Agenda item

Mrs Rhodes addressed the Committee in opposition to the application.  Mr Duncan spoke for the application.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that, in respect of application 3/10/1015/OP, planning permission be refused for the reasons now detailed.

The Director advised that, following discussions with the applicant in respect of financial contributions for infrastructure improvements, the second reason for refusal was no longer required.

Councillor M Wood, as the local ward Member, stated the Bishop’s Stortford was a patchwork quilt of separate communities, each with individual community and amenity facilities.  He stressed that this application would adversely affect the future legacy of the town.

Councillor Wood emphasised that if traffic was unable to exit onto Warwick Road, extra traffic exiting onto Dunmow Road would cause significant traffic problems.  He stated that the density of the proposed development was very high compared to the surrounding roads.

Councillor C B Woodward, as the local ward Member, expressed concerns over the impact of the development on a heritage building.  He expressed concern that there had not been an impact statement completed as part of this application.

Councillor Woodward commented that there were already 291 empty homes in Bishop’s Stortford and this application would exacerbate this overprovision.  He stressed that this application would result in unacceptable traffic problems and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He referred to the integral views of local residents.

Councillor K A Barnes expressed his concern over the loss of what were some of the oldest historical buildings in the country. He commented that the Herts and Essex High School was part of the community and this application would result in the loss of buildings that had been in Bishop’s Stortford for a century.

The Director advised that Hertfordshire Highways had judged the scheme to be acceptable as a school created more traffic twice a day than would be created by housing in this location.  This proposal would only be acceptable if a replacement school were provided, by virtue of which the school related traffic from this part of the town would be removed.

Councillor M R Alexander proposed, and Councillor R I Taylor seconded, a motion that the Committee accept the Officers’ recommendation for refusal on the grounds that the application was contrary to policy LRC1 and LRC11 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

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

The Committee accepted the recommendation of the Director of Neighbourhood Services that application 3/10/1015/OP be refused planning permission for the reasons now detailed.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/10/1015/OP, planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.    The proposed development would result in the loss of The Herts and Essex School, a community facility and its associated playing fields and other sports facilities, without the provision of appropriate replacement facilities of at least equivalent quantity, quality, and accessibility elsewhere in the town. As such, it would be contrary to policies LRC1 and LRC11 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

2.           The local planning authority considers that the application site constitutes a Heritage Asset as defined in PPS5. Insufficient information has been submitted in respect of the historic significance of the buildings on the site to enable the authority to adequately assess the impact of the proposed demolition on the significance of the Heritage Asset. In the absence of that information and appropriate investigation, the proposal is contrary to national guidance contained in PPS5: Planning for the Historic Environment.”

At this point (9.50 pm), the Committee passed a resolution that the meeting should continue until the completion of the remaining business on the agenda.