Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting - Skype - Virtual. View directions

Contact: Sarah Sellers  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

59.

Chair's Welcome

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the Committee members, public speakers and officers to the virtual Planning Committee meeting being held via Skype.  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.

 

 

60.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

61.

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.

62.

Confirmation of Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 11th November 2020 pdf icon PDF 481 KB

Please see minutes attached

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

The Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 11th November 2020 be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

 

 

 

63.

Update Reports pdf icon PDF 13 KB

Update Report attached

 

Minutes:

The Update Report was noted.

64.

Redditch Borough Council Tree Preservation Order (175) 2020 - Land off Droitwich Road, Feckenham pdf icon PDF 25 KB

To consider a report which proposes confirmation of Tree Preservation Order Number (175) 2020 following receipt of one objection.

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO PUBLIC SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which proposed the long term protection of a number of significant trees which were considered to be of positive amenity and worthy of protection. 

 

It was noted that one objection had been received to the inclusion of a group of hazel trees in the order.  Officers confirmed that the hazel trees were viable trees and in a suitable condition to merit being protected under an order.

 

RESOLVED that

 

Tree Preservation Order no (175) 2000, trees on land off Droitwich Road, Feckenham, be confirmed without modification

65.

Application 18/01409/FUL - Land at Battens Drive, Redditch, B98 0LJ - Woodbourne Group Redditch pdf icon PDF 364 KB

Please see additional slides showing location of potential town centre sites.  These slides will be included in the officer presentation at the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a class E retail food store with associated car parking, access, landscaping and associated engineering works, and relocation of existing substation

 

Officers presented the application and explained that the replacement structure on the site would be a retail food store of 1727 square metres in size accessed from the existing access road off Battens Drive shared with the country park.  The site would provide 95 parking spaces and under the scheme a signal controlled crossing on Battens Drive would be added together with a bus stop.

 

Officers outlined the main policy considerations with regard to out of town retail sites.  Under paragraphs 85 and 86 of the NPPF such developments should be located in town centres and a sequential test should apply to town centre uses proposed for locations neither in a centre or in accordance with an up to date plan.  It was noted that town centre uses should be located in town centre locations, then edge of centre locations and only if suitable sites were not available should out of centre sited be considered.  Although under the NPPF retail developments that exceeded 2500 square metres would require an impact assessment, the proposed development in this application was below that threshold and therefore an Impact Assessment had not been required.

 

Officers also summarised the relevant policies as set out in the Local Plan including policy 30 which established the retail hierarchy for the Borough with the town centre as the preferred location for major retail and emphasis on preserving the vitality and viability of the town centre.

 

Policy 31(3) focussed on opportunities for regeneration of the town centre and identified three strategic sites in the periphery of the town centre allocated for mixed use including retail, namely, Prospect Hill, Edward Street and Church Road.

 

Members were advised that the end user of the application site had been identified as Lidl, which was categorised as a “limited assortment discounter” based on the products sold and the stock handling procedures used.  Such retailers had specific requirements for their stores, to support the type of products available, and the applicant had advised that these requirements restricted flexibility when considering town centre sites.

 

The applicant as part of the sequential approach had considered a number of town centre locations, and the Council had appointed an independent retail advisor to comment on the findings regarding these locations put forward by the applicant.   The independent retail advisor also considered and commented on an objection put forward by the Kingfisher Centre which detailed alternative sites within the town centre and owned by the Kingfisher Centre which it was suggested would be suitable for a Lidl type store.

 

In summarising the situation relating to the various town centre locations that had been considered, the committee was asked to note the following: -

 

·       Units 1a and 4 a on Alcester Street had been rejected by the applicant as being too small and having no dedicated parking.

 

·       The site of the former  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.