Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Hare for whom Cllr Aitken was substituting and from Cllr Patel for whom Cllr Adamou was substituting.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business.  Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear.  This being a special meeting of the Committee, under Part Four, Section B, Paragraph 17 of the Council’s Constitution, no other business shall be considered at the meeting.

There were no items of urgent business.

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 judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/or if it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest.

Change of use from hostel to residential (C3) and conversion of property into 15 residential units comprising of 6 x 3 bed, 7 x 2 bed 2 x 1 bed flats that will include erection of two storey rear stepped infill extension and replacement top floor structure to create new unit.  Excavation of lower ground floor and new basement to accommodate leisure facilities, 11 car parking spaces in basement area and four parking spaces externally, 15 cycle spaces.  Refuse/re-cycling facilities and associated landscaping. (Revised Description).

RECOMMENDATION: Grant permission subject to conditions and a Section 106 Agreement.

The Officer presented the report and brought the Committee’s attention to page 2 of the agenda which set out the amendments to the report since the application was not considered at the meeting of 8 September 2008.  The amendments were as follows:

1. Additional paragraphs were inserted at section 9 on affordable housing.
2. Condition 8 required payment of a sum towards footways.  This was deleted and would be incorporated within the Section 106 Agreement.
3. An extra condition inserted required details of the basement excavation, construction and mitigation of any effects on hydrogeology.  This would be numbered condition 8. 

The Committee was informed that the Furnival House application site was an existing large four storey building with an Edwardian Baroque façade and a part semi-basement level.  The semi-basement was built around 1916.  To the north of the site were a number of large residential properties.  To the south on the opposite side of the road were open land and tennis courts.

Primarily this application was a conversion of an existing building to provide flats with extensions.  It was considered that internal alterations would be required for the modernisation of the building.  Overall the existing footprint of the building would remain the same, the extension included the basement in relation to its scale and style and would not be detrimental to the Highgate Conservation Area.

It was proposed that only one existing tree would be removed and that other semi mature trees would be planted to replace it.  New trees would also be planted at the rear to provide more screening to residents living in Parklands.

The proposed development would consist of a mix of one, two, and three/four bed units and on balance the mix was considered acceptable.  Overall the scheme had  been designed to minimise overlooking and undue loss of privacy of neighbouring occupiers.  It was therefore deemed that the development proposal would not have any significant adverse impact on existing traffic or indeed car parking demand on the adjoining roads.

The applicant would retain the existing access arrangement which would enable all vehicles (included refuse/emergency) to enter and leave the site in forward gear.  The refuse and recycling storage and collection was based on utilising a new storage point to the rear of the site in the same location as existing facilities.

Following discussion with the Council’s housing department it was considered  for this application that it would be more appropriate for the Council to seek a commuted sum (rather than on site) toward the provision of affordable units within the borough.  In Section 9 the report details that as the application was for a conversion it would be more difficult to provide affordable housing within the building.  A number of sustainability and environmental issues had been submitted with the scheme.

The Committee was further informed that condition 8, on page 18 related to measures to deal with groundwater on the site and its immediate surroundings; the previous recommendation had a Condition 8 which related to financial contributions for Highways  ...  view the full minutes text for item 258.

Demolition of existing workshops and erection of 1 x 3 storey block comprising of 6 x 1 bed, 1 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed self-contained flats.

RECOMMENDATION:Grant permission subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement.

It was noted that Cllr Aitken had not returned to the meeting and therefore could not participate in this item.

The Officer advised the Committee that this application was deferred from the Planning Committee on 8 September 2008 for clarification in respect of the need for an education contribution.  The current proposal was below the threshold of five family units, in accordance with SPG10c therefore, an education contribution was not required for this scheme.

The Officer went on to present the report and informed the Committee that the site was a single storey light industrial unit now empty and formerly used for calendar manufacturing.  The site was bordered by existing dwellings on Beechfield and Oakdale Roads on the southern elevation.  There was existing established access on the site from the road frontage to the buildings on the western elevation.  On the northern boundary was the Oakdale Arms public house.

