Issue - meetings

Installation of a new entrance door to the south elevation of Marcus Garvey Library along with the associated external works

RECOMMENDATION: grant permission subject to conditions.

The Committee considered a report on the application to grant planning permission for the installation of a new entrance door to the south elevation of Marcus Garvey Library along with the associated external works. 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. It was updated that a further representation had been received since publication of the agenda but which did not raise any additional points requiring response.

A number of objectors addressed the Committee and raised the following points:

·         The new door would create a serious child safeguarding issue through providing a general access route through the children’s garden and adjacent to the children’s library leading to concerns over disruption and safety to families using the library.

·         The report was more concerned with safeguarding the tree onsite than children’s safety.

·         A large number of objections to the application had been made during the consultation period.

·         The plan was ill thought out and would only benefit Fusion as the applicant and not library users.

·         The scheme would remove a significant portion of the children’s garden and render the remainder unsafe as it would no longer be a safe, dedicated space for families to use accessed only via the children’s library. Proposed landscaping improvements to the garden would not make up for the space lost. 

·         The consultation undertaken had not been comprehensive, for example a lack of contact with the Bernie Grants Art Centre etc.

·         The application should be rejected on the grounds of impact on public amenity.

·         The new entrance would create an internal street within the library which would be problematic.

Cllr Carter addressed the Committee in his capacity as a ward councillor. At the prompt of the legal officer, he made a declaration that he was an active member of the Friends of Marcus Garvey Library group and as such would stand down from the Committee for the determination of this item. He then raised the following points:

·         A lack of consultation and engagement regarding the application had been carried out and no formal public consultation undertaken.

·         The new door was not a necessary part of the development and would become a ‘poor door’ for accessing the Customer Service Centre.

·         The scheme would cause disruption to library users during construction works and reduce library user space by half.

Cllr Diakides addressed the Committee as a local ward councillor and made the following objections:

·         The door was not justified, would create a disruptive thoroughfare and equated to unnecessary expenditure.

·         The scheme was unpopular with library users.

·         Multiple entrances to the library would make it difficult for security guards to patrol.

·         The impact on the children’s garden and library was unacceptable.

·         The tree to the rear was a very rare species and should be preserved.

Cllr Arthur addressed the Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45