Decisions

The following matters were raised:

 

·         It was recognised that the performance of the contract with HHIA had been affected due to a number of reasons including dependency on temporary staff and variation in consistency and speed of delivery;

·         A recovery plan had been put in place with the aim of improving productivity;

·         As significant changes had been put in place to improve effectiveness, a further report should be provided to the Executive Leader and Portfolio Holder in six months time to ensure progress was being made.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

                      i.        That the performance of the HHIA over the last 12 months and the Recovery Plan now in place be noted.

                    ii.        That the Council’s continued participation in the HHIA be endorsed.

                   iii.        That a further review report be brought to Executive in May 2020.

 

Reason for Decision: As contained in report.

Other Options considered: As contained in report.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

(i)            That the following Executive Bodies be established with the terms of reference as set out in Section 3 of the Report and membership as set out below:

 

Appeals, Grievances and Litigation Committee – Councillor Mrs J Lloyd (Chairman), Councillors John Gardner, Sharon Taylor and Jeannette Thomas;

 

Housing Development and Regeneration Committee – Councillor Sharon Taylor (Chair), Councillors Rob Broom, John Gardner, Mrs Joan Lloyd and Jeannette Thomas;

 

            Stevenage and East Herts. Joint Executive Revenues and Benefits Shared Service Committee – Councillor Mrs Joan Lloyd (Chairman when appropriate), Councillors Lloyd Briscoe, Jeannette Thomas and Jackie Hollywell (substitute).

 

(ii)       That the terms of reference as set out in the report and membership of the Stevenage, North Herts, East Herts and Hertsmere Joint CCTV Committee as agreed by the Leader and set out below be noted:

           

            Councillor Jackie Hollywell (SBC Lead), Councillors Mrs Joan Lloyd and Richard Henry.

 

Reason for Decision: As contained in report.

Other Options considered: As contained in report.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraphs 1 to 7 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

 

2.         That, having considered the reasons for the following items being in Part II, it be determined that maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

 

None.

In relation to the Minutes of the Community Select Committee meeting held on 26 March 2019, the Members present at the meeting should include Councillor Jackie Hollywell, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Community Safety and Equalities.

 

In respect of the Minutes of the Community Select Committee meeting held on 1 April 2019, the Executive Leader asked for clarification regarding the numbers of rough sleepers reported in the Town as the figures referred to in the minutes did not appear to be correct. Officers agreed to look into the matter and advise Members and the Chair of the Select Committee of the correct information and a modification to the minutes to be made if appropriate.

 

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the following meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees be noted –

 

Environment & Economy Select Committee – 28 February 2019

Environment & Economy Select Committee – 13 March 2019

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 18 March 2019

Community Select Committee – 26 March 2019

Community Select Committee – 1 April 2019

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 30 April 2019

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 16 May 2019

 

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 14 May 2019 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Richard Henry.

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

None.

The following matters were discussed:

 

·         The advantages and disadvantages of appointing a single contractor to undertake the works;

·         Consideration of the potential to include external decent homes works into the contract;

·         The importance of fitting carbon monoxide detectors as part of the refurbishment of Council stock;

·         The possibility of bringing forward the insourcing of the contract to a period of less than 3 years and the approach to ensure the Repairs and Voids Team were adequately resourced to achieve this.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

(i)            That approval be given for officers to procure a contract to conduct essential refurbishment work to various HRA properties as identified in the Asset Management Strategy.

(ii)          That contractors be appointed to undertake the works for reasons as set out in section 4.1 of this report.

 

(iii)         That the contract, including external decent homes works be offered to market at an estimated contract value of £3.5m per annum for a term of three years, with the option to extend the term by an additional three years.

 

(iv)         That where necessary the fitting of carbon monoxide detectors as part of the refurbishment works be included in the contracts;

 

(v)          That the price and quality aspects of the tender are evaluated based on a ratio of 40/60 (price/quality).

 

(vi)         That the procurement route is through a restricted process for reasons set out in section 4.4 of this report

 

(vii)        That the Strategic Director be given delegated authority to award and finalise the terms of the contract with the winning bidder(s) after officer evaluation of tenders received and having  consulted  the Portfolio Holder – Housing, Health and Older People.

 

Reason for Decision: As contained in report.

Other Options considered: As contained in report.

 

In reply to a Members’ comment, Officers confirmed that the questions posed to Assistant Directors as part of the process in developing the Annual Governance Statement (in accordance with the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework) were challenging and robust.

 

It was RESOLVED that the Council’s Annual Governance Statement 2018/19, as attached at Appendix One to the report, be recommended for approval by the Statement of Accounts Committee.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the Annual Assurance Statement and Internal Audit Report be noted.

 

2.         That the results of the self-assessment required by the Public Sector Internal Standards (PSIAS) and the Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme (QAIP) be noted.

 

3.         That the SIAS Audit Charter 2019/20 be accepted.

 

4.         That management assurance be given that the scope and resources for internal audit were not subject to inappropriate limitations in 2018/19.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the Internal Audit progress report be noted.

 

2.         That the status of Critical and High Priority Audit Recommendations be noted.

In response to a series of questions, the Shared Anti-Fraud Manager responded as follows:

 

·      In relation to Key Performance Indicator 2 (Identified value of fraud), this target was based on the history and experience of previous years, together with comparative information with work carried out for other Councils in the partnership;

·      The management information for 2019/20 was not as detailed as would normally be the case, primarily due to a change in software supplier.  However, this situation would be resolved by the end of June 2019, and so the next SAFS progress report would provide the level of detail required;

·      Publicity on successful prosecutions was provided to the local Press and published on the Council’s website.  The SAFS Manager undertook to include details of how many prosecutions were reported in the local Press as part of his next and future progress reports.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the activity undertaken by the Shared Anti-Fraud Service to deliver the 2018/19 Anti-Fraud Plan for the Council, as set out in the report, be noted.

 

2.         That the other anti-fraud activity undertaken to protect the Council, as set out in the report, be noted.

 

3.         That the progress of the Shared Anti-Fraud Service on delivering the 2019/20 Anti-Fraud Plan, as set out in the report, be noted.

In response to a Member’s question regarding potential additional audit fees for work associated with items such as group accounts or a review of the Queensway Scheme, the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) advised that she would be writing to Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) seeking clarification of precisely what audit work was included in the Annual Audit Fee.

 

For the specific benefit of new Members of the Committee, the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) undertook to provide them with a glossary of relevant acronyms and their definitions.

 

It was RESOLVED that the Annual Audit Fee Letter for 2019/20 from Ernst and Young dated 29 April 2019 be noted.

None.

None.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 19 March 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

It was RESOLVED that:

 

1.        Under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1-7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

 

2.         Members considered the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determined that the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

It was RESOLVED that Councillor John Gardner be elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

It was RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference for the Committee, as approved at the Annual Council Meeting held on 22 May 2019, be noted.

