Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Ellie Plater.  Councillor Conor McGrath was substituting for Councillor Plater.

There were no declarations of interest.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Ellie Plater.  Councillor Conor McGrath was substituting for Councillor Plater.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning & Development Committee held on 8 February 2024.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Committee held on 8 February 2024 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Committee held on 8 February 2024 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Application for approval of reserved matters (layout, landscaping, scale, and appearance) for residential development of 442 no. residential units comprising Phase 2 pursuant to Outline permission 17/00862/OPM.

The Committee considered a report on planning application 23/00890/RMM seeking permission for the approval of reserved matters (layout, landscaping, scale, and appearance) for residential development of 442 no. residential units comprising Phase 2 of the land to the North of Stevenage development, pursuant to Outline permission 17/00862/OPM.

It was RESOLVED that application 23/00890/RMM be granted planning permission, subject to the conditions set out in the report, and that authority be given to the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulation), in consultation with the Chair of the Planning and Development Committee, to amend or add to those conditions prior to the decision notice being issued, where such amendments or additions would be legally sound and most effectively deliver the development that the Planning and Development Committee has resolved to approve.

The Committee considered a report on planning application 23/00890/RMM seeking permission for the approval of reserved matters (layout, landscaping, scale, and appearance) for residential development of 442 no. residential units comprising Phase 2 of the land to the North of Stevenage development, pursuant to Outline permission 17/00862/OPM.

The Principal Planning Officer gave an update to the Committee. Regarding Local Plan Policy HO11, which related to accessible and adaptable housing requirements, there was an error in paragraph 9.10.4.3 of the report where the total percentage of accessible and adaptable housing being provided should read 47%.

She advised that since the report was published there had been discussions with the agents that had resulted in the need for minor alterations to some of the conditions to allow for discharge through sub-phase and sub-parcels of the area. A further condition was being imposed relating to the custom, self-build plots, that would allow for further details to come forward should there be a take-up of the self-build allowance. The wording of conditions was to be agreed by the Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory), in consultation with the Chair & Vice-Chair of the Committee.

The application being considered was the final instalment of reserved matters in respect of the site. There had been several reserved matters applications considered including the infrastructure which included the main highway network, all foot and cycleway provision, landscaping provision within the main non-residential areas of the site, Phase 1A-C of 243 residential units, Phase 1D of 115 residential units, and the Country Park application.

Photos of the site plan and location were presented which included the spine road which formed part of the infrastructure plan along with bus connection through into the North Herts Council’s NS1 site. Footpath and cycleway connections to NS1 were under negotiation with North Herts Council who had asked for additional connectivity. This had been agreed, in part, with the developers and would be a non-material amendment to the infrastructure reserved matters.

The Principal Planning Officer advised that Phase 2 was most directly accessed from the northern vehicular access off North Road. The spine road approved under the Infrastructure RM provided a tree-lined avenue throughout the development. Phase 2 had several secondary and tertiary roads leading off the spine road to form cul-de-sacs and shared driveways, as well as the main connection through to NS1 and leading to the Country Park car park and entrance.

The proposed apartment blocks formed gateway buildings into the first two roads off the western end of the spine road. The spine road itself was fronted by predominantly semi-detached dwellings, with some detached dwellings on corner plots. The rest of the site was largely made up of semi-detached dwellings and rows of terraces, with policy compliant levels of affordable housing located across the whole site.

The ‘Custom-build Strategy’ submitted detailed that the plots would be marketed for up to two years. However, if they were not taken up by the public within this two-year window they would revert to conventional build plots and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To note a report on decisions taken by the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulation) in accordance with his delegated authority.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To note a report on appeal decisions, appeals lodged and called-in applications.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To consider any Part I Business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Planning application 21/00256/FPM - Land to the West of Stevenage

The Chair announced that he had accepted as an urgent item of business an information update that had been circulated to Members of the Committee in respect of the Land to the West of Stevenage planning application, which had been approved by the Committee in December 2021, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.

For the benefit of newer Members and as a reminder to longer-standing Members of the Committee, the Development Manager reprised the presentation he had given to the December 2021 meeting.  He advised that the development would comprise 1,500 new homes in two phases (390 units in Phase 1 (Detailed) and 1,110 units in Phases 2 – 4 (Outline)), as well as a Neighbourhood Centre, Primary School, Cricket pavilion/pitch, employment units and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), together with a variety of green and open spaces throughout the site.  He described the access and egress arrangements for the site and explained that a new bus route through the development would be funded by the developer.

The Development Manager advised that, since 2021, there had been significant changes in the National Planning Policy Framework and the Housing Delivery Test.  Application 21/00256/FPM, together with the associated Section 106 Agreement, had been tested against these changes, and legal advice had been sought.

The Development Manager reported that it had been concluded that the application was still acceptable when measured against current policies and therefore did not need to be re-determined by the Committee.  In view of the scale of the application, the Chair and Vice-Chair had agreed that the matter be placed before the Committee for information.

Following a period of questions and answers, it was RESOLVED that the update on application 21/00256/FPM be noted, and that the approach outlined by the Development Manager be supported.

Planning application 21/00256/FPM - Land to the West of Stevenage

The Chair announced that he had accepted as an urgent item of business an information update that had been circulated to Members of the Committee in respect of the Land to the West of Stevenage planning application, which had been approved by the Committee in December 2021, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.

For the benefit of newer Members and as a reminder to longer-standing Members of the Committee, the Development Manager reprised the presentation he had given to the December 2021 meeting.  He advised that the development would comprise 1,500 new homes in two phases (390 units in Phase 1 (Detailed) and 1,110 units in Phases 2 – 4 (Outline)), as well as a Neighbourhood Centre, Primary School, Cricket pavilion/pitch, employment units and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), together with a variety of green and open spaces throughout the site.  He described the access and egress arrangements for the site and explained that a new bus route through the development would be funded by the developer.

The Development Manager advised that, since 2021, there had been significant changes in the National Planning Policy Framework and the Housing Delivery Test.  Application 21/00256/FPM, together with the associated Section 106 Agreement, had been tested against these changes, and legal advice had been sought.

The Development Manager reported that it had been concluded that the application was still acceptable when measured against current policies and therefore did not need to be re-determined by the Committee.  In view of the scale of the application, the Chair and Vice-Chair had agreed that the matter be placed before the Committee for information.

A Member asked a question relating to the location of the development in relation to the Franklin Park development. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) advised that there was protected space for a potential road that would separate the two developments in addition to a green space.

Some Members asked questions regarding the proposed landscaping and acoustic barrier. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) responded that the current proposal was for a landscaped mound, as shown in the presentation. The Development Manager added that there was a proposed fence running along the top of the mound which would act as an acoustic barrier for the upper levels of dwellings and flat blocks that otherwise would be subject to noise from the A1(M). The fence was unlikely to be visible from the properties once the vegetation had grown out due to heavy landscaping of the mound.

A Member asked a question relating to the status of the application. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) advised that permission had not yet been issued as the Section 106 agreement had not yet been signed. The resolution of the Committee in December 2021 was to grant permission subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement. Once the permission was issued following the signing of the Section 106 agreement, the condition requiring the development to be commenced within  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider the following motions that:

1.          Under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it 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.          That Members consider the reasons for the following reports (if any)being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Not required.

Not required.

To consider any Part II Business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

None.

None.