Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Steve Drury, Ian Morris and Chris Lloyd with the named substitute for Councillor Drury being Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst.

To receive the minutes from the Planning Committee meeting held on 22 June 2023.

The Minutes from the 22 June 2023 meeting were confirmed as a correct record and would be signed by the Chair at the next meeting. 

The Committee Clerk apologised for the late circulation of the minutes.

To receive any declarations of interest.

The Chair read out the following statement to the Committee:

All fellow Councillors should come to the Committee meeting with an open mind and be able to demonstrate that they have not pre-determined our decision in any way.  We must only reach a decision after consideration of all the information provided by the officers, applicants, members of the public and other Councillors and the planning policies of the Council and should not do anything which may lead others to believe that we have already made up our minds as to whether to approve or refuse an application. 

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

There were no items of other business.

Recommendation: That the decision be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to consider any representations received and that PLANNING PERMISSION BE GRANTED subject to the conditions set out below.

The Planning Officer reported an amendment to Paragraph 7.2.8 to take out the word “not”.  The officer also confirmed that at the natural ground floor level it is not considered that the terrace would facilitate any additional overlooking of any neighbour.  The Officer also reported that comments had been received from Croxley Green Parish Council who do not wish to object to the application but have raised concerns regarding the use of render to the front elevation.  This was set out and addressed in the officer report and it was felt that there was enough variation among the wider streetscene and in Girton Way that Officers found the use of render to be acceptable in this regard. 

Councillor Sara Bedford moved, seconded by Councillor Debbie Morris, that the decision be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to consider any representations received and that Planning Permission be Granted subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the officer report.

On being put to the Committee the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair the voting being by general assent.

RESOLVED:

That the decision be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to consider any representations received and that Planning Permission be Granted subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the officer report.

The Planning Officer reported that amended plans were received between the writing of the report and the meeting which added a chimney into the building and further annotation regarding areas of the roof to be removed and which parts were to be retained on the roof plan.  Following the acceptance of amended plans conditions do need to be altered.  Condition 2 would need to be amended to add in the new amended plans, Condition 4 to reference the new chimney and an additional condition which would be listed as Condition 6 which would relate to the areas of the roof for construction and demolition.

The Chair advised that the reason for the application coming to the Committee was because of the objections from Batchworth Community Council for the reasons set out a Paragraph 4.1.2.  The Chair wondered how much of those objections had been addressed by the alterations. 

The Planning Officer advised that the objections were largely on the scale and bulk of the building in addition to the increase in ridge height.  The roof had not reduced in ridge height in the amended plans.  The amendments were the new chimney and the further annotation with regards to which parts would be demolished and which parts would be maintained.  Officers thought that part of the objection had been addressed with adding in the condition.  With regards to the comments on overdevelopment of the site, bulk and scale it was a judgement made within the planning assessment.

Batchworth Community Council advised that the applicant seemed to have ignored the pre planning advice, policy DM3 which stated that approval would only be given if the scale and design preserves and enhances the character and appearance of the area, advice on inappropriate glazing, added huge fenestrations at the rear which bears no resemblance to the pre 1958 appearance and style.  The increase in the ridge height would create a negative effect on the streetscene.  The demolishing of the internal walls would see almost a total loss of the characteristics of the pre 1958 dwelling.  A flood risk assessment and topographical survey for the basement had not been provided along with a tree root protection plan and construction management plan.  The windows would have an unneighbourly aspect and it would exceed the 15% plot rate.  Some changes are desirable, but these were made prior to the 2006 Conservation Area Appraisal.  The further loss of a pre-1958 host dwelling is now becoming evident in Moor Park and asked the Committee to give the application careful consideration.

Members raised the following points:

Did not share all the concerns which the Community Council had raised and welcomed the amendments which had been made during the course of the application. 

Noted that the Conservation Officer had identified the loss of the chimney as being a key architectural feature so now it was being reinstated is good news. 

Noted the Conservation Officer had some concerns about the increase in the ridge height but if you look at the streetscene  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC23/23