Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Louise Price and Christopher Alley.

Councillor Mike Sims substituted for Councillor Christopher Alley.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the General Public Services, Community Safety & Infrastructure Committee held on 14 January 2025.

The minutes of the General Public Services, Community Safety & Infrastructure Committee meeting held on 14 January 2025 were confirmed as a correct record, subject to checking of the Committee’s decision relating to resolution (ii) of the Parking Management Programme at Minute 27. 

Subsequent to the meeting it was confirmed that the Committee had resolved that officers should bring an interim report to the Committee in 2026.   Resolution (ii) of Minute 27 is therefore amended as shown below:

(ii)    Officers continue to develop the Parking Management Programme as outlined in this report for 24 months, bringing an interim report in 2026 and a further programme setting report in 2027.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

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.

No urgent business had been notified.

The Committee is asked to receive a petition which objects to the proposed development of 10 Gade Bank, Croxley Green.  The petition has been signed by 27 residents.

“We, the undersigned residents of Gade Bank, Croxley Green, formally object to the proposed development of 10 Gade Bank, WD3 3GD into a 6-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Background and Heritage

Gade Bank is a unique and historically significant road comprising 16 houses constructed between 1923 and 1926. Built by the Metropolitan Railway for its workers, the houses embody architectural and historical charm, characteristic of the Hamish Cross precast concrete designs. This quiet, secluded street reflects a cohesive and supportive community spirit that has thrived for decades. Permitting an HMO of this scale would irreparably harm the character, heritage, and fabric of

our neighbourhood.

Key Objections

1. Noise, Disturbance, and Loss of Amenity

•       The conversion of a family home into a high-density 6-bedroom HMO will lead to increased noise from tenants, visitors, and vehicles.

•       The semi-detached nature of these homes amplifies sound transmission, causing significant disruption to adjoining properties.

•       Residents’ peaceful enjoyment of their homes, as protected under the Human Rights Act 1998 (Protocol 1, Article 1), will be compromised.

2. Traffic and Accessibility Concerns

•       The road leading to Gade Bank, which is a narrow single-track road is unlit and poses a hazard to all traffic in the winter months as there is only one marked area to pass. The traffic created by six additional occupants on the road will be unsafe.

•       Gade Bank is accessible only via a narrow single-track road, which cannot accommodate increased vehicular traffic.

•       Insufficient parking will force vehicles onto green spaces or block driveways, exacerbating congestion and damaging the local environment.

3. Environmental and Structural Unsuitability

•        These properties, built nearly a century ago, are constructed of precast concrete, a material prone to degradation. Adding extensions or significant internal alterations could compromise structural integrity.

•        The area lacks the infrastructure (e.g., sewerage, drainage systems) to support the increased demand from a 6-bedroom HMO.

•        Excessive waste generation and refuse storage will further degrade the

•        neighbourhood’s environment and aesthetics.

4. Community Impact and Character

•         Gade Bank is a close-knit community, characterized by family homes and long-term residents. Introducing transient tenants undermines this harmony.

•         The HMO does not align with the established housing pattern or the cultural and social identity of the street.

•         This development will discourage future families from moving into the area, ultimately eroding its community-driven ethos.

5. Increased Safety Risks

•         Multi-occupancy increases the risk of fire hazards, particularly in older properties that were not designed for such uses.

Legal and Policy Considerations

Housing Act 2004

The Act imposes specific safety, space, and amenity standards for HMOs, which may not be achievable within the constraints of the property.

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Under Section 57, local authorities can require planning permission for changes that

significantly affect the use and character of a property.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 37a

Angela Horan, the Lead Petitioner, presented a petition which objected to the proposed development of 10 Gade Bank into a 6-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Councillor Sarah Nelmes responded to the petitioner on behalf of Councillor Louise Price who was not present at the meeting, as follows:

‘From a planning perspective it is unlikely that planning permission would be required from the Council for a change of use from a dwelling house to a House in Multiple Occupation.  If the house is to be occupied by fewer than 6 residents then planning permission is automatically granted by Government legislation known as the General Permitted Development Order (as amended), otherwise known as ‘permitted development.’  In such cases, the Council has no decision-making powers and therefore no ability to assess such a proposed development.