In debating the fact that Ernst and Young had revised the timetable for the 2018/19 Accounts and Audit, with completion during September 2019 rather than by 31 July 2019, the Associate Partner (Ernst and Young) and the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) replied to a series of Members’ questions and comments as follows:

 

·      Ernst and Young would be “front loading” as much audit work as possible during the end of July/early August, so as not to run too close to the September 2019 Committee deadline for completion of the work;

·      The Council would still be able to publish its Accounts by the end of July 2019 (albeit with no audit opinion);

·      There was a strategic risk to the Council, although experience had shown that audits generally raised valuation issues rather than income/expenditure issues;  there was potentially more risk in terms of SBC staffing/resourcing resilience in support of the audit;

·      The Ernst and Young audit team was now in place to deliver the audit by the September 2019 deadline, and a Project Plan was to be submitted to the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates); and

·      There was a discussion on the sustainability and future challenges facing public sector audit;  the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) would reflect the Council’s views in her representation to the Society of Local Authority Treasurers, and it was confirmed that Ernst and Young were engaging proactively in the future reviews into the audit market.

 

It was RESOLVED that the revised Accounts and Audit Timetable for 2018/19, as set out in the letter from Ernst and Young dated 26 April 2019, be noted.

There were no apologies for absence.

 

There were no declarations on interest.

The Committee considered the Draft Scoping Document for the review on Sports and Leisure across Stevenage. The Chair reminded Members to keep in mind the focus of the review. The Committee noted that the proximity of the Gordon Craig Theatre to the Stevenage railway station could be used to attract visitors to the town’s sports and leisure events. 

 

Focus of the review – Members identified the following items for consideration in the focus of the review:

 

·         To check if the Council’s website can be updated to include links to public and private providers of sports and leisure facilities and services

·         To get a better understanding of booking arrangements for events at the Gordon Craig Theatre

·         To determine the split of Stevenage versus non-Stevenage clientele at Stevenage sports and leisure facilities and events

·         To assess the affordability of Stevenage sports and leisure facilities and events

·         To make a comparison of Stevenage sports and leisure against offers in other similar-sized local authorities

·         To ensure that event organisers use a diverse range of publicity methods including the traditional leaflets and posters and also social media platforms

 

Timing issues – Members were informed that review dates, times and venues of review meetings were subject to change

 

Any other witnesses – The Assistant Director announced that Stevenage Youth Council had recently started debating topics that were on the agenda of some SBC Council committees. It was indicated that the Youth Council would provide feedback to the Committee after their debate on sports and leisure across Stevenage. The Committee Members suggested that the following be added to the list of external witnesses:

 

·         Officers/Members from Luton Borough Council and/or Milton Keynes Council

·         John O’Callaghan (Herts Sports Partnership Board Member) – provide insight on the County context

·         Allan Prescott – Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL)

·         Any other member of the SLL Management team

 

Background Documents/Data – The Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) indicated that attendance figures for events at the Gordon Craig Theatre would be included in the scheduled SLL presentation to the Committee. It was pointed out that membership details from sports and leisure providers and registers for events such as parkrun could be a source of information on the catchment area for sports and leisure clients if those providers were prepared to share anonymised data. It was noted that such information could be used subject to data protection limitations. Members requested the following background documents:

 

·         Budgets for SBC sports and leisure facilities

·         Subsidy per visit

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the Draft Scoping Document is noted

 

2.         That the Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) liaises with SLL management and the Scrutiny Officer regarding review interviews

 

3.         That Members liaise with the Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) regarding visits to Stevenage sports and leisure facilities

 

4.         That Members provide to the Committee sports and leisure leaflets from other local authorities

 

5.         That Members research topics as indicated below:

 

·         Affordability and barriers – Cllrs C Parris and L Rossati

·         Access – Cllr T Callaghan and S Mead

·         Local take up – Cllr S Mead

·         Websites and online sports and leisure advertisements – Cllr J Mead

·         Older Persons – Cllr M Notley

·         Any other topics/Reserves – Cllrs A Brown and A Farquharson

 

 

 

 

The Committee considered the Work Programme and meeting schedule for the Community Select Committee (CSC) for 2019-20. The Scrutiny Officer informed Members that the High/Medium/Low rating was a measure of the issue’s importance on the CSC work schedule.

 

Sports and Leisure across the Town – The Committee agreed that this review should be pursued. Members indicated that the review should consider the following:

 

·         Current sports and leisure offer in Stevenage

·         Publicity on the SBC website and other platforms

·         The health, sports and leisure link

·         Stevenage Leisure Limited

 

The Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) informed the Committee that the SLL contract was due for renewal in 2023. Preparations for contract negotiations would start at the beginning of the 2020/21 Municipal year. It was noted that there was likely to be a crossover of the CSC’s review of Fairlands Valley sports and leisure offer including the sailing centre and the Environment and Economy review on parks in Stevenage.

 

Neighbourhood Wardens – Members noted that the review would provide clarity on the job description and working arrangements of Neighbourhood Wardens. It was agreed that the review would be particularly important in view of the proposed area-based working model. Following discussions, Members agreed that due to time and logistics constraints it would not be feasible to include community centres in the scope of this review.   

 

Statutory Item – Crime & Disorder Committee – The Committee noted that this meeting gave Members the opportunity to receive updates on community safety issues. 

 

Standing Item – Public Health – The Chair commended the support provided by the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Director of Public Health (Jim McManus) and the HCC Health Scrutiny Committee Member (Cllr Maureen McKay).

 

Monitoring of Previous Recommendations/Actions

 

Update on Cultural Strategy – Members were advised that the update would cover Stevenage Museum, Gordon Craig Theatre and a general update on the Cultural Strategy.

 

Policy Development – Portfolio Holder Advisory Group (PHAG) Meetings – It was confirmed that PHAG meetings on the Homelessness & Rough Sleepers Strategy and Older Persons Strategy would be held on 11 July 2019. The other PHAG topics were Damp & Condensation Policy and Aids and Adaptations Policy, Housing Service Charge Review, Rent Policy, Community Centre Review, Tenancy Strategy and Customer Strategy. Members were advised that they would be notified as soon as dates for these Portfolio Holder Advisory Group meetings were confirmed.

 

The Scrutiny Officer indicated to the Committee that any unscheduled potential review topics would be added to the Work Programme if suitable dates were available. Cllr T Callaghan took advice on a potential interest in the Portfolio Holder Advisory Group meeting on the Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the main review items, one off meetings, statutory and standing items, review revisits and policy development items on the 2019-20 Work Programme are noted

 

2.         That the Meeting Schedule for 2019-20 is noted

 

3.         That SBC officers and representatives of Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) prepare a submission for the Committee

 

4.         That the objective of the update on Cultural Strategy be changed to “…Review, understand and comment on choice and style of live entertainment at the Gordon Craig Theatre”

 

5.         That a copy of the last Damp and Mould Review be circulated to Members prior to the Damp & Condensation Policy and Aids and Adaptations Portfolio Holder Advisory Group meeting

It was RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference are noted.

It was RESOLVED that Minutes of the Community Select Committee meeting held on 1 April 2019 are approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

None.

Not required.

None.

It was RESOLVED that Minutes of the Community Select Committee meeting held on 26 March 2019 are approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

 

Apologies for lateness were received from Cllr A Brown.

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

The Committee considered an application for the variation of Condition 1 (Site Plan) attached to planning permission reference number 15/00080/FP to amend access and parking layout.

