Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Sarah Sellers  Democratic Services Officer

Note: This meeting was due to take place on Wednesay 22nd May but has had to be re-scehduled 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Gemma Monaco and Councillor Roger Bennett.  Councillor Anthony Lovell attended as substitute for Councillor Monaco.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 10th April 2019 pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

The Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee on 10th April 2019 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

4.

Update Reports pdf icon PDF 16 KB

Update Reports attached.

 

Minutes:

The published Update Reports for the applications were noted.

5.

Application 19/00168/OUT - The Childrens Centre Hawthorn Road Batchley Redditch B97 6NQ - Redditch Borough Council pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Outline application for demolition of existing structure and erection of two no. two bedroom affordable dwellings with associated infrastructure.

 

The application was  for outline planning permission for the demolition of the former children’s centre building and construction of 2 two bedroomed affordable dwellings on Council owned land.  It was noted that all matters were reserved for future consideration, namely access, layout, scale, appearance and landscaping.

 

Whilst the detail would be subject to a further application, Officers were able to provide an indicative plan showing one potential configuration of the proposed dwellings which included 4 parking spaces for the dwellings accessed from Hawthorn Road.

 

It was noted that there was a presumption in favour of sustainable development, and Members were referred to paragraph 92 of the NPPF and the guidance contained therein that in making decisions planning authorities should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued community facilities and services.

 

It was noted that Redditch Play Council that had previously operated a nursery from the former children’s centre had closed in August 2018.  Officers were of the view that there were other comparable community facilities in the area and that therefore the application had not been found to reduce the ability of the community to meet its day to day needs.

 

There had been no objections from consultees and the application was recommended for approval.

 

In response to questions from Members it was clarified that the four parking spaces shown on the indicative plan were intended for the use of the occupants of the dwellings.  Members pointed out that lack of parking was an issue in the vicinity of the application site and asked that consideration be given by the applicant to whether any communal parking spaces could be incorporated into the final plans.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions and informatives set out on pages 12 to 15 of the main agenda.

 

 

 

6.

Application 19/00308/FUL - 5 Trafford Park Trescott Road Smallwood Redditch B98 7AH - The Charities Property Fund pdf icon PDF 32 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Subdivision and Change of Use of part of Unit 5 from Class A1 (Retail) to Class A1/Class A3 and external alterations

 

Officers outlined the application for the subdivision of Unit 5 to create an additional unit with a mixed A1/A3 use.

 

In response to questions from Members officers confirmed that:-

 

·       The residual two thirds of the unit would retain an A1 use.

·       That there were no policy reasons in this location for saturation of similar uses to be a consideration.

·       That the type of food on offer was expected to be the serving of hot drinks and re-heated food and as such no ventilation system would be required.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions and informatives set out on pages 21 to 22 of the main agenda.

 

7.

Application 19/00320/FUL - Land at Church Road Pumphouse Lane Webheath Redditch - A and D Cutler pdf icon PDF 184 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Residential development of 9 bungalows

 

Officers outlined the application for the construction of 4 three bedroomed bungalows and 5 two bedroomed bungalows on the site which forms part of the Webheath Strategic site under Policy 48 of the Borough of Redditch Local Plan no 4.

 

In response to questions from Members officers confirmed that:-

 

·       The visibility spay on the junction with Church Road had been found by the Highways Authority to be acceptable.

·       That the construction management plan referred to in proposed condition 22 dealt with various aspects regarding the operation of the site and gave the Planning Authority a mechanism to regulate these matters.

 

Members expressed concerns regarding the routes construction traffic would follow, the problems there have been with other construction sites in the vicinity regarding mud on the road and the potential disturbance that could be caused by construction activities to the surrounding residents.

 

Following further debate Members requested that additional wording be added to the text of proposed condition 22 to cover the following elements:-

 

(1)  An extra heading (under (i)) for the management of construction traffic;

(2)  Greater detail as to the requirements of the Planning Authority regarding wheel washing (e);

(3)  That officers provide some guidance regarding the usual working hours for construction sites in Redditch under “ Hours of Working” (h);

 

And that authority be delegated to officers to make the changes outlined.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to:-

 

1.      the conditions and infomatives set out on pages 29 to 36 of the main agenda; and

2.     that authority be delegated to officers to amend the wording of condition 22 in accordance with the comments of Members set out above.

