Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

George Cutting addressed the Committee against the application.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that, in respect of application 3/13/1635/FP, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

Councillor N Symonds, as a local ward Member, stated that the parking situation in this area was a serious concern.  She expressed concern that town centre residents and shoppers would drive to and from the Tesco store on the Havers Estate as there were only 2 parking spaces at the town centre Tesco.  She emphasised that the site was on a walking route to 3 local schools and the parking situation and additional traffic was creating a very dangerous situation for school children and pedestrians.

Councillor T Page commented that the application would adversely affect the vitality of the local economy, in particular local shops.  He stated that the application would undermine the corporate priorities of the Authority, particularly in terms of people and prosperity.  The Director stressed that Members should determine the application on the basis of local plan policies and the policies of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Councillor Page commented that an inward facing ATM machine would protect the residents from the disruption of a 24 hour operation as the machine would be unavailable outside of the store’s opening hours.

Councillors M Alexander and S Bull commented that this application for an external outward facing ATM machine was unnecessary on this site as customers could already get cash back in the Tesco store.

The Director advised that the impact of the application on other local stores was not the issue for Members to determine.  Members should be solely considering the impact of an ATM machine on the site.

Councillor K Crofton commented that the ATM could be an advantage to local shops if residents had ready access to cash without having to go into Tesco to get cash back.  He stated that he did not see how an ATM would exacerbate issues of Anti-Social Behaviour if this was already a problem in the vicinity of this site.

In response to a query from Councillor M Alexander, the Director advised that Officers had liaised with the applicant since March 2013 and the applicant remained keen to pursue the application in its current form.

Councillor N Symonds proposed and Councillor T Page seconded, a motion that application 3/13/1635/FP be refused on the grounds that the use of the proposed ATM would result in additional activity with associated noise and disturbance with the potential for anti-social behaviour, which would have a harmful impact on the amenity of local residents and was therefore contrary to policies ENV1 and ENV3 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.  The proposed development would also have an adverse impact on the vitality of other retail uses in the vicinity and was therefore also contrary to policy STC8 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.  The Committee rejected the recommendation of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/13/1635/FP, planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.    The use of the proposed ATM would result in additional activity with associated noise and disturbance and has the potential to result in anti-social behaviour which together would have a harmful impact on the amenity of local residents.  The proposal is thereby contrary to policies ENV1 and ENV3 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

2.    The proposed development would increase the attractiveness of the application site’s retail use in comparison to other retail uses in the vicinity potentially harmfully impacting on their viability.  The potential loss of other retails uses would be contrary to policy STC8 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.