It was considered that the site contributed to housing supply and provided an acceptable environment for residential use.  The proposed building was of a similar design to the planning permission granted on appeal on the adjoining site the Oakdale public house and would contribute positively to the character of the street.

The current proposal had been amended to reflect the concerns expressed by the inspector in relation to the effect of the development upon the amenities of the adjoining properties in the previous refusal of planning permission on appeal.  The changes made to the application included the lounge and dining areas now located at the front of the units and the bedrooms and bathrooms located at the back to reduce overlooking.  The scheme had bays added to the rear near the bedrooms.  The bedrooms had a reasonable standard of amenity and both the bathrooms and bedrooms proposed obscure glazing.

The external amenity had been provided at the rear of the building in the form of a communal garden area.  The proposed building orientation would not affect the quality of daylight and sunlight throughout the spring, autumn and summer months of the rear existing properties where the sunlight arc was low in the sky at the described seasonal periods.

The site had a density of approximately 344 habitable rooms per hectare and the London Plan recommended a range of 450-700.  The proposal fell below the threshold for affordable housing as it was for 9 units.  It was considered that the proposed mix of units would provide a satisfactory standard of accommodation.  The proposed development was situated in the Green Lanes controlled parking zone and adequate cycle storage was provided within the site.  The proposed development further included appropriate ventilation, solar voltaic panels and grey-water reclamation.  The bin storage, waste and recycling collection facility had been re-located to the side of the building in a purpose made facility.

Cllr Aitken re-entered the meeting at 8:35pm.

The Committee enquired why the scheme was a car free development and in response the officer explained that there was no physical parking space available on the site.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 259.

To consider the draft Wood Green Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), following consultation.

The Wood Green Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) would form part of the Council’s Local Development Framework (LDF) and would provide guidance to supplement policies of the adopted Unitary Development Plan and a future Core Strategy.  The SPD would provide a framework of development for Wood Green Town Centre through guidance on development sites, urban design as well as social, economic and environmental sustainability.

A public consultation took place between 17 May and 25 June 2008, on the draft Wood Green Town Centre SPD and the draft document’s subsequent amendment to reflect views expressed during the consultation.  There were 73 representations from members of the public who were generally supportive of the document as it stood.  However, objections had been received on any pedestrianisation of Wood Green Town Centre and less objections to the demolition of the Civic Centre.  The wording in the SPG had been changed to reflect the objections to the demolition of the Civic Centre.

The Committee was asked to note the work, including extensive initial and statutory consultation, carried out on the Wood Green Town Centre SPD, as well as the accompanying Statutory Consultation Report, Sustainability Report and Equalities Impact Assessment.

Members felt that any responses or suggestions for the Civic Centre should be considered carefully as the Council had a policy to create a new Civic Centre at Wood Side House.  In response the officer confirmed that any proposal for the Civic Centre would be open to a planning brief on how it would be taken forward.  All changes to existing public highways would be subject to consultation, traffic consultation and assessment of the conditions.

The Committee was advised that the Wood Green SPD was to provide a high level of strategic policy for Wood Green and to inform Members of the changes based on the consultation.  The document would be used for guidance purposes for developers.  It would have no statutory power but has publicity in which the Town Centre could be promoted.

The Chair moved a motion to agree the recommendations outlined in the report.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations outlined in the report be agreed:

1. That the Committee note the work, including extensive initial and statutory consultation, carried out on the Wood Green Town Centre SPD, as well as the accompanying statutory consultation report, sustainability report and equalities impact assessment.
2. That the Committee recommends the Wood Green Town Centre SPD and associated documents are adopted, subject to Cabinet approval on the 14 October 2008.

Monday 6 October 2008

Monday 6 October 2008.

The meeting concluded at 9:20pm.