In terms of an Article 4 Direction to withdraw these permitted development rights, regard has to be had to national planning policy on this matter as well.  The wording of the National Planning Policy Framework limits the ability of local planning authorities to implement Article 4 Directions unless they have significant justification and robust evidence for doing so.  Such evidence would include, for example, if there were a significant increase in HMO conversions in the district which was having a significant and detrimental impact on local housing supply.  This is not considered to be the case in Three Rivers given that there are actually currently only 14 registered HMOs within the district and currently no new HMO licence applications have come in.  Furthermore, it is not considered appropriate to apply an Article 4 Direction to one solitary street within a district on the premise that a single dwelling may be converted to an HMO.  Article 4 Directions take significant time and resources to implement, including needing the approval of the Secretary of State and a lengthy consultation prior to implementation.  So it is very unlikely that an Article 4 Direction could take place if a dwelling in Gade Bank is converted to a HMO.

However, notwithstanding the planning position outlined, all HMOs - irrespective of size - must comply with the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2006.  These regulations, which are enforced by the Council’s Residential Environmental Team, define the legal responsibilities for landlords and managers of HMOs in England and Wales.  This would include matters such as the fire risk concerns and that sort of thing.  Any HMO rented to 5 or more individuals forming 2 or more households and sharing facilities must hold a mandatory licence issued by the Council.  The licensing process focuses on assessing the property’s suitability and the landlord’s ability to manage it effectively, prioritising safety and management standards such as amenities, space requirements and fire safety.  No application for an HMO licence has currently been received by Residential Environmental Health for an address in Gade Bank.’

The Committee is asked to receive a petition which requests a limit to the number of vehicles parked between the chicane and the double yellow lines towards the Shell Garage at Old Mill Road.  The petition has been signed by 25 residents.

“Recently up to 20 vehicles have been parking between the chicane and the double yellow lines towards the Shell Garage.  When there were only 8 to 10 cars parked north of the double yellow lines there was no issue.  Now with so may parked here if 4 vehicles come through the chicane with another vehicle coming in the other direction you can’t move or someone has to reverse.  Please can you limit the number of vehicles parked here.”

Simon Ash, the Lead Petitioner, presented a petition which requested a limit to the number of vehicles parked between the chicane and the double yellow lines towards the Shell garage at Old Mill Road.

The Lead Member, Councillor Sarah Nelmes, responded as follows:

‘In responding to this petition we will request Officers record the request on the District Council’s parking management request list, and in fact Councillor Whately-Smith has already done that so it is on that list.

We have significant numbers of requests for new parking controls and every request is carefully prioritised against an agreed set of criteria to determine whether it will be included in the Parking Management work programme.  The next scheduled review of the work programme, and the re-ordering of it if any is required, is January 2027.  If your request is investigated you will hear about it through an initial public consultation exercise, when we consult all local addresses and the public to confirm the scale and nature of the problem.  This could lead to a statutory legal process to create new parking restrictions but will depend on the response to the public consultation.’

The Committee is asked to receive a petition which requests that the Council suspends parking restrictions on Moneyhill Parade. The petition has been signed by 79 residents.

“I have put my name to this petition as a resident / business owner in the area being affected by the new parking restrictions being implemented in Rickmansworth West.  I disagree with these parking restrictions and the cost of having to pay (parking permits) for something that I believe will not only be detrimental to local businesses but not offer us any better parking solutions than the one we have now.  We have been left with no choice but to pay the extra cost without any benefit to us as residents / business owners.  We demand these restrictions be uplifted immediately as we were not consulted properly and the majority disagreed.”

Michael Charnock, the Lead Petitioner, presented a petition which requested that the Council suspends parking restrictions on Moneyhill Parade.

