Agenda and minutes

Councillor Simon, Chair, welcomed all attendees and explained the order of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Pearce, Hamilton and During.

Apologies for lateness was received from Councillor J. Charalambous.

Members of the Planning Committee are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non pecuniary interests relevant to items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on Tuesday 21 July 2015.

AGREED the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 21 July 2015 as a correct record.

To receive the covering report of the Assistant Director, Planning, Highways & Transportation.

4.1       Applications dealt with under delegated powers. (A copy is available in the Members’ Library.)

RECEIVED the report of the Assistant Director, Planning, Highways and Transportation (Report No. 53).

AGREED that the order of the agenda be varied to accommodate members of the public in attendance at the meeting. The minutes follow the order of the meeting.

RECOMMENDATION: Approval subject to conditions and completion of S106 agreement to secure the provision of four affordable units.

WARD: Southbury

NOTED

1.    The introduction by the Planning Decisions Manager clarifying the application site and recommending an additional condition requiring the submission of a servicing and delivery plan prior to occupation of the retail units.

2.    Four of the proposed residential units would be affordable units.

3.    There had been changes to the rules on affordable housing. A government statement issued 28 November 2014, confirmed in February, announced changes to S106 planning obligations for small scale development. The National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) (paragraphs 12 – 23) was amended to state that contributions for affordable housing and tariff style planning obligations should not be sought from small scale developments containing 10 units or less with a gross area of no more than 1000sqm . This decision was challenged in the High Court by West Berkshire and Reading Borough Councils and upheld on 31 July 2015. Mr Justice Holgate ruled that the changes to the NPPG were unlawful and quashed the policy. Paragraphs 12 – 23 of the NPPG were subsequently removed.

4.    Based on the restored local SPD on planning obligations, this scheme will attract an education contribution of £18,603.82 along with a monitoring fee of £930.19 which will be secured by a S106 agreement. The applicant had agreed to pay the full contribution.

5.    Amendments to the recommendation to read:

‘That subject to the completion of a S106 Agreement to secure the provision of four affordable housing units, the education contribution and management fee, the Head of Development Management/Planning Decisions Manager be authorised to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions listed in the report and an additional condition requiring the submission of a servicing and delivery plan prior to occupation of the retail units’.

6.    Members’ discussion and questions, responded to by officers.

7.    The unanimous support of the committee for the officers’ amended recommendation.

AGREED that subject to the completion of a S106 Agreement to secure the provision of four affordable housing units, the education contribution and management fee, the Head of Development Management/Planning Decisions Manager be authorised to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions listed in the report and the an additional condition requiring the submission of a servicing and delivery plan prior to occupation of the retail units.

RECOMMENDATION: Approval subject to conditions and completion of necessary Legal Agreement.

WARD: Palmers Green

NOTED

1.    The introduction by the Planning Decisions Manager clarifying the application site.

2.    This application sought permission to vary a condition to allow up to 100 buses to be parked on site. Originally imposed at the 27 January 2015 planning committee meeting, which capped the number of buses to be parked or stored on site at any one time, condition 8 of the planning permission limited the number of buses to 75.

3.    The key issue was the traffic impact associated with this increase in bus numbers, in terms of additional traffic movements of the buses and staff vehicles parking in adjoining roads. Traffic and Transportation had no objection to the proposal subject to a S106 Agreement, detailed at 6.2.9 of the report. The applicant had agreed to the S106 obligations.

4.    Members’ discussion and questions responded to by officers.

5.    The officers’ recommendation was supported by the committee: 8 votes for and 1 abstention.

AGREED that subject to the completion of a S106 Agreement, the Head of Development Management / Planning Decisions Manager be authorised to grant planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the report.

NOTED

1.  The next meeting of the Planning Committee will be held on Tuesday 1 September 2015. The venue will be the Conference Room, Civic Centre.