Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillor S Marlow. It was noted that Councillor M Adams was substituting for Councillor S Marlow.

The Chair introduced the Officers and reminded Members to use their microphones as the meeting was being webcast.

To receive any Members' declarations of interest.

Councillor Graeme Hill declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in planning application 3/24/1275/FUL, on the grounds that he was employed by the company that was submitting the application. He left the room whilst this application was being considered.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday 13 August 2025.

Councillor Stowe proposed and Councillor Devonshire seconded, a motion that the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 August 2025 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chair.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 August 2025, be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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.

Recommended for Approval

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/24/1707/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the late and additional representations that had been received. She said that two objections had been received regarding the application and potential traffic congestion, public transport provision, and a query regarding paragraph 7.4 and a reference to the Neighbourhood Plan, and also an objection regarding the design.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the application in detail and presented a series of visuals and plans in respect of the proposed development. She detailed the full planning history of the wider Bishop’s Stortford Goodsyard and Members were advised that the site was allocated in the District Plan. The Principal Planning Officer said that this allocation was supported by the Neighbourhood Plan for Bishop’s Stortford and part of Thorley. She said that the proposals should be assessed against the aims of the NPPF and other relevant District Plan policies.

The Principal Planning Officer set out the wider planning context and said that the principle of redevelopment of the whole of the goodsyard site is established with strong policy support spanning several years.

Members were advised that the site was located on the northern part of the wider goodsyard development and it was intended that the both the proposed hotel and bus interchange would be delivered concurrently. The Principal Planning Officer explained that certainty of delivery would be ensured by the planning permission being structured on a phased basis with the bus interchange being phase one and the hotel forming a separate phase.

Members were advised that this would enable planning conditions to be discharged independently for each phase thereby preventing delays to one element if issues arose with other phases of development. The Principal Planning Officer said that the phasing plan had been prepared on this basis, and this would be secured by conditions to ensure that the bus interchange could be still delivered if the hotel was delayed.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the applicant had responded to design refinements requested by conservation and urban design officers and these officers considered that the scheme was appropriate to its urban context and they felt that the development would have a neutral impact on the adjacent conservation area.

Members were advised of the proposed parking arrangements for hotel guests in Jackson Square Multi Storey Car park and Crown Terrace Car Park and also the proposed cycle parking for the employees of the hotel.

The Principal Planning Officer said that Hertfordshire Highways had not objected to the application and officers considered that, in planning terms, the principle of the development was firmly established and the proposal benefited from extant permission, policy support, an improved design, economic benefits, public transport improvements, and strong sustainability measures and the regeneration of a vacant site.

Members were advised that all of the above were public benefits that should be given significant weight, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 201.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration and is not likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

There was no urgent business.