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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Calcot Centre, Highview (off Royal Avenue), Calcot

Contact: Stephen Chard / Charlene Hurd / Jessica Bailiss 

Items
No. Item

53.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 245 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 7 February 2018.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 7th February 2018 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman subject to the following amendments:

The minutes should state that Councillor Keith Chopping was elected as Chair of the meeting due to the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Page 13 – Second bullet point under Mr. Rob Collett’s speech – should state ‘offering 36 Affordable Homes’.

Page 13 – Councillor Keith Chopping speaking as Ward Member:

First bullet point should read ‘He found the proposal to be acceptable although he recognised that the previous refusal decision was overturned at appeal.’

Second bullet point should read ‘The dwellings would be set back from the main road and sufficiently masked by landscaping and a strong belt of trees.’

Third bullet point should read ‘The proposed materials were acceptable for the type of development although the overall design was unimaginative.’

Fourth bullet point should read ‘The scheme offered a mix of dwelling [size and style] including 36 Affordable Housing units.’

Seventh bullet point should read ‘There were insufficient visitor parking spaces available within the development area which could result in disruption and he asked Officers to discuss with the applicant to see if this could be improved.’

Page 22 – Councillor Marigold Jaques’ name was spelt incorrectly in two places.

54.

Declarations of Interest

To remind Members of the need to record the existence and nature of any personal, disclosable pecuniary or other registrable interests in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

55.

Schedule of Planning Applications

(Note: The Chairman, with the consent of the Committee, reserves the right to alter the order of business on this agenda based on public interest and participation in individual applications.)

55.(1)

Application No. & Parish: 17/03334/FULD - 4 High Street, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9SR pdf icon PDF 160 KB

Proposal:

Demolition of outbuildings and erection of 1 x two bedroom, 2 x three bedroom dwellings and associated works.

Location:

4 High Street, Hermitage, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9SR

Applicant:

Mr Broadbent

Recommendation:

To DELEGATE to the Head of Development & Planning to GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 4(1)) concerning Planning Application 17/03334/FULD in respect of the demolition of outbuildings and the erection of one x two bedroom, two x three bedroom dwellings and associated works.

The Planning Officer, in introducing the report, stated that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were:

·         Principle of the development

·         Impact on the character and appearance of the area

·         The impact on residential amenity

·         The impact on trees and ecology

·         Parking provision and highway safety

·         Flood risk and drainage

·         The presumption in favour of sustainable development

The application site was located within the defined settlement boundary of Hermitage and formed the residential curtilage and parking area attached to the former Crown Butchers and associated flat at number 4 and 4a The High Street.

It was felt that the proposed development would not detract from the character and appearance of the area. Objections had been received from neighbours around the impact on residential amenity particularly in relation to neighbouring properties. The Planning Officer stated that the area to the rear of the site was Ancient Woodland and tree protection measures would be put in place in order to avoid damage to roots and therefore it was felt that the proposed works would not result in any detrimental impact on protected species.

In terms of parking provision and highway safety a note had been included on the Update Sheet. Following discussions with the agent, Highways had received a revised plan which demonstrated that 11 parking spaces could be provided on the site, which met the required standard. However, this revised plan had been received outside the five day deadline and could therefore not be considered by the Committee. Consequently amendments had been proposed to the wording of conditions 2 and 12 in order to secure a sufficient level of parking provision.

The site was situated within a critical drainage area and objections had been raised in terms of potential for flooding. However, a condition had been included requiring provision of appropriate drainage measures to address surface water runoff and therefore there was no issue that would merit refusal on this ground.

The Update Sheet also addressed a number of other issues. During the site visit Members had queried the use of land to the north east of the site. The agent had confirmed that this land would be incorporated into the garden space associated with plot 3. Also during the site visit a member of the public and a Parish Council representative had raised concerns regarding the ownership of the land to the north-east of the site to the rear of the recently approved dwelling at Sarnia. Officers had checked the Ownership Certificates submitted with the application, and the Land Registry records and were satisfied that as far as could be demonstrated from the Land Registry record it would appear that the entire application site was within the same ownership with the exception of highway land to the front of the site  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.(1)

56.

Appeal Decisions relating to Eastern Area Planning pdf icon PDF 35 KB

Purpose: To inform Members of the results of recent appeal decisions relating to the Eastern Area Planning Committee.

Minutes:

Members noted the outcome of appeal decisions relating to the Eastern Area.

The Chairman advised that legal representation would no longer be routinely provided at Planning Committee meetings. It would therefore be necessary for Members to seek clarification on legal issues prior to the meeting. If an issue could not be resolved at the Committee meeting then it might be necessary to defer the item to the following meeting in order that clarification could be sought. Members queried where this had been agreed. Councillor Graham Bridgman confirmed that this was something that had arisen following the Financial Challenge Review and he was certain that it had been agreed at Council in March as part of the Revenue Budget paper. However, he would check where the governance process and would communicate that to Members of the Committee.