 

 

 

8.

Application 19/00339/FUL - 18 Hatfield Close Matchborough Redditch B98 0AD - Mr and Mrs Fagan pdf icon PDF 21 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

First floor side extension over existing garage and two storey rear extension replacing existing conservatory.  New corner window to kitchen.

 

Mrs Nicki Fagan (applicant) and Mr James Stephen (agent) addressed the Committee under the Council’s public speaking rules.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions and infomatives set out on pages 39 to 40 of the main agenda.

 

 

 

9.

Application 19/00454/FUL - Unit 21 Lakeside Industrial Estate New Meadow Road Lakeside Redditch B98 8YW pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Change of use from Sui-Generis use to D2 assembly and leisure use

 

Officers outlined the application and referred Members to the relevant policy issues.

 

It was noted that land at the industrial site is located in a Primarily Employment Area as designated under Policy 24 the Local Plan, and as such a change to D2 use would be contrary to policy.

 

The unit had been vacated by the previous occupiers in November 2018. The Council’s Employment Land Monitoring SPG recommended a minimum period of 2 years and 3 months would be a reasonable time to attract a genuine new employment opportunity, and there was nothing to suggest that an employment user could not be found with appropriate marketing.

 

Members were also referred to the Town Centre and Retail Hierarchy Policy (Policy 30) and paragraph 86 of the NPPF. As a “Town Centre Use”, Class D2 was intended to be located in existing town centre sites.  No sequential testing had been carried out by the Applicant and officers were aware of a number of other policy compliant locations in the Town Centre where suitably sized units to meet the Applicant’s needs were vacant.

 

In conclusion, a change of use to D2 was contrary to policy and officers were recommending refusal.

 

Mr Jon Brotherton on behalf of the Applicant, and Mr Hayden Mosely (Applicant) addressed the Committee under the Council’s public speaking rules.

 

During the debate Members commented on the points raised by the public speakers including that the Applicant’s gym business, Elite Fitness, already occupied the adjoining two units, and the application would allow the business to expand without having to re-locate and provide employment for additional staff.  It was noted that this needed to be balanced against the policy issues, and the fact that the unit had only been vacant for a short period.

 

Following further discussion, two recommendations were proposed and seconded as follows:-

 

1.     An alternative recommendation that planning permission be granted given that the applicant already occupied the adjoining two units.

 

2.     That planning permission be refused as per the officer’s recommendation on page 46 of the agenda.

 

In accordance with voting procedure, the vote on recommendation 2 was taken first and was defeated.  The vote on recommendation 1 was taken and carried.

With regard to conditions, Members indicated that the same conditions which applied to the existing units occupied by Elite Fitness should be extended to Unit 21.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions set out below.

 

 

Conditions

         

 

 1)      The development to which this permission relates must be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of the grant of this permission.

         

          Reason: In accordance with the requirements of Section 91(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by Section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

 

 2)      The development hereby approved shall be used for purposes that fall within  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Application 19/00462/FUL - Mettis Aerospace Windsor Road Enfield Redditch B97 6EF pdf icon PDF 103 KB

Site plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Demolition of existing building and erection of replacement B2 building

 

Officers outlined the application and referred the Members to the Update Report and the response from WRS regarding the issue of land contamination.  It was noted that WRS had requested that the new wording on the Update Report be used for Condition 3 in place of the original wording on page 57 and 58 of the main agenda.

 

Officers also confirmed an alteration to the wording of Condition 7 regarding the Flood Response Plan.

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions and informatives set out on pages 57 to 60 of the main agenda and to the following changes:-

 

1.     That the wording of condition 3 on pages 57 to 58 of the main agenda be replaced with the wording set out in the Update Report; and

 

2.     That condition 7 on page 59 of the main agenda be worded as follows:-

 

“The development hereby permitted shall not be first occupied until the proposed attenuation measures have been completed in accordance with Drainage Plan Rev P01.

 

Reason: In order to ensure satisfactory drainage conditions.”