Issue - meetings

Change of use from light industrial to residential, demolition of existing

buildings and erection of 1 x three bed house and 1 x three / four bed house (AMENDED PLANS SUBMITTED 28.12.2012)

RECOMMENDATION: grant permission subject to conditions.

The Committee considered a report, previously circulated, on the application to grant planning permission for land rear of 2-16 Lauradale Road, 85 Woodside Avenue, for the change of use from light industrial, the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 2 houses. The report set out details of the proposal, the site and surroundings, planning history, relevant planning policy, consultation and responses, analysis, equalities and human rights implications and recommended to grant permission subject to conditions. The Planning Officer gave a short presentation highlighting the key aspects of the report. The Committee were advised of an amendment to the report in that the footprint for the new houses would broadly be inline with the current buildings (315m² proposed compared to 318m² currently) and not significantly smaller as stated in the report in error. 

Cllr Davies addressed the Committee in objection to the application and raised the following points:

·        The restricted nature of the access route to the site which was only 4.8m wide at its narrowest.

·        The scheme constituted overdevelopment of the site, with a floorspace 2 and a half times the size of the existing buildings.

·        A full hydrology report needed to be undertaken for the site

·        The Significant Local Open Land (SLOL) designation for the site should not be ignored.

Cllr Newton also addressed the Committee and advised that the site provided a key access route to Lauradale Road and Tetherdown school. The school had recently doubled in size, leading to concerns should the development be approved, on the safety of pedestrians, particularly children, continuing to use the pathway.

Two objectors addressed the Committee and put forward their views on the application:

·        The scheme constituted overdevelopment of the site

·        The second house would be located too close to neighbouring houses and be dominant in height.

·        The basement construction works and potential associated hydrological problems were of concern, particularly as a comprehensive hydrological report had not been undertaken.

·        The loss of SLOL designated land would impact adversely on the local community.

·        The safety of school children using the pathway running through the site to access Tetherdown School was a serious concern and one which was said to be echoed by both school governors and parents alike.

The applicant’s representative addressed the Committee and raised the following points:

·        The site was already developed despite the SLOL designation although the existing buildings had no architectural merit and the site was widely considered to be an eyesore. The design of the proposed scheme would add to the area.

·        Efforts had been made with the current application to take into account the previous applications and objections received such as moving the distance of the houses from the retaining wall following comments from neighbours.

·        The current landuse as a builder’s depot also posed a risk to pedestrians using the pathway through the site, with the proposed scheme therefore constituting a lower risk in comparison through fewer vehicle movements.

The Committee discussed additional conditions to be added should the application be approved  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17