Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Sarah Sellers  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

66.

Chairs Welcome

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the Committee members, public speakers and officers to the virtual Planning Committee meeting being held via Microsoft Teams.  The Chair explained that the meeting was being live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel to enable members of the public to observe the committee.

 

 

67.

Apologies

Minutes:

Aplogies for absence were received from Councillor Bill Hartnett, and Councillor Yvonne Smith attended as substitue on behalf of Councillot Hartnett.

68.

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.

69.

Confirmation of Minutes of Planning Committee Meeting held on 25th November 2020 pdf icon PDF 300 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

The Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 25th November 2020 be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

 

 

70.

Update Reports

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

 

Minutes:

It was noted that two Update Reports had been circulated electronically to the members of the Committee.

71.

Application 20/00188/OUT - 5 Bates Hill Redditch B97 4AN - Doosqam Developments pdf icon PDF 249 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Redevelopment of site including demolition of existing structures for mixed use commercial (flexible uses covering A1, A2 and B1) and residential development

 

Members were asked to consider an application for outline permission to be granted, with all matters reserved, for the construction of a mixed use development on a disused site on Bates Hill.  Although the decision sought was in principle at this stage, the applicant had provided indicative drawings of the type of development which could be accommodated on the site.  The suggested layout was made up of 10 commercial units at street level to provide an active frontage with up to 76 units of living accommodation on the upper levels.

 

Officers presented the application and took Members through the slides in the presentation pack explaining the layout of the site and its location in relation to nearby buildings.

 

The application had been assessed to be compliant with the relevant policies and officers were recommending approval.  It was noted that the detailed aspects of the proposed development would be considered by Planning Committee at a future date through a reserved matters application.

 

At the invitation of the Chair Mr Phil Cooksey, agent for the applicant, addressed the Committee under the Council’s Public Speaking Rules.

 

Officers responded to questions from Members in relation to the use and layout of the existing structures abutting the site and confirmed that in policy terms there were no constraints on the members ability to decide the application.

 

Whilst noting that the detail would be re-visited under a future application, in principle Members welcomed the application and the opportunity for this part of the town centre to be re-developed.

 

 

RESOLVED that

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material considerations, 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:

 

·       A contribution towards off-site public open space and play   provision

·       Town centre contribution

·       Contribution to education provision

·       Contribution to local GP practices

·       Contribution to provision of on-street Car Club parking bays

·       Affordable housing provisionS106 monitoring fee (As of 1 September 2019, revised Regulations were issued toallow the Council to include a provision for monitoring fees in Section 106Agreements to ensure the obligations set down in the Agreements are met)

and

 

b.    The conditions and informatives set out on pages 18 to 28 of the agenda.

 

 

72.

Application 20/01299/FUL - Arrow Valley Country Park Battens Drive Redditch B98 0LJ - Robert Heard on behalf of Redditch Borough Council pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Additional images of application site as at January 2021 attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Installation of a Play Tower unit 9 metres in height

 

Members considered an application for the installation of a nine metre high play tower as part of the upgrade to children’s play area at Arrow Valley Country Park.  It was noted that other elements of the improvements did not require planning permission as permitted development rights applied.  However, by virtue of being taller than four metres, planning consent was required for the tower.

 

Officers took members through the presentation slides and the additional photographs in Update Report 2 taken in January 2021 showing the tower in situ at the site.  As an enhancement to an area designated as Public Open Space, the tower was acceptable in policy terms and officers had been advised by the relevant statutory consultees that it’s design would meet the relevant safety standards.

 

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 32 to 33 of the agenda.

73.

Application 20/01340/FUL - Morton Stanley Country Park Windmill Drive Redditch - Jackie Boreham on behalf of Redditch Borough Council pdf icon PDF 27 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

4.7 metre play tower to form part of replacement play area

 

Members considered an application for the installation of a 4.7 metre high play tower as part of the upgrade to children’s play area at Morton Stanley Park.  As with the previous application, other elements of the improvements to the play area did not require planning permission as permitted development rights applied.  However, by virtue of being taller than four metres, planning consent was required for the play tower.

 

Officers took members through the presentation slides and described the location of the play tower.  As an enhancement to an area designated as Public Open Space, the tower was deemed to be acceptable in policy terms and acceptable as to design, appearance and siting.

 

RESOLVED that

 

Having regard to the development plan and to all other material

considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions set out on pages 38 of the agenda.

 

74.

Application 20/01320/S73 - Redditch Trades and Labour Club 38-40 Bromsgrove Road Redditch B97 4RJ - Accord Housing Group pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Update and revised plan attached

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Amendment to condition 2 as per approval 2016/024/FUL

Amendments to site layout, with reduction in carparking bays, changes to building footprint and position, removal of steps in building (height). Adjustment to external levels. Amendments to elevations, including number and positions of dormers and windows. Omission of gate to undercroft. Amendments to internal layout and change in unit mix.