 

The Development Manager gave an introduction to the Committee. Members were informed that when considering applications of this type, local planning authorities are entitled to consider only the question of the conditions to which planning permission should be granted and must leave the original permission intact. The Committee was advised that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were the acceptability of the changes to the scheme in respect of the visual amenities of the area, highway safety and car parking provision, as permitted under the original grant of planning permission.

 

In response to a question, the Development Manager confirmed that the telegraph post at the front of the property would be removed. It was confirmed that no objections had been received at the time of drafting the report.

 

The Committee was advised that the proposal was minor in nature and would have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area and the Old Town Conservation Area within which the site lies. The proposed scheme would not adversely affect the operation or safety of the local highway network and would result in an over-provision of parking.

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

 

1.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 12005wd3. 10 Rev L, 12005 wd2.02P1, 12005 wd12005 wd2.02P12.01P1, 12005 wd2.20P1, 12005 wd2.21P1, 12005 wd2.22P1, 12005 wd2.23P2

 

2.         The materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the extensions and external alterations to facilitate the conversion of the properties to flats hereby permitted shall match the materials used in the construction of the original properties to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority.

 

3.         Prior to the first occupation of the dwellings hereby permitted the parking spaces and turning facilities identified on drawing 12005wd3. 10 Rev L shall be constructed, hard surfaced and made ready for use to serve the occupants of those properties unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The spaces shall be permanently retained in that form thereafter.

 

4.         No construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0900 and 1330 on Saturdays.

 

5.         Notwithstanding the details shown in this application, prior to the occupation of the dwellings hereby permitted, the treatment of all boundaries including details of any walls, fences, gates or other means of enclosure shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved boundary treatments shall be completed before the use hereby permitted is first occupied and thereafter permanently retained.

 

6.         All areas for parking, delivery and storage areas associated with the construction of the development must be provided on land which is not public highway and the use of such areas must not interfere with the use of the public highway.

 

7.         The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until details of the bin and cycle stores as identified on drawing12005wd3. 10 Rev L have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and these facilities shall be provided prior to the first occupation of the dwellings.

 

8.         On completion, the dwellings shall meet the following criteria, either:

 

i.          with windows open for ventilation or

ii.         with windows closed and with mechanical purge and background ventilation, sufficient to comply with the current Building Regulations.

 

           

		Noise Level(dB)
Daytime Noise (07:00 -23:00)	Inside livingareas	< 35LAeq (16 hours)
Night-time Noise (23:00 -07:00)	Inside bedrooms	< 30 LAeq (8 hours) < 45LAmax,Fast

 

           

Where mechanical purge ventilation is required to achieve the above standards with windows closed, this shall be designed so as to ensure that the ventilation system itself does not produce unacceptable levels of noise within each dwelling. All schemes for ventilation shall comply with the current edition of Approved Document F to the Building Regulations.

 

9.         The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until there has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of soft and hard landscaping and details of the treatment of all hard surfaces. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting.

 

10.       All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development whichever is the sooner.

           

11.       All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of the building or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

 

12.       Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

           

13.       No tree shown retained on the approved plans, or subsequently approved landscaping scheme, shall be cut down, uprooted or destroyed, nor shall any retained tree be topped or lopped within five years of the completion of development without the written approval of the Local Planning Authority.

 

14.       No removal of trees, scrubs or hedges shall be carried out on site between 1st March and 31st August inclusive in any year, unless searched before by a suitably qualified ornithologist.

 

The Committee considered an application for the variation of Condition 1 (Site Plan) attached to the Planning permission 18/00107/FP to amend access and parking layout.

 

The Development Manager gave an introduction to the Committee. Members were informed that when considering applications of this type, local planning authorities are entitled to consider only the question of the conditions to which planning permission should be granted and must leave the original permission intact. Since the other conditions imposed on the original granted planning permission for this development remain relevant, the only issue for consideration in the determination of this application is how the variation of the condition referred to above would impact on the approved scheme and whether any additional conditions are warranted. The Committee was advised that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were the acceptability of the changes to the scheme in respect of the visual amenities of the area, highway safety and car parking provision, as permitted under the original grant of planning permission.

 

It was confirmed that no objections had been received at the time of drafting the report. The Development Manager informed Members that some of the Sycamore trees that were earmarked for removal were not in good health and that the planting of replacement trees would be acceptable.

 

The reasons for the amendments were as follows:

 

·         Accessing the parking provision through the site rather than via Fairlight Close so as to reduce conflict with vulnerable residents who occupied bungalows at the rear

·         Locating the bin store to the side of the property rather than the front

·         Replacement of tandem parking to front with two demarked bays to improve the usefulness of the parking provision to the front

·         Parking bays to the rear of the property to provide level access into the property

·         Southern boundary treatment to be set in from the site boundary to allow a verge along Fairlight Close, opening up access to properties at the rear and improving visibility for using this access

·         Removal of the dilapidated wall and serrated railings between the two properties thereby opening up the site

·         Co-locating the electrical intakes at the rear of the site to allow for easier installation and ongoing maintenance access

 

The Committee was advised that the proposal would have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area and the Old Town Conservation Area within which the site lies. The proposed scheme would adversely affect the operation or safety of the local highway network and would result in an over-provision of parking.

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

 

1.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 17047wd2.01J, 17047wd2.02B, 17047wd2.03C, 17047wd2.05, 17047su1.01A, 17047su1.02, 17047su1.03, 17047su1.04A.

           

2.         The materials to be used in the construction of the development hereby permitted shall be as previously agreed under ref 18/00759/COND.

           

3          Prior to the first occupation of the dwellings hereby permitted the parking spaces and turning facilities identified on drawing 17047wd2.01J shall be constructed, hard-surfaced and made ready for use to serve the occupants of those properties unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The spaces shall be permanently retained in that form thereafter.

           

4.         No construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0900 and 1330 on Saturdays.

           

5.         Notwithstanding the details shown in this application, prior to the occupation of the dwellings hereby permitted, the treatment of all boundaries including details of any walls, fences, gates or other means of enclosure shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved boundary treatments shall be completed before the use hereby permitted is commenced or before the buildings are first occupied and thereafter permanently retained.

           

6.         All areas for parking, delivery and storage areas associated with the construction of the development must be provided on land which is not public highway and the use of such areas must not interfere with the use of the public highway.

           

7.         The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until details of the bin and cycle stores as identified on drawing 17047wd2.01J have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and these facilities shall be provided prior to the first occupation of the dwellings.

 

8.         The first floor window proposed in the north elevation of flat 4 serving the kitchen/dining area (nearest to the lounge) shall be fitted with obscure glazing and shall be fixed so as to be incapable of being opened below a height of 1.7 metres above finished floor level and shall be retained in that form thereafter.

 

9.         On completion, the dwellings shall meet the following criteria, either:

 

i.          with windows open for ventilation or

 

ii.         with windows closed and with mechanical purge and background ventilation, sufficient to comply with the current Building Regulations.

 

                       

		Noise Level(dB)
Daytime Noise (07:00 -23:00)	Inside livingareas	< 35LAeq (16 hours)
Night-time Noise (23:00 -07:00)	Inside bedrooms	< 30 LAeq (8 hours) < 45LAmax,Fast

 

Where mechanical purge ventilation is required to achieve the above standards with windows closed, this shall be designed so as to ensure that the ventilation system itself does not produce unacceptable levels of noise within each dwelling. All schemes for ventilation shall comply with the current edition of Approved Document F to the Building Regulations.

