Issue - meetings

Recommended for Approval.

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/24/1275/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report.

The Principal Planning Officer said that a consultee response had been received from the fire safety team at Hertfordshire County Council, and their comments had been noted and condition 6 had been amended.

The Principal Planning Officer said that Officers had received some advice regarding the community facilities provision that was included in the application and paragraph 9.4 of the report had been amended.

Members were advised of the location of the site and were provided with a detailed summary of the proposed development including details of the energy generation in the context of the overall energy demands of the nearby GSK site. 

The Principal Planning Officer presented a series of visuals and plans in respect of the proposed development. She said that there had been no objections from statutory consultees and Officers had received 39 representations of support and 12 objections.

The Principal Planning Officer said that in respect of biodiversity net gain there would be an 89 percent increase on area habitat across the site and a 1500 plus percent increase in hedgerow.

Members were advised that the applicant had engaged in depth with Hertfordshire County Council highways and a construction traffic management plan which was required to be submitted and approved. The Principal Planning Officer said that Hertfordshire Highways were satisfied that the development could be implemented without harm to motorists using the highway, or to cyclists and pedestrians. She said that the site would be very well screened by existing woodland and the panels were quite low in scale. Members were advised that the landscape team had examined the submitted information and were satisfied that the most sensitive receptors of the visual impact were covered.

Sarah Lapsley and Paul Holmes-Ling addressed the committee in support of the application. They were asked questions by the Development Management Committee.

Councillor Stowe asked if there was to be a decommissioning bond for this site. The Principal Planning Officer said that there was no decommissioning bond but there were extensive conditions requiring a scheme for remediation of the land and there were measures in place to make sure that the land was made good.

Councillor Devonshire said that the Westmill Site was elevated, and he asked if there were any views to demonstrate to Members whether the development site could be seen from Westmill Site from the north.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the landscape and visual impact assessment that was submitted with the application set out the guidelines and methodology and Officers were satisfied that this was sound in terms of identifying the sensitive receptors. Members were advised that the development would be very well screened.

Councillor Burt asked for some clarity as to whether the location of the proposed solar would make the site a brownfield site and therefore more probable for housing to be approved on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 200