 

Officers presented the application which encompassed various revisions to the scheme for 26 one bedroomed flats and 14 two bedroomed flats previously agreed by Planning Committee on 17th July 2019 under reference 2016/024/FUL.

 

In the intervening period, Accord Housing Association had acquired an interest in the site and were now proposing to build out the approved scheme.  Members were reminded that at an earlier meeting of the Planning Committee in December 2019, the decision had been made to amend the section 106 to agreement to provide for the tenure to be 100% affordable.

 

In re-visiting the original approved plans for the scheme, the applicant had identified a number of aspects which they wished to revise and the main changes were summarised by officers as follows: -

 

·       Changing the proposed mix of the flats to 30 one bedroomed flats and 10 two bedroomed flats.

·       The inclusion of a larger plant room to support the installation of a sprinkler system, the changes to the mix of flats enabling extra space to be freed up for this element.

·       Changes to the layout of the upper floors to improve communal internal circulation.

·       Changes to the site layout including moving the gable end off the northern boundary to allow room for construction and removing the proposed gates to the undercroft parking to aid ease of movement.

·       Reduction of the proposed number of parking spaces from 30 to 21 to enable the retention of existing trees and hedges.

·       Adjustments to storey heights and proportions of windows.

 

There were no objections from County Highways to the reduction in parking provision and in reaching this view the town centre location close to public transport links had been taken into consideration.  It was noted that whilst the number of parking spaces would be reduced, under the revised scheme all spaces would be fitted with electric vehicle charging points.

 

Members were referred to the revised wording of Condition 12 as set out in the second Update Report.

 

At the invitation of the Chair, Mr George Stoyan of the Accord Housing Association addressed the committee under the Council’s public speaking rules.

 

In debating the application some reservations were expressed regarding the reduction in parking provision, but overall Members welcomed the revisions including in particular the installation of a sprinkler system.

 

RESOLVED that

 

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

 

1.     The conditions set out on pages 44 to 48 of the main agenda

 

and

 

2.    The re-wording of Condition 12 as follows: -

 

12. The Development hereby permitted shall not be first occupied until the proposed 21 car parking spaces  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

75.

Consultation on Planning Application reference 19/00976/HYB (Bromsgrove District Council) - Brockhill East Weights Lane Redditch - Persimmon Homes pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Hybrid application 19/00976/HYB for up to 960 dwellings consisting of a full application for128 dwellings accessed off Weights Lane, new public open space, drainage system, engineering operations, associated works and an Outline application, with all matters reserved with the exception of access, for the construction of the remaining dwellings with the access point off Cookridge Close, Hawling Street and Weights Lane and including a

new district centre, new play facilities, new highway network, public open space, new drainage system and surface water attenuation, engineering operations and all associated works including landscaping.

 

Officers presented the report and in doing so reminded members that the application site straddled the administrative boundary between Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council, with part of the site falling into each area.  As such, parallel planning applications had been submitted to each Local Planning Authority.  At this meeting Members were being asked to consider only the consultation response to Bromsgrove relating to that part of the Bromsgrove application abutting the Redditch boundary.  Full consideration of both planning applications would take place before each authority’s Planning Committee in due course.

 

Officers outlined the key physical features of the site with reference to the site location plan, noting that the site was 56 hectares in size, consisting mainly of grassland.  Constraints affecting the site included the location of Red Ditch, the gas mains which crosses the site, a fuel pipeline and differences in topographical levels.

 

Officers referred Members to the elements making up the full application.  In summary these consisted of the construction of 128 dwellings, access to the site via a re-aligned junction at Weights Lane, internal access roads and provision of public open space.  Of the 128 dwellings, 76 would be constructed on the Redditch side of the boundary, and 52 on the Bromsgrove side of the boundary.  There would be a range of housing types with provision of affordable housing in accordance with the relevant polices for each Local Planning Authority.

 

The outline application covered access to the local highways network, but with all other matters reserved for subsequent approval.  Specifically, the reserved matters would include scale, appearance, layout and landscaping.  Officers confirmed that the outline element would in due course deliver 23 hectares of residential development made up of up to 832 dwellings, a mixed use district centre of 0.8 hectares, a new internal highway network and 30 hectares of public open space.

 

Officers outlined the key elements of the development with reference to the slides in the Site Plans and Presentations Pack on pages 53 to 64.

 

Members were referred to the officer consultation response set out on pages 51 to 54 of the main agenda, and in particular to the key issues of design, housing and transport.  Officers highlighted the need for the new development

to integrate well, including that the green swathes would need to link into the strategic site and surrounding area, and the importance of provision of affordable housing, which would be to meet the needs of Redditch.

 

Officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.