Issue - meetings

Erection of an extension to the Commercial Laundry at the eastern end of the site (Use Class B2), the formation of a loading bay for two delivery vehicles, erection of vehicle maintenance building and the erection of a new retaining wall and an acoustic fence, retention of existing retaining wall and hardstanding and use of hardstanding for parking of domestic passenger vehicles for staff. Reconsulting due to amended plans.

RECOMMENDATION: Grant permission subject to conditions.

The Committee agreed that, in the absence of any parties wishing to speak in respect of the other application on the agenda, the order of the agenda be varied to take the planning application for 555 White Hart Lane next.

The Committee considered a report on the planning application in respect of 555 White Hart Lane, N17. The report set out details of the proposal and site, planning history, relevant planning policy, consultation and responses, analysis, human rights and equalities, and recommended that the application be granted, subject to conditions. The Planning Officer gave a presentation outlining key aspects of the report, and advised that an additional letter had been submitted by a local resident, stating that the points raised in the petition submitted in response to the previous application on the site were still valid, despite the amendments made to the application, and that the operation of the site continued to be very disruptive to local residents throughout the night.

Cllr Bull, ward councillor, and a local resident, Ms Chorley, addressed the Committee in objection to the application and raised the following points:

• The level of noise from the site was unacceptable; the applicant had not engaged with residents at all and ignored complaints. Cllr Bull confirmed that he had personally experienced the noise nuisance emanating from the site, as reported by residents.
• As a result of the previous unauthorised removal of the embankment, there had been significant slippage of residents’ gardens, resulting in the collapse of garden structures and trees in places, and large parts of the gardens becoming unusable. This had significantly affected residents’ quality of life.
• Anything that would alleviate residents’ concerns would be beneficial, and the best outcome would be for the applicant to start to work meaningfully with residents.
• Residents were disturbed by lorries driving on the site throughout the early hours of the morning, particularly travelling over speed humps and making constant noise.
• The proposed parking would be very close to residential gardens, with all the attendant noise and fumes – residents should not have to put up with this level of disturbance.

The Committee asked questions of Mr Holland, the acoustic consultant working on behalf of the Council, and the following points were raised in respect of acoustic matters:

• In response to questions regarding the effective height and recommended materials for an acoustic barrier, Mr Holland advised that the proposed height of 4.4m was significant, and that the material proposed was similar to that used on motorways, which looked like timber, but incorporated specialist noise absorbing material.
• Restricting the use of the hardstanding near to residential properties to domestic vehicles was expected to reduce disturbance caused by lorries, etc on this part of the site.
• It was confirmed that sound insulation of the laundry building was a proposed condition, in addition to the blocking off of the doorway facing residential properties.
• In response to a question regarding the most effective way of addressing residents’ concerns regarding noise, Mr Holland reported that replacement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 161