Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Imran Altaf, Andy Fry, Alex Fogg and Brandon Clayton, with Councillors Karen Ashley, Sid Khan and Anthony Lovell in attendance as substitutes.

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.

There were no declarations of interest.

To note Update Reports (if any) for the Planning Applications to be considered at the meeting (circulated prior to the commencement of the meeting)

There were no update reports.

The application was reported to the Planning Committee for determination because the application was for a major development (more than 1000 sq. metres of new commercial floorspace). As such, the application fell outside the scheme of delegation to Officers.

Officers presented the report and in doing so, drew Members’ attention to the presentation slides on pages 1-22 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack.

The application was a full planning application for the demolition of existing training tower and erection of a three-storey combined Emergency Services Hub building, training tower, associated car parking and cycle storage, at-grade external training area, re-fuel facility, sub-station, 35-metre telecommunications antenna, vehicular access and associated works.

Officers drew Members attention to the Ownership plan – existing and Ownership plan – proposed, as shown on pages 5 and 6 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack. It was noted that part of the proposed site was the subject of an allocation for residential development within the Borough of Redditch Local Plan (site No. 156) as shown on page 2 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack.

Officers explained that once the development had been completed the rest of the site, on which the old fire station was located would be transferred over to Redditch Borough Council. The fire station would then be scheduled for demolition and that land would form a new site, which would be set for residential development.

Officers further drew Members’ attention to the Proposed site plan on page 7 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack. Officers highlighted that a principal vehicular access into the site; to serve appliances and police vehicles, as well as staff and visitors would be formed off Middlehouse Lane.  Appliances would exit the site from the appliance bays via a separate egress on Middlehouse Lane. An additional egress, solely for emergency vehicles, would be created to the rear (north-east) of the site onto the Alvechurch Highway (A441).

Officers highlighted the location of the 35m telecommunications antenna tower during the presentation, identified by a triangle on the Proposed roof plan, on page 11 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack.

Officers referred to arboricultural matters and the group of trees to be retained to help facilitate visual screening of the proposed development, as shown on the aerial views slides on page 4 of Site Plans and Presentations pack and would be retained to soften the appearance of the building, masking the building and tower as you view from the island.

In conclusion, having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, Officers recommended that planning permission be granted subject to the Conditions and Informatives outlined on pages 16 to 23 of the main agenda report.

At the invitation of the Chair, Mr. Laurence Holmes, Planning Agent on behalf of the applicant addressed the Committee.

Members then asked questions of the Officers.

Members commented that due to local knowledge of the area, they were aware of how Middlehouse Lane was prone to flooding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

This application was reported to Planning Committee for determination because the application related to a major development (more than 1000 sq metres of new commercial / Industrial floorspace). Additionally, the application required a S106 Agreement. As such, the application fell outside the scheme of delegation to Officers.

Officers presented the report and in doing so, drew Members’ attention to the presentation slides on pages 24 - 26 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack.

The planning application sought to revise opening hours for bank and public holidays from 08:00-20:00hrs to 08:00-22:00hrs for the soon to open Lidl store on Battens Drive, Redditch. 

Officers clarified that this would only affect the 8 bank holidays and public holidays per year and only proposed an additional two hours, which would bring those days in line with their opening hours throughout the rest of the year.

Officers informed the Committee that there were no objections from neighbours, Community Safety, Highways Redditch, West Mercia Police or the Worcestershire Regulatory Services – Noise. It was also noted that, as part of a planning obligation that, the financial contribution to improving green space amenities had already been paid. The obligation also ensured that the existing Lidl store in the town centre remained open, that commitment still ran until June 2023.

In conclusion, having had regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, Officers recommended that the application be approved.

Members then considered the application.

Members stated that 2 hours a day, 8 times a year would be unlikely to cause any impact.

Therefore, all Members were in agreement with the officer’s recommendation

RESOLVED that

Having had regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations that, authority be delegated to the head of Planning and Regeneration to grant planning permission subject to:-

a)              the satisfactory completion of a suitable legal mechanism ensuring that:

1.     Commitment to ensuring that the town centre Lidl store stays open until the end of June 2023;

2.     A Section106 monitoring fee; and

b)              the Conditions and Informatives, as detailed on pages 28 to 32 of the main agenda report.