The Lead Member, Councillor Sarah Nelmes, responded as follows:

‘The objective of any parking scheme is to improve and manage the parking on the public highway, a situation that needed investigation in this location given the previous public requests we had received and initial support for considering parking in the locality.  Whilst any scheme progressed will change the current parking situation and result in a degree of displacement parking it is intended there are wider benefits of any scheme, which includes in this scheme encouraging a short term parking churn outside the shops/businesses for customers to be able to park and improvements to road safety and the passage of through traffic.  As with any parking scheme Officers have to consider the requirements of a number of different users (i.e. residents, visitors, employers and their employees) in formulating a scheme.

The Rickmansworth West parking scheme was initiated in 2017 following agreement from the Sustainable Development, Planning and Transport Committee (the report can be found here: Sustainable Development, Planning and Transport Committee - 6 September 2016 | Three Rivers District Council ).  During investigation of the scheme it has incurred a lengthy process of public consultation.  Over the past 7 years the Council has consulted extensively with both residents and businesses and taken into account feedback in how the scheme has been developed.  We have consulted on this scheme by letter / post with two public exhibitions and this has included letters to residential and commercial properties in the scheme area and site notices erected on affected roads.

A further detailed Committee report on the scheme was presented to the Infrastructure, Housing and Economic Development Committee in November 2022, to determine which roads to pursue controls in and which to exclude.

Parking and business permits have been introduced to ensure there is parking made available for residents and businesses.  The costs of those permits reflect those around the rest of the district and specifically for Rickmansworth in terms of business permits.

The Council has committed to reviewing the scheme within 12 months of implementation and as such the scheme will be reviewed later in the year to evaluate the impact of the new parking restrictions and to review any suggestions for improvement.’

This report covers this Committee’s financial position over the medium term (2024 – 2028) as at Period 10 (end of January).

The Period 10 comprehensive Budget Management report has already been presented to the Policy & Resources Committee at its meeting on 10 March 2025 which sought approval to a change in the Council’s 2024 - 2028 medium-term financial plan.

Recommendation

That:

i)        Members note and comment on the contents of the report.

The Interim Head of Finance presented the P10 budget report.  It was noted that the comprehensive budget monitoring report had been presented to the Policy & Resources Committee on 10 March and this had sought approval to a change in the Council’s 2024/25 – 2027/28 medium term financial plan.

The Interim Head of Finance highlighted that there was a forecast favourable variance for the revenue budget of £0.129m compared with the forecast reported at P8.  The revenue budgets within each service area which had contributed to the variance were explained in detail and were also set out in the report.

Virements were detailed in Annex B and had predominantly been linked to the receipt of grants and corresponding expenditure within Community Partnerships, expenditure linked to the planned use of earmarked reserves for neighbourhood plans, and the transfer of a repairs and maintenance budget from Garden Waste to Street Cleansing.

The latest capital investment programme for 2024/25 was £5.241m and the forecast year-end position was estimated to be £5.056m, resulting a service variation of c£185,000.  The forecast variances to agreed budgets were set out in Annexes C and D.

The Interim Head of Finance reported that all income streams (set out at Annex E) were currently on target to achieve budget income levels in 2024/25.

The Committee noted that the report had included three vacancies as at 31 January 2025, and of those vacancies employment offers had now been made in relation to two posts.

A Committee Member noted a budget increase related to the increased cost of removing abandoned vehicles and recommended that officers investigate whether these costs could be recharged to the last registered owner through tracing of the registration plate. 

In response to a Member’s question about the £100,000 transport infrastructure item which was being rephased into next year, officers responded that this was due to the fact that no significant capital schemes (for example, the verge hardening programme) had been progressed from that budget in the current year.  Additionally, the development of the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which was due to come forward for adoption later in the year, meant that no cycling schemes had been progressed.  There had also been capacity issues arising from staff absence.

Committee Members asked questions about the details of the report which were responded to by officers.

RESOLVED:

That:

(i)         Members note and comment on the contents of the report.

To comment on the Committee’s work programme.

The Committee noted its future work programme.

In response to a question officers advised that the work programme was reviewed regularly, and items for the meetings which were scheduled for later in the year would be added in due course.  Officers were asked to note that it would be helpful to committee members to be notified of future agenda items via the work programme at an early stage.