes. This included the parallel application which had been submitted to Barnet Council which was discussed under any other business.
RESOLVED:-
i. that the Chair feeds back the views of the committee as part of the consultation process noting that the committee objects to the planning application for the reasons set out above.
ii. that members of the committee send any further comments regarding the application to the Chair or to Elly Marks (Democratic Services, Brent Council).
Supporting documents: