Agenda item

Proposal: Application for approval of reserved matters relating to appearance, landscaping, layout, scale, access, pertaining to Buildings D3 and D4, forming Phase 2 of the Eastern Quarter, including the construction of 101 residential units and new landscaped public space pursuant to planning permission HGY/2017/3117 dated 19th April 2018.

Recommendation: GRANT

The Committee considered an application for approval of reserved matters relating to appearance, landscaping, layout, scale, access, pertaining to Buildings D3 and D4, forming Phase 2 of the Eastern Quarter, including the construction of 101 residential units and new landscaped public space pursuant to planning permission HGY/2017/3117 dated 19th April 2018.

The Planning Officer gave a presentation highlighting the key aspects of the report. 

Officers and the applicant responded to questions from the Committee:

The applicant team had worked with the Council’s Carbon Management Team, ventilation experts and noise consultants to assess the impact of the energy centre on residents and the public.  All emissions would exit the building via a flue at the roof level, and not out of the ground floor.  There was a condition which required that the noise level would not exceed 10dB of the background noise, and this would be monitored by a noise kit.  There would be some heat from the ground level – 40 degrees, at 4mph – but this would be in areas with planting so that people could not walk closely to the vents, and would not be underneath any balconies.  Around a third of the vents would emit warm air, a third would take in cold air, and a third would be doors – therefore it could be controlled where the warm air vents would be situated.

-           The plan was for the Council to take on the lease for the energy centre, and to deliver affordable energy to homes in the borough.  It was expected that 5000 new homes would be coming forward in future years, and the energy centre would be able to supply the energy for all of these.  It was envisaged that the energy centre would be supplying energy within the next 15 years.

-           There were a number of safeguards on the roof space – a 1.2m brick parapet at the edge of the roof top, with a 20cm metal balustrade.  There was also a further 1m high fence around the inner communal area.

-           There was no difference in design for the energy centre block and other blocks in the development. 

-           All units were wheelchair accessible, but there were no wheelchair adaptable homes for people to live in the D4 block.  Blocks A, B, C were to be built over underground carparks and all had wheelchair adaptable homes.

-           The Moselle walkway would be locked at night, and the development of Brook Road would encourage activity in the area.  Officers were confident that the area would not become a quiet area to attract anti-social behaviour.  There would be a onsite presence to manage the community spaces, the Moselle Walk and the courtyard. 

-           The ground floor of the block was subject to more detailed design, however due to the energy centre, majority of the frontage would be blank façade or vents. 

-           Members were reminded that the application was for reserved matters for blocks D3 and D4 and that planning permission had already been approved to include an energy centre in block D4.

-           All units in block D4 would be dual aspect.  Block D3 had 21 single aspect units.  All 3 and 4 bedroom units would have a separate kitchen/diner and living room.

-           The development would be car free, with no residents permits available.

-           The comments of the QRP in relation to overlooking were made in regard to blocks D1-4, and the design had been revised between the QRP meeting and the reserved matters application for these blocks.

Members discussed the closure of the Moselle Walk during the hours of darkness and considered that this would have a negative impact on the use of the shared spaces / communal areas by cyclists.  Officers advised that the Wood Green Area Action Plan would look at cycle connectivity, and that a walking / cycling action plan was being developed.  Members also raised concerns that the communal spaces would not be user friendly to both cyclists and pedestrians.  Councillor Cawley-Harrison proposed that a condition be added to specify that money should be spent on segregating cycle lanes, and any analysis which did not support the segregation should be considered by Full Council, rather than under officer delegated powers.  Robert Walker, the Council’s Lawyer, advised that this could not be a condition placed on the developer as it would be for the Council to implement.  He advised that an informative could be included for the Planning department to investigate how money could be spent on segregated cycle lanes.

Councillor Cawley-Harrison indicated that he would not be happy with an informative and not a condition.  Mr Walker suggested that the Planning Sub-Committee could, separate from determination of the reserved matters application, resolve that:

“The Planning Department investigates and explores how segregated cycle lanes can be provided within and around the Development using funds from the Walking and Cycling Contribution (to be paid to the Council pursuant to the section 106 agreement dated 19 April 2018) and that a report be brought back to the Sub-Committee on this matter.”

Councillor Bevan moved that a condition be added that segregated cycle lanes be provided on this development.  Councillor Williams seconded the motion.  Dean Hermitage, Head of Development Management, advised that as the application was for reserved matters, then the condition would only apply to blocks D3 and D4, and not the whole development.

The Chair moved that the application be granted, with the additional conditions and resolution as discussed, and following a vote it was unanimously

RESOLVED that:

i)          reserved matters be approved, and the Head of Development Management, or the Assistant Director of Planning be authorised to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives as set out in the Committee report, subject to the following addition:

Condition: That separate cycle lanes be provided on the development.

[Clerks note: the wording for any additional conditions and informatives approved by the Committee will be formulated by the Planning Service and included on the decision notice.]

ii)         The Planning Department is requested to investigate and explore how segregated cycle lanes can be provided within and around the Development using funds from the Walking and Cycling Contribution (to be paid to the Council pursuant to the section 106 agreement dated 19 April 2018) and that a report be brought back to the Sub-Committee on this matter.