Agenda and minutes

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and other registrable and non-registrable interests they may have in relation to any item(s) of business on today’s agenda.

There were no disclosures of a pecuniary interest not already registered.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was none.

To receive the following presentations on a proposed development:

There are none.

There were none.

To consider the accompanying reports by the Director of Planning & Strategic Transport:

There were two planning applications under comsideration at this meeting, the decisions of which are detailed below.

Outline planning permission (access, appearance, layout and scale) for the demolition of the existing house and the construction of a 3 storey building comprising 8 flats together with the provision of 8 parking spaces, refuse and cycle storage, all other matters reserved (landscaping).

Ward: Purley and Woodcote

Recommendation: Grant permission

Hoa Vong, Principal Planner (Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery), presented the report to members, highlighting that it was important to note that an outline application had been approved in 2018 for a very similar proposal, but that since then there had been improvements made to the plans. This included a 3-bedroom family unit, a lift and fire lobby with accessibility to all floors, larger gardens, and a wheelchair accessible unit on the ground floor.

It was important to note that the 2018 plans could still be implemented but that the development then would not benefit from the improvements mentioned if the application put before the committee at this meeting were not approved.

In response to members’ questions, officers clarified that:

·        Landscaping matters would be approved after the application was decided upon;

·        Flooding was not indicated as a significant risk but that as part of details submitted the applicant would need to demonstrate that any surface water drainage could be successfully handled on-site and that localised flooding risk would not be increased;

·        The use of the £12,000 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) local transport contribution would not be determined in the conditions;

·        The new gradient of the wheelchair ramp was 1/20;

·        The site did not warrant an ecology survey to be carried out.

Members heard representations against the application regarding the following points:

·        That the development took no consideration of damage to the character of the road by introducing flats;

·        That the proposals constituted overdevelopment that would result in loss of privacy to neighbouring properties;

·        That there had been a change in political leadership since the original development was approved;

·        That the flats would suffer from inadequate amenity space.

In response to objections officers clarified that the change in political control of the council did not affect the decisions of the local planning authority, and also that 3-bedroom properties, even when they were flats, were considered family homes. The amenity space provided was either equal to or in excess of that required by the London Plan.

The committee then made its deliberations. Councillor Appu Srinivasan moved the recommendation to GRANT planning permission. This was seconded by Councillor Mohammed Islam, and:

RESOLVED, unanimously to:

2.1  That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission

2.2  That the Director of Planning Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to issue the planning permission subject to:

A. The prior completion of a legal agreement to secure the following planning obligations:

1. Sustainable transport contribution of £12,000
2. S.278 agreement to secure highways works
3. Monitoring fee
4. Payment of the Council’s reasonable legal costs
5. Any other planning obligation(s) considered necessary by the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration

2.3  That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to negotiate the legal agreement indicated above.

2.4  That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives to secure the following matters:

Conditions
1. Submission of reserved matters within 3 years development shall  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/23

Demolition of the existing dwelling and construction of 4 x 4 bed dwellings and 2 x 4 bed detached dwellings with associated car parking provision, cycle storage, refuse storage and landscaping and demolition of existing dwelling.

Ward: Coulsdon Town

Recommendation: Grant permission

Officers presented the application to members and responded to members’ questions as follows:

·       That a swept-path analysis had demonstrated that cars parked in the properties to the rear of the development would not have to reverse out of the carpark to exit it;

·       That the access path to the properties could be delineated to provide a pedestrian area;

·       That the distance between the properties and the neighbouring properties was policy-compliant at between 18-22 metres;

·       That the proposal was design-led and comprised a number of large family houses.

The committee then heard representations from Richard Walker and Councillor Luke Shortland, who objected to the proposals for the following reasons:

·       The site would be inaccessible as the proposal required the removal of a hedge that did not belong to the site;

·       There would be damage to the biodiversity of the site;

·       The development would cause overlooking of neighbouring properties and would be overbearing;

·       That the buildings would cause loss of privacy to the neighbouring properties and that it was out of keeping with the character of the area.

In response to issues raised, officers responded that three ecology reports had been done and that the external specialists who were consulted had not raised any objections to the application based on loss of biodiversity. Officers also responded that there was no evidence to suggest that the boundaries had been incorrectly marked.

After deliberation Councillor Sean Fitzsimons moved the officers’ recommendation to grant planning permission. This was seconded by Councillor Mohammed Islam, put to the vote and:

RESOLVED, unanimously:

2.1     That the Committee resolves to GRANT planning permissions

2.2     That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delighted authority to issue the planning permission subject to:

A. The prior completion of a legal agreement to secure the following planning obligations:

1.     Sustainable transport contribution of £9,000

2.     S.278 and/or S.38 agreement to secure highways works

3.     Monitoring fee

4.     Payment of the Council’s reasonable legal costs

5.     Any other planning obligation(s) considered necessary by the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration

2.3     That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to negotiate the legal agreement indicated above.

2.4     That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives to secure the following matters:

Conditions

1.     Commencement time limit of 3 years

2.     Development to be carried out in accordance with the approved drawings and Reports

Prior to above ground works

3.     Submission of materials and design details

4.     Pre-occupation Wildlife sensitive lighting design scheme

5.     Development in accordance with accessible home requirement M4(3) and M4(2)

6.     Submission of external energy plant details including PV panels and air source heat pumps

7.     Details of bin and bike store layout

8.     Details of finished floor levels and retaining walls

Compliance

9.     Obscure glazing on flank windows above ground floor lebel

10.Compliane with SUDS details

11.Compliance with Delivery and Servicing Details

12.Compliance with Arboricultural Assessment and Tree Protection  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17/23

To consider any item(s) referred by a previous meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee to this Committee for consideration and determination:

There are none.

There were none.

To consider the accompanying report by the Director of Planning & Strategic Transport:

There were none.

Attached is the list of Delegated and Planning Committee/SubCommittee decisions taken between 12 June 2023 and 23 June 2023.

These were noted by the committee.