Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Beacham .and for lateness from Cllr Patel.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late reports related to the item below which will be considered under that agenda item.

None received.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgement of the public interest.

There were no declarations of interest declared.

To consider receiving deputations and/or petitions in accordance with Standing Order 37

None received.

In accordance with Sub Committee's protocol for hearing representations; when the recommendation is to grant planning permission, two objectors may be given up to 6 minutes (divided between them) to make representations.  Where the recommendation is to refuse planning permission, normally no speakers will be heard.  For items considered previously by the sub committee and deferred, where the recommendation is to grant permission, one objector may be given up to 3 minutes to make representations.  Where the recommendation is to refuse permission, normally no speakers will be heard.

RESOLVED

That the decisions of the Sub Committee on the planning applications and related matters be approved or refused with the following points noted.

Development to extend the Mall, Wood Green shopping centre, to include erection of new retail store (10,000sq.m) on 3 floors and storage; extension to restaurant adjacent to Mayes Road Service Yard; demolition of existing petrol filling station and provision of new Service Yard; landscaping and associated plant and machinery.

RECOMMENDATION: Grant permission subject to conditions and Section 106 Agreement

The Officer presented the report and advised the Committee that this application had been considered at the last meeting held on 17 April 2007, where Members had requested a site visit.  The site visit had taken place on Friday 27 April 2007.  The report appended to this agenda had been slightly amended from the previous report presented on 17 April 2007 as additional representations had been received from the Environmental Development Agency.

Cllr Patel entered the meeting 7:35pm.

The Committee received a presentation on the report for this application.  The application site comprised part of the Mall Shopping City, adjoining service yards to the centre and a recently vacated petrol filling station.  The proposed store accorded with national policies to support, regenerate and increase the attractiveness of Wood Green Centre, it would strengthen its viability.

The Moselle Brook currently ran in culvert under the service yard.  The proposed store would have piled foundations set well clear of the culvert.  The Enviromental Agency (EA) had lodged objections to any building within 4 metres either side of the culvert.

The existing pedestrian route between the service yard 5 and the central library, would be widened by approximately 1.2 metres, and there would be glass panels and lighting on the store side.  Beyond that the pedestrian route would widen out into a public square, with new surfacing and tree planting, leading to Caxton Road.  This would improve pedestrian links from the Shopping City to the Heartlands sites.

A traffic impact study had been carried out  and the fact that delivery lorries would not have to go down Caxton Road, but would instead go to the proposed new service yard on the site of the filling station, was seen as an improvement.

There was not felt to be any adverse impact on residential amenity in terms of daylight, privacy or noise arising from operation of the Department Store, subject to a condition regulating delivery hours for lorries.

There had been a Development Control Forum and Design Panel who had both received presentations on this scheme. 

The Environment Agency were concerned that their objections had not been followed through into a recommendation for refusal.  Members would have received copies of their recent letter about this issue.  The EA were also  concerned that the Authority may not have given sufficient airing to their objections in the report.

A full page had been given to their objections in the report, which were set out quite fully; another two-thirds of a page in the Analysis section of the report (Section 4) about the Moselle Culvert and the impact of the development on the culvert.

The EA had said it would ask for the application to be referred to the Secretary of State, under PPS25  on Flood Risk; however it was not in a Flood Risk Zone area 2 or 3, so it was considered that it could not be referred under that heading. The EA had also regarded the scheme as being contrary to Policy ENV5, of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 217.

Monday 14 May 2007 ~ Scheduled meeting

Thursday 17 May 2007 ~ Special meeting

In accordance with Standing Order 32.6 no other business shall be considered.

Monday 14 May 2007 ~ scheduled meeting.

Thursday 17 May 2007 ~ Special meeting.