Agenda item

Recommended for Approval

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/21/1576/OUT, outline planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of this report and also subject to a Section 106 legal agreement. Delegated authority would be granted to the Head of Planning and Building Control to finalise the detail of the legal agreement and the conditions and to refuse the application in the event a legal agreement is not completed to the Council’s satisfaction.

The Development Management Team Manager drew the attention of the Committee to a number of late representations that had been summarised for Members.

The Development Management Team Leader summarised matters in the late representations summary and said that the Authority had complied with the statement of community involvement.

The Development Management Team Leader explained that this was an outline application and said that outline applications were used to gain an understanding from the local planning authority as to the acceptability of the principle of a development. Members were advised that the only matter to be considered was the proposed access and all other matters were reserved.

The Development Management Team Leader advised that this site remained a designated employment area as detailed in the 2007 Local Plan and this designation had been carried forward into the 2018 District Plan. Members were advised of the use classes that were relevant to this application and were advised that the current 6,000 square metres of floor space would increase to up to 20,590 square metres.

Members were advised that the proposed access was to be relocated to the south and improved so that two HGVs could pass safely or adversely affecting the amenity of the nearest dwelling. The Development Management Team Leader said that the proposals had come forward with sustainable transport principles and a mobility hub on the site. An overarching travel plan would be provided and conditioned and a bespoke travel plan would be required for each individual unit that would be occupied on this site.

Members were advised that condition 2 required that a phasing plan should be submitted that would outline how the developer should seek to provide opportunities for existing occupiers on the site to be retained and ensure a range of unit sizes to accommodate a range of occupiers.

The Development Management Team Leader said that the Local Flood Authority had raised concerns in respect of the capacity of the site to provide sustainable drainage options. She said that these details had been conditioned and Officers did not consider that these concerns would prevent the Council from determining the application.

Members were provided with a detailed slide presentation in respect of the application and were reminded that a full range of conditions was proposed. The Development Management Team Leader said that and granting the access arrangements would not enable any development without the discharge of all of the proposed conditions.

Mr Ghataoura addressed the Committee in opposition to the application. Mr Andrews spoke for the application. Councillor Kilby addressed the Committee as the Chairman of Hormead Parish Council.

The Development Management Team Leader said that the site was already in use as an employment area. She said that conditions had been imposed to limit of the height of the proposed development in light of the sensitive nature of this employment area referred to in planning policy. Members were advised that the proposed development would be sensitive to its surrounds and conditions were proposed to mitigate the impact of noise and air pollution. Members were referred in particular to conditions 5 and 11.

The Legal Services Manager said that this was an outline application and all matters aside from the access were reserved for consideration at a later date. She reiterated that any matters aside from the access way were not relevant to this outline application.

Councillor Page referred to comments from the Executive Member for Planning and Growth that had been included in the report now submitted. The Chairman and the Legal Services Manager confirmed that no more weight would be given to those comments than would be given to any other representation that had been received.

Councillor Andrews said that the site was a considerable distance from an existing bus stop. He referred to the comprehensive conditions that were proposed and expressed a concern about the potential use of the B1368 for cyclists when the A10 was subject to traffic problems. He asked for clarity as to what would happen when traffic reached the bridleway from the 2 metre wide footway.

Councillor Beckett said that the 2 metre wide footway did not make this a sustainable site and the 2 nearest bus stops were not directly linked by footpaths to the site. He said that at least 70 percent of the additional area of site was not brownfield and there would be reduction in drainage from run off. He concluded that the site was not sustainable as a transport hub.

The Development Management Team Leader confirmed that the site was part brownfield and there was a lot of landscaping on the site. She reiterated that access was the only matter being considered and no other detail was relevant as these matters were to be covered by future reserved matters applications.

The Place making and Growth Project Officer said that Hertfordshire had assessed the access and were satisfied that there would be no demonstrable harm that was contrary to planning policy. She said that Members could only consider what had been submitted to the Authority.

The Legal Services Manager said that deferral was an option for the Committee. She emphasised that Members should be very clear in identifying the benefits of a deferral.

Councillor Andrews proposed and Councillor Fernando seconded, a motion that application 3/21/1576/OUT be deferred to enable Officers to come forward with a simplified report focussed on the contextual issues in respect of the access and also that Officers consider arranging a site visit with a Highways Officer who had worked on the application and a Highways Officer be present at the meeting of the Development Management Committee when the matter was reported back to Members.

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

RESOLVED –that in respect of application 3/21/1576/OUT, planning permission be deferred to enable Officers to come forward with a simplified report focussed on the contextual issues in respect of the access and also that Officers consider arranging a site visit with a Highways Officer who had worked on the application and a Highways Officer be present at the meeting of the Development Management Committee when the matter was reported back to Members.