 

10.       The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until there has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of soft and hard landscaping and details of the treatment of all hard surfaces. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting.

 

11.       All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development whichever is the sooner.

           

12.       All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of the building or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

 

13.       Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

           

14.       No tree shown retained on the approved plans, or subsequently approved landscaping scheme, shall be cut down, uprooted or destroyed, nor shall any retained tree be topped or lopped within five years of the completion of development without the written approval of the Local Planning Authority.

           

15.       No removal of trees, scrubs or hedges shall be carried out on site between 1st March and 31st August inclusive in any year, unless searched before by a suitably qualified ornithologist.

 

The Committee considered the application for the demolition of existing office building and associated works and erection of new office building including the cladding the recladding of the existing factory building façade and associated works including landscaping, car parking and cycle parking.

 

The Development Manager gave an introduction to the Committee and drew attention to the revised Condition 17. Members noted that the application was required to be considered by the Committee as it was classed as a major application.

 

He advised that the development for replacement offices represented an acceptable use in the Gunnels Wood employment area and was in accordance with the Council’s employment policies. He also confirmed that the proposal represented a high quality development which, being located toward Gunnels Wood Road and using high quality materials and glazing, would create a statement building. The Development Manager went on to confirm the proposal would not harm residential amenity or the existing operating conditions of nearby businesses. With regard to highway safety and car parking, the Officer confirmed that no additional car parking was proposed to serve the building and the additional floorspace created. He advised that in a highly sustainable location such as this zero car parking accorded with the Council’s adopted standards. With regard to highway safety, the Development Manager confirmed that Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) as Highway Authority were raising no objection, but had requested financial contributions of £6,000.00 toward the evaluation and monitoring of the Travel Plan submitted with the application and £24,000.00 to upgrade the bus stop to the front of the site. He confirmed that the applicant had agreed to pay these contributions. With regard to the request of HCC for an additional contribution of £33,860.00 toward further sustainable development projects, the Officer advised that as the requirement was based on only limited increased traffic movements to and from the site, and HCC were not objecting to the proposal on highway safety grounds, this request was unreasonable and failed the tests as set out in the NPPF for seeking s106 obligations.

 

Members welcomed redevelopment plans at Airbus Defence and Space. The Committee expressed concerns that HCC was asking some developers to upgrade bus stops without insisting on improvements to bus services. Officers reassured the Committee that SBC had raised the issue of improving bus services in meetings with HCC.

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the applicant having first entered into and completed a unilateral undertaking under S106 of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure financial contributions towards:-

 

•           Improvements to the bus stop to the front of the site;

•           Monitoring and evaluation of the Travel Plan;

 

The detail of which is to be delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulation in liaison with the Council’s appointed Solicitor and subject to the following conditions:-

 

1.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans:

 

AIR001/007, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-L-99-1003 P4, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-L-99-1001 P06, AIR-BDP-XX-00-DR-A-99-1001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-01-DR-A-99-1001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-02-DR-A-99-1001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-03-DR-A-99-1001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-A-99-3001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-A-99-3002 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-A-99-2001 P05, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-L-99-1002 P07, AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-L-99-1004 P01.

 

2.         The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

3.         No development shall take place above slab level until a schedule and samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the approved COB 2.0 office building (Phase 1), hereby permitted, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

           

4.         No work shall commence on the Factory Building recladding (Phase 2) until details of materials have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

5.         Prior to occupation of the COB 2.0 office building (Phase 1), hard and soft landscaping details and surfacing details of the car park and pedestrian areas within that Phase are to be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

6.         Prior to commencement of the rear car park (Phase 3), hard and soft landscaping details and surfacing details of the car park and pedestrian areas within that Phase are to be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

7.         All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development whichever is the sooner.

           

8.         All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of the building or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

           

9.         Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

           

10.       No tree shown retained on the approved plans, or subsequently approved landscaping scheme, shall be cut down, uprooted or destroyed, nor shall any retained tree be topped or lopped within five years of the completion of development without the written approval of the Local Planning Authority.

 

11.       No removal of trees, scrubs or hedges shall be carried out on site between 1st March and 31st August inclusive in any year, unless searched before by a suitably qualified ornithologist.

 

12.       As this is a previously developed site there may be a risk of the land containing contaminants. If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority) shall be carried out until a remediation strategy detailing how this contamination will be dealt with has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

13.       No drainage systems for the infiltration of surface water to the ground are permitted other than with the written consent of the local planning authority. Any proposals for such systems must be supported by an assessment of the risks to controlled waters. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

14.       Piling, deep foundations and other intrusive groundworks (investigation boreholes, tunnel shafts, ground source heating and cooling systems etc.) using penetrative methods can result in risks to potable supplies from, for example, pollution/turbidity, risk of mobilising contamination, drilling through different aquifers and creating preferential pathways. None of these penetrative methods shall be carried out other than with the written consent of the LPA. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

15.       A scheme for managing any borehole installed for the investigation of soils, groundwater or geotechnical purposes shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority prior to construction above slab level. The scheme shall provide details of how redundant boreholes are to be decommissioned and how any boreholes that need to be retained, post-development, for monitoring purposes will be secured, protected and inspected. The scheme as approved shall be implemented prior to the occupation of any part of the permitted development.

 

16.       The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the Flood Risk Assessment & Drainage Strategy, Doc No: AIR-BDP-XX-XX-RP-C-980001, Job No: P2008334, Rev: P01, dated January 2019 and the following mitigation measures for Phase 1 (COB 2.0 project):

 

1.         Provide attenuation to ensure no increase in surface water run-off volumes for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + climate change event.

 

2.         Implement drainage strategy based on oversized pipes, restricted discharge with a 50% betterment to current discharge rates and a petrol interceptor for treatment.

 

17.       Within 4 months of the grant of this planning permission the final design of the drainage scheme shall be completed and sent to the LPA for approval. The surface water drainage system will be based on the submitted Flood Risk Assessment & Drainage Strategy, Doc No: AIR-BDP-XX-XX-RP-C-980001, Job No: P2008334, Rev: P01, dated January 2019. The scheme shall also include:

 

1. Detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SuDS features including their location, size, volume, depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs and all corresponding calculations/modelling to ensure the scheme caters for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + climate change event.

 

2. Demonstration of appropriate SuDS management and treatment.

           

18.       Prior to any works on site for Phase 3 (including demolition of the existing COB 1.0 building) a full detailed surface water drainage strategy is to be completed and sent to the LPA for approval. The scheme shall also include:

 

1.    A drainage strategy which includes a commitment to providing appropriate SuDS in line with the non-statutory national standards, industry best practice and HCC Guidance for SuDS.

 

2. Detailed calculations of existing/proposed surface water storage volumes and flows with initial post development calculations/ modelling in relation to surface water are to be carried out for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year including an allowance for climate change.

 

3. Evidence that if the applicant is proposing to discharge to the local sewer network, they have confirmation from the relevant Water and Sewerage Company that they have the capacity to take the proposed volumes and run-off rates.

 

4. If surface water is to be discharge via a surface water sewer. The applicant will need to propose an appropriate surface water discharge rate, the discharge rate should be at the greenfield runoff rate for the site, or no worse than 50% betterment.

 

5. Detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SuDS features including their location, size, volume, depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs and all corresponding calculations/modelling to ensure the scheme caters for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + climate change event.

 

6. Demonstration of appropriate SuDS management and treatment.

 

The scheme shall subsequently be implemented in accordance with the approved Phase 2 detailed surface water drainage strategy.

 

19.       Upon completion of the drainage works for the site and in accordance with the timing/phasing arrangement, a management and maintenance plan for the SuDS features and drainage network must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include:

 

1. Provision of a complete set of as built drawings for site drainage.

 

2. Maintenance and operational activities.

 

3. Arrangements for adoption and any other measures to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

 

20.       Within one month of the grant of this permission, a Construction Management Plan/Method Statement shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority in consultation with the highway authority. Thereafter the construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Plan/Statement.

 

The Construction Management Plan/Method statement shall address the following matters:

 

(i) Details of a construction phasing programme (including any pre-construction or enabling works);

(ii) Hours of construction operations including times of deliveries and removal of waste;

(iii) Site set up and general arrangements for storing plant including cranes, materials, machinery and equipment, temporary offices and other facilities, construction vehicle parking and loading/unloading and vehicle turning areas;

(iv) Access and protection arrangements around the site for pedestrians, cyclists and other customers;

(v)Details of provisions for temporary car parking during construction;

(vi)The location of construction traffic routes to and from the site, details of their signing, monitoring and enforcement measures;

(vii)Screening and hoarding details

(viii)End of day tidying procedures;

(ix)Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for car parking);

(x)Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

(xi)Cleaning of site entrances, site access roads and the adjacent public highway and:

(xii)Disposal of surplus materials.

 

21.       No construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time, except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0830 and 1300 on Saturdays, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These times apply to work which is audible at the site boundary.

 

22.       Prior to the removal of the current on-site cycle parking (commencement of Phase 3) hereby approved, details of the proposed on site cycle and Motor cycle parking shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

23.       Prior to occupation of the COB 2.0 office building (Phase 1), additional details to support the approved Travel Plan or an updated Travel Plan should be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. These additional details will include the following:

 

•           Measures to promote sustainable travel;

•           The Travel Plan co-ordinator; and

•           Appropriate monitoring programme.

 

24.       Prior to the use of the parking facilities provided as Phase 3 of this development, the Electric Vehicle Charge Points as identified on drawing AIR-BDP-XX-XX-DR-L-99-1004 P01 shall be provided at the site and made available for use and permanently retained thereafter.

 

Application 19/00079/FP - Land Bounded by Bragbury Lane, Pembridge Gardens and Blenheim Way, Stevenage was withdrawn for legal reasons.

Application 19/00124/FP - Land Bounded by Bragbury Lane, Pembridge Gardens and Blenheim Way, Stevenage was withdrawn for legal reasons.

 

 

The Committee considered an application for the construction of three and four storey building to comprise 21no. one and two bed flats with associated parking, landscaping, bin and cycle stores and new vehicular access. Members noted that the application was required to be considered by Committee as the council was the applicant and landowner.

 

The Principal Planning Officer gave an introduction to the Committee and drew attention to revised condition 1. She advised that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were the acceptability of development in land use policy terms, affordable housing provision and s106 contributions, design, scale and the impact on the character and appearance of the area, amenity of neighbours, amenity of occupiers, landscaping and trees, access and parking, waste, noise drainage and climate change. It was noted that the proposed development was at the site of a former residential care home.

 

The Chair invited Mr Chris Hughes, an objector to address the Committee.  Mr Hughes’s objections related to scale and height of the building, parking, highway safety, loss of privacy and appearance and design. The Chair thanked Mr Hughes and then invited the Assistant Director (Housing Development), on behalf of the applicant, to address the Committee.

 

The Assistant Director (Housing Development) informed the Committee that the proposal was considered to be in a sustainable location and the scheme had been amended to address the concerns of adjoining occupiers with the height being reduced and the orientation of some windows had been adjusted to address loss of privacy. He also advised that this development was required to help fund the development at Shephall Way and Scarborough Avenue which were delivering 100% affordable housing. He also confirmed that the building’s designers had used the latest available maps and technology and therefore the details on the proposed plans were accurate.

 

The Principal Planning Officer advised Members that Condition 1 had been amended in response to feedback regarding plans for the bin and cycle stores. She highlighted that the site was on land classified as previously developed. The Principal Planning Officer indicated that the windfall site met criteria set out in Policy H05 of the adopted local plan. The Committee was informed that there would be no affordable housing on site. The six unit affordable housing provision as required by Policy H07 of the adopted local plan would be provided at Shephall Way (application ref: 19/00197/FP) or Scarborough Avenue (application ref: 19/00136/FPM). The Principal Planning Officer clarified that the adopted 2019 Local Plan did not specify housing density standards.

 

The Officer informed Members that the proposed new vehicular access was considered acceptable in principle and that the proposal was considered to be in a sustainable location. The height of the rear element of the building and the orientation of some windows had been adjusted to address loss of privacy and light issues raised by the occupiers of 28 Daltry Road to the rear. Members were informed that the parking provision was within HCC guidelines. The building designers had used the latest available maps and technology and therefore there details on the proposed plans were accurate.

 

The Principal Planning Officer concluded by stating that the redevelopment of 12 North Road with a four storey flat development of high quality design was considered acceptable and would not harm the character and appearance of the area generally. The proposal would provide adequate living accommodation, external space and parking area to satisfy the Council’s adopted standards and would not result in an unacceptable loss of privacy to the occupiers of properties in Daltry Road to the rear.

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the applicant having first entered into and completed a S106 legal agreement to secure/provide financial contributions towards:-

 

•              Primary and Secondary Education;

•              Libraries and Youth Facilities;

•              Sustainable transport improvements

•              The improvement of open outdoor space and children’s play space;

•              Securing the off-site provision of affordable housing;

 

The detail of which is to be delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulation in liaison with the Council’s appointed Solicitor and subject to the following conditions:-

 

1.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 18003SU2.01 Existing Site Location Plan; 18003SU2.02 Location Plan; 18003WD2.01 J Proposed Site Location Plan; 18003WD2.02 F Proposed Floor Plans; 18003WD2.03 E Proposed Floor Plans; 18003WD2.04 F Proposed Elevations; 18003WD2.05 C 3D Perspective Plan; 18003WD2.06 C Street Scene Elevations; 18003WD2.07 C Proposed Section; 18003WD2.09 B Proposed Roof Plan; 18003WD2.10 Proposed Bin and Cycle Store Plans.

 

2.         The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

3.         No development shall take place above slab level until a schedule and samples of the materials, to include windows and doors, to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the approved building, bin and cycle stores hereby permitted, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

4.         Notwithstanding the details shown in this application the treatment of all boundaries including details of any walls, fences, gates or other means of enclosure shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of development above slab level. The approved boundary treatments shall be completed before the use hereby permitted is commenced or before the building(s) is occupied.

 

5.         No development shall take place above slab level until there has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of soft and hard landscaping and details of the treatment of all hard surfaces. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting.

 

6.         All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development whichever is the sooner.

 

7.         All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of the building or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

 

8.         Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

9.         No tree shown retained on the approved plans, or subsequently approved landscaping scheme, shall be cut down, uprooted or destroyed, nor shall any retained tree be topped or lopped within five years of the completion of development without the written approval of the Local Planning Authority.

 

10.       No development, including site clearance, shall commence until the trees shown to be retained on the site, as identified on drawing 18003wd2.01 revision J, have been protected by fencing in accordance with details which have first been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning.

           

11.       Within the areas to be fenced off in accordance with condition 10, there shall be no alteration to the ground levels and they shall be kept clear of vehicles, materials, surplus soils, temporary buildings and machinery.

           

12.       No removal of trees, scrubs or hedges shall be carried out on site between 1st March and 31st August inclusive in any year, unless searched before by a suitably qualified ornithologist.

 

13.       No development shall take place until a detailed Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) to detail how waste materials generated as a result of the proposed demolition and/or construction methods shall be disposed of, and detail the level and type of soil to be imported to the site as part of the development has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

           

14.       No construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time, except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0830 and 1300 on Saturdays, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These times apply to work which is audible at the site boundary.

 

15.       Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted the vehicular access shall be provided 4.8 metres wide and thereafter retained at the position shown on the "in principle" approved drawing number 18003wd2.01 revision J in accordance with the current specification of Hertfordshire County Council and to the Local Planning Authority's satisfaction. An arrangement shall be made for surface water drainage to be intercepted and disposed of separately so that it does not discharge from or onto the highway carriageway.

 

16.       Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted the vehicular access shall be hard surfaced as shown on the approved drawing number 18003wd2.01 revision J for the first 9.0 metres from the edge of the carriageway.

 

17.       The gradient of access road shall not be steeper than 1 in 20 for the first 9 metres from the edge of the carriageway.

 

18.       Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted the car parking spaces as detailed on drawing number 18003wd2.01 revision J shall be surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved plan and thereafter retained for the sole use of parking for the development hereby permitted.

 

19.       Prior to the commencement of the development, a Construction Management Plan/Method Statement shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority in consultation with the highway authority. Thereafter the construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Plan/Statement.

 

The Construction Management Plan/Method statement shall address the following matters:

 

(i) Details of a construction phasing programme (including any pre-construction or enabling works);

(ii) Hours of construction operations including times of deliveries and removal of waste;

(iii) Site set up and general arrangements for storing plant including cranes, materials, machinery and equipment, temporary offices and other facilities, construction vehicle parking and loading/unloading and vehicle turning areas;

(iv) Access and protection arrangements around the site for pedestrians, cyclists and other customers;

(v) Details of provisions for temporary car parking during construction;

(vi) The location of construction traffic routes to and from the site, details of their signing, monitoring and enforcement measures;

(vii) Screening and hoarding details

(viii) End of day tidying procedures;

(ix) Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for car parking);

(x) Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

(xi) Cleaning of site entrances, site access roads and the adjacent public highway and:

(xii) Disposal of surplus materials.

 

20.       No development shall take place until details of Electric Vehicle Charging Points to include provision for 10% of the car parking spaces to be designated for plug-in Electric Vehicles have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved Electric Vehicle Charge Points shall be installed in accordance with the approved details and thereafter permanently retained.

 

21.       The north-eastern facing panel of each Oriel window approved on the eastern rear elevation of the northern gable projection of the proposed building shall be glazed with obscured glass (minimum level 3 on the Pilkington scale) and shall be fixed so as to be incapable of being opened below a height of 1.7 metres above floor level, and shall be retained in that form thereafter.

 

22.       The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the Flood Risk Assessment and SuDS Strategy in relation to proposed residential development at 12 North Road, Stevenage, SG1 4HL, prepared by Marks Heeley Ltd, Revision A, dated Nov’18 and the following mitigation measures:

 

1. Provide attenuation (approximately 88m3 of storage) to ensure no increase in surface water run-off volumes for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + climate change event.

2. Implement drainage strategy based on restricted surface water discharge at 1.3l/s and include permeable paving with sub-base and land drains, deep cellular attenuation tanks as indicated on the Proposed Surface Water Drainage Strategy Drawing Number H12887/D1.

           

23.       No development shall take place until the final design of the drainage scheme is completed and sent to the LPA for approval. The surface water drainage system will be based on the submitted Flood Risk Assessment and SuDS Strategy in relation to proposed residential development at 12 North Road, Stevenage, SG1 4HL, prepared by Marks Heeley Ltd, Revision A, dated Nov’18. The scheme shall also include:

 

1.         Detailed engineered drawings of all the proposed SuDS features including their location, size, volume, depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs and all corresponding calculations/modelling to ensure the scheme caters for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% allowance for climate change event.

 

2.         Demonstrate that the permeable paving sub-base will infiltrate (BRE Digest 365 tests) or provide detail on lining, including any necessary updated calculations.

 

3          Approval from the relevant Water & Sewerage Company that they have the capacity to take the proposed volumes and run-off rates

 

4.         Demonstrate appropriate SuDS management and treatment and inclusion of above ground features such as permeable paving etc. and reducing the requirement for any underground storage.

 

24.       Upon completion of the drainage works for the site and in accordance with the timing/phasing arrangement, a management and maintenance plan for the SuDS features and drainage network must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include:

 

            1. Provision of a complete set of as built drawings for site drainage.

            2. Maintenance and operational activities.

            3. Arrangements for adoption and any other measures to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

           

25.       No development shall take place until details of measures to address adaptation to climate change and energy efficiency have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These measures shall then be implemented and permanently maintained in accordance with the approved details.

           

The Committee considered an application for the erection of 29no. one, two and three bedroom flats over a semi-basement car park with associated landscaping. The development is at the site of a former ‘Annex’ community centre on Scarborough Avenue. The application was before the Committee as the Council was the applicant and landowner and this was classed as a major development.

 

The Principal Planning Officer gave an introduction to the Committee. The Principal Planning Officer drew attention to revised conditions 1, 12 and 16 and additional conditions 22 and 23. She advised that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were the acceptability of development in land use policy terms, affordable housing provision and s106 contributions, design, scale and the impact on the character and appearance of the area, amenity of occupiers, landscaping and trees, access and parking, waste, noise, drainage and climate change.

 

The Principal Planning Officer informed the Committee that whilst this was a Council-led scheme and the development is to be 100% affordable, to safeguard the delivery of affordable housing should circumstances change, it should be recommended that, a minimum, 25% of the units are required to be affordable. A s106 agreement was recommended to secure affordable housing and contributions toward primary and secondary education, sustainable transport improvements, improvement of children’s plays pace and outdoor sports provision. The Committee was advised that development would provide 35 unallocated car park spaces and 30 cycle parking spaces. The car park spaces would be one short of the parking requirement for a development of this nature. However, the cark park space provision was deemed satisfactory subject to the condition of one additional disabled car park space.  It was indicated that an additional condition had been added to reflect flood risk measures. 

 

Members sought clarification on public transport provision for the area, location of bin stores and the front to front separation distance between the proposed building and neighbouring properties. In her response, the Principal Planning Officer confirmed that HCC had requested £16,000 for the upgrading of bus stops adjacent to the site. Members were informed that HCC had the remit of negotiating bus service arrangements with providers. The Council had raised with HCC the issues of improving bus service around the site. The location of the bin store on the western boundary was not ideal but would be convenient for future occupiers and the Council’s waste operatives’ requirements. However, a condition would be imposed to require details to be submitted for consideration. The separation distance from the nearest corner of the proposed building to the front elevations of the properties would measure approximately 25m and this was considered to be acceptable. It was pointed out that since the Design Guide did not specify distances for front to front relationships, separation distances were assessed on a case-by-case basis.  

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the applicant having first entered into and completed a S106 legal agreement to secure/provide financial contributions towards:-

 

•              Primary and Secondary Education;

•              Sustainable transport improvement;

•              The improvement of Children’s plays pace and outdoor sports provision

•              Affordable Housing

 

The detail of which be delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulation in liaison with the Council’s appointed solicitor and subject to the following conditions:-

 

1.         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: RT18013, 001PL3 Existing Location Plan; 099PL3 Proposed Location Plan; 100PL6 Proposed Site Plan; 101PL4 Proposed Basement Floor Plan; 102PL5 Proposed Ground Floor Plan; 103PL5 proposed First Floor Plan; 104PL5 Proposed Second Floor Plan; 105PL3 Proposed Roof Plan; 110PL3 Proposed Elevations; 111PL3 Proposed Elevations; 112PL3 Proposed Elevations; 113PL3 Proposed Elevations; L001 Tree Constraint Plan; L002 Tree protection Plan.

 

2.         The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

3.         The development hereby permitted shall be constructed in accordance with the materials and finishes as set out for the approved building in the application.

 

4.         No development shall take place until details of the approved bin store have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

5.         No development shall take place above slab level until there has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of soft and hard landscaping and details of the treatment of all hard surfaces. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, or retained, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting, and boundary treatments.         

 

6.         All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development whichever is the sooner.

 

7.         All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out prior to the first occupation of the building or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

 

8.         Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

           

9.         No development shall take place until a detailed Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) to detail how waste materials generated as a result of the proposed demolition and/or construction methods shall be disposed of, and detail the level and type of soil to be imported to the site as part of the development has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

10.       No construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time, except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0830 and 1300 on Saturdays, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These times apply to work which is audible at the site boundary.

 

11.       No development shall take place until a scheme for protecting the proposed dwellings from noise from road traffic has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. None of the dwellings shall be occupied until such a scheme has been implemented in accordance with the approved details, and shown to be effective, and it shall be retained in accordance with those details thereafter.

 

12.       The development hereby permitted shall not commence until the proposed accesses have been constructed as identified on the “in principle” general arrangement site plan number RT 18013 100 PL6 and the existing accesses have been reinstated to footway construction to the current specification of Hertfordshire County Council and to the local Planning Authority's satisfaction.

 

13.       Before the accesses are first brought into use vehicle to vehicle visibility splays of 2.4 metres by 43 metres in a both directions shall be provided and permanently maintained, within which there shall be no obstruction to visibility between 600 mm and 2.0 metres above the footway level. These measurements shall be taken from the intersection of the centre line of the permitted access with the edge of the carriageway of the highway respectively into the application site and from the intersection point along the edge of the carriageway.

 

14.       Prior to the first use of the development hereby permitted 0.65 metre x 0.65 metre pedestrian visibility splays shall be provided and permanently maintained each side of the access. They shall be measured from the point where the edges of the access way cross the highway boundary, 0.65 metres into the site and 0.65 metres along the highway boundary therefore forming a triangular visibility splay. Within which, there shall be no obstruction to visibility between 0.6 metres and 2.0 metres above the carriageway.

 

15.       The gradient of the main access shall not be steeper than 1 in 10 from the back edge of the footway.

 

16.       Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted the car parking spaces as detailed on drawing numbers RT18013, 100PL6 and 101PL4 shall be surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved plan and shall be made of porous material, or provision shall be made to direct surface water run-off from the hardstanding to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage of the site. They shall be retained in that form and kept available for the sole use of parking for the development hereby permitted.

 

17.       Prior to the commencement of the development, a Construction Management Plan/Method Statement shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority in consultation with the highway authority. Thereafter, the construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Plan/Statement.

 

The Construction Management Plan/Method statement shall address the following matters:

 

(i) Details of a construction phasing programme (including any pre-construction or enabling works);

(ii) Hours of construction operations including times of deliveries and removal of waste;

(iii) Site set up and general arrangements for storing plant including cranes, materials, machinery and equipment, temporary offices and other facilities, construction vehicle parking and loading/unloading and vehicle turning areas;

(iv) Access and protection arrangements around the site for pedestrians, cyclists and other customers;

(v) Details of provisions for temporary car parking during construction;

(vi) The location of construction traffic routes to and from the site, details of their signing, monitoring and enforcement measures;

(vii) Screening and hoarding details

(viii) End of day tidying procedures;

(ix) Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for car parking);

(x) Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

(xi) Cleaning of site entrances, site access roads and the adjacent public highway and:

(xii) Disposal of surplus materials.

 

18.       No development shall take place above slab level until details of Electric Vehicle Charging Points to include provision for 10% of the car parking spaces to be designated for plug-in Electric Vehicles have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved Electric Vehicle Charge Points shall be installed in accordance with the approved details and thereafter permanently retained.

 

19.       No development shall take place above slab level until details of measures to address adaptation to climate change and energy efficiency have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These measures shall then be implemented and permanently maintained in accordance with the approved details.

 

20.       As this is a previously developed site there may be a risk of the land containing contaminants. If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority) shall be carried out until a remediation strategy detailing how this contamination will be dealt with has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

21.       No development shall take place until details of measures to address adaptation to climate change and energy efficiency have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These measures shall then be implemented and permanently maintained in accordance with the approved details.

 

22.       No development shall take place until the final design of the drainage scheme is completed and sent to the LPA for approval. The surface water drainage system will be based on the submitted Flood Risk Assessment & Drainage Strategy, prepared by Ridge & Partners LLP, dated 29 April 2019, project 9009420, version 1.0 and all supporting information. The scheme shall also include;

 

1.     Implementing drainage strategy based on infiltration supported by infiltration testing carried out in accordance with BRE Digest 365 at the location of the proposed SuDS features.

2.     Where infiltration is not feasible implement a drainage strategy based upon attenuation and discharge into the Thames Water surface water sewer restricted to 1l/s for rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% climate change event. Confirmation from Thames should be provided to support the scheme.

3.     Provide attenuation to ensure no increase in surface water run-off volumes for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% climate change event.

4.     Demonstrate an appropriate SuDS management and treatment train and inclusion of above ground features such as permeable paving, swales etc. reducing the requirement for any underground storage.

5.     Silt traps for protection for any residual tanked elements.

6.     Detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SuDS features including their, location, size, volume, depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs and all corresponding calculations to ensure the scheme caters for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% allowance climate change event.

 

The scheme shall be fully implemented and subsequently maintained, in accordance with the timing / phasing arrangements embodied within the scheme or within any other period as may subsequently be agreed, in writing, by the local planning authority.

 

23.       Upon completion of the drainage works for each site in accordance with the timing / phasing, a management and maintenance plan for the SuDS features and drainage network must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include;

 

1.            Provision of complete set of as built drawings for site drainage.

2.            Maintenance and operational activities.

3.            Arrangements for adoption and any other measures to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

 

The Development Manager informed the Committee that following the approval of the Stevenage Local Plan at the Annual Council meeting on 22 May 2019, all planning applications were now based on the adopted Local Plan.

 

The Committee considered an application for the erection of a three storey building comprising 6no. two bed and 3no. one bed flats with associated landscaping. Members noted that the application was required to be considered by Committee as the council was the applicant and landowner. The Development Manager drew attention to the revised conditions 1, 4 and 5.

 

The Development Manager gave an introduction to the Committee. He advised that the main issues for consideration in the determination of this application were the principle of development in terms of land use policy, the impact on the appearance of the area, impact on neighbourhood amenity, the accessibility of the access and parking arrangements and landscaping proposals.

 

The Chair invited Mr Pollard, an objector to address the Committee.  Mr Pollard’s objections related to encroachment of the proposed development onto the wooded area, traffic volumes and privacy issues. The objector also informed the Committee that previous occupants had abandoned two separate applications for the extension of a doctors’ surgery on the property. He also commented that an application for 3 dwellings had previously been approved which was more appropriate. The Chair thanked Mr Pollard and informed him that the Planning and Development Committee did not as a procedure carry out site visits prior to considering planning applications.

 

The Chair then invited the Assistant Director (Housing Development), on behalf of the applicant, to address the Committee. The Assistant Director informed Members that the proposed three storey development had been sympathetically designed. Following pre-application advice, the roof design of the proposed development had been modified from a flat roof to a pitched roof. The Committee was informed that the previous occupant had abandoned expansion plans due to structural failures of the building. The proposed development of 9 affordable rental units was more financially beneficial to the Council than the previous application for three houses on the property.  The Assistant Director referred to a conclusion by the Council’s Arboricultural and Conservation Manager that the proposed development would not have negative impact on the wooded area.

 

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director and invited the Development Manager to continue with his presentation. Members were advised that the land was previously occupied by a doctor’s surgery and is therefore considered as previously developed. The proposed development was acceptable in land use terms. The Development Manager clarified that the provision of 9 units does not fall within the classification of a major development and there was no requirement to provide affordable housing. However, as a Council owned site, it is proposed that this development would be 100% affordable. He also confirmed that if planning permission is granted, the development could be linked to the proposed North Road scheme (Application 18/00740/FPM) to provide the affordable housing requirement generated by this development. The Development Manager advised that the internal layouts had been carefully developed to protect the privacy of neighbouring properties. He stated that the front to front separation distance of 33m was deemed to be acceptable. It was noted that the Council’s adopted Design Guide does not specify a minimum front to front separation distance.

 

In response to Members’ questions, the Development Manager commented as follows:

 

·         The Council would retain ownership of the flats

·         There would be a shared driveway with the neighbouring property

·         The Highways Authority, Hertfordshire County Council, had insisted on the creation of new access to the site – on the southern side, adjacent to the boundary with No. 15 Shephall Way

·         Whilst the proposed development was clearly taller than surrounding properties, it is not considered that the proposal would harm the character and appearance of the area

·         The Council’s Arboricultural and Conservation Manager had not opposed the plans to remove five individual and two groups of trees within the site and five trees within the woodland

·         There was self-seeding around the site

·         The bin store would be located at the front of the site for easy access by future occupiers and refuse collection teams

 

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

 

1          The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans:

13299-P012-D; 13299-P010-E; 13299-S001-C; ARBTECH AIA 01; 13299-P011-B; ARBTECH TPP 01;

 

2         The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

3         No development above slab level shall take place until a schedule and samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the development hereby permitted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

4         The parking, turning and servicing areas shown on drawing number(s) 13299-P010-E shall be provided, marked out and hard surfaced ready for use prior to the first occupation of the premises and shall be made of porous material, or provision shall be made to direct surface water run-off from the hardstanding to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage of the site. They shall be retained in that form and kept available for those purposes thereafter.

 

5         The development hereby permitted shall not be brought into use until the new access and the repositioning of the existing access have been provided as identified on drawing number 13299-P010-E, and the footway has been reinstated to the current specification of Hertfordshire County Council and to the Local Planning Authority's satisfaction

 

6         The access shall be constructed in a hard surfacing material for the first 4.80 metres from the back edge of the footway.

 

7         Prior to the first use of any vehicular access, a visibility splay of 2 metres x 2 metres shall be provided, within which no obstruction shall occur above 0.6 metre or below 2.0 metres in height.  The visibility splay shall be measured along each side of the driveway access and along the back edge of the footway or verge, and shall be permanently maintained thereafter.

 

8         No demolition or construction work relating to this permission shall be carried out on any Sunday, Public or Bank Holiday nor at any other time, except between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0800 and 1330 on Saturdays.

 

9          Prior to the commencement of development, a detailed scheme of soft and hard landscaping and details of the treatment of all hard surfaces shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include details of all existing trees on the land and details showing all trees to be removed, together with details of all new planting to take place including species, size and method of planting. The approved landscaping scheme shall be implemented in the first planting season following completion of the development.

 

10        Before any development commences, including any site clearance or demolition works, any trees on the site shall be protected by fencing or other means of enclosure in accordance with a detailed scheme submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Such protection as may be agreed shall be inspected and approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of the work and maintained until the conclusion of all site and building operations.

 

11        Any trees or plants comprised within the scheme of landscaping, which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

                       

12        All hard surfacing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out within three months of the first occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner.

           

13        No removal of trees, scrub or hedges, shall be carried out on site between the 1st March and 31st August inclusive in any year, unless searched beforehand by a suitably qualified ornithologist.

 

14        If during the course of development any contamination is found or suspected, works shall cease and the local planning authority shall be informed immediately. The local planning authority may request the nature and extent of any contamination to be investigated in order that a suitable remediation strategy can be proposed. The development shall not continue until any required remediation as agreed in writing by the local planning authority has been undertaken, and the local planning authority has confirmed it has been undertaken to its satisfaction.

 

15        Before development commences details of wheel cleaning facilities to be provided on site during site preparation and construction works shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved facilities shall be installed on site before the development commences, including any site clearance or demolition works, and shall be retained in working order until the completion of development and all vehicles leaving the site during this period shall use these facilities.

 

16        No development shall take place until details of measures to address adaptation to climate change and energy efficiency have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These measures shall then be implemented and permanently maintained in accordance with the approved details.

 

None.

Not required.

None.

Report noted.

Report noted.

It was RESOLVED that minutes of the Planning and Development Committee meeting held on 3 April 2019 are approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs G Lawrence and J Lloyd.

 

There were no declarations of absence.

 

At this juncture, Councillor M Gardner was nominated, seconded and elected as Vice-Chair of the Planning and Development Committee for the Municipal Year 2019/20.

 

The Chair then informed the Committee that Items 6 and 7 (Application 19/00124/FP and Application 19/00079/FP) on the agenda had been withdrawn due to legal reasons.