Democracy in Crawley

How decisions are made and who represents you

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room C - Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Email: Democratic.Services@crawley.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

Disclosures of Interest

In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, councillors are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.

 

Minutes:

The following disclosures of interests were made:

 

Councillor

 

Item and Minute

 

Type and Nature of Interest

 

Councillor Ali

 

 

 

Planning Application CR/2023/0197/FUL – Land Adjacent to Hydehurst Lane, Northgate

(minute 4)

 

Personal interest – a West Sussex County Councillor.

 

 

 

Councillor Ali

 

 

 

Planning Application CR/2023/0484/FUL –

9 Mill Road, Three Bridges

(minute 6)

 

Personal interest – a member of West Sussex County Council’s Planning and Rights of Way Committee.

 

 

2.

Lobbying Declarations

The Planning Code of Conduct requires any councillors who have been lobbied, received correspondence, or been approached by an interested party regarding any planning matter to declare this at the meeting at which the matter is being considered. Councillors should declare if they have been lobbied at this point in the meeting.

 

Minutes:

The following lobbying declarations were made by councillors:

 

Councillors Ali, Jaggard, K Khan, Y Khan, S Mullins, Mwagale, and Pritchard had been lobbied but had expressed no view on application CR/2023/0197/FUL.

 

Councillor Ali had been lobbied but had expressed no view on application CR/2023/0220/FUL.

 

Councillor Ali had been lobbied but had expressed no view on application CR/2023/0420/FUL.

 

Councillors Ali and Pritchard had been lobbied but had expressed no view on application CR/2023/0484/FUL.

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 97 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 24 October 2023.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 24 October 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

 

4.

Planning Application CR/2023/0197/FUL - Land Adjacent to Hydehurst Lane, Northgate, Crawley pdf icon PDF 448 KB

To consider report PES/440aof the Head of Economy and Planning.

 

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered report PES/440a of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

 

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a parcel distribution centre (class B8) including car and cycle parking, servicing, landscaping, new access and associated works.

 

Councillors Ali, Jaggard, and Mwagale declared they had visited the site.

 

The Principal Planning Officer (VC) provided a verbal summation of the application, which set out a proposal to construct a warehouse building for use as a parcel distribution centre bordering the Manor Royal Business District.  It was explained that the recommendation was that the Committee delegate the decision to permit the application to the Head of Economy and Planning.  The Officer then gave details of the various relevant planning considerations as set out in the report.

 

Hayden Kreetzer, the agent (Quod), spoke on behalf of the applicant in support of the application.  Matters raised included:

·     The development was purposely designed for its intended occupier (DPD).  It was predicted that 130 jobs at different levels were to be created and £6m would be brought to the local economy.

·     The building was designed to reflect its location on the border of the Manor Royal Business District to the south and open countryside to the north.  A green roof was proposed which would create a biodiversity net gain and a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating was to be achieved.

·     Traffic modelling had shown that there was capacity on nearby roads and junctions to account for an increase in vehicle movements.

 

The Committee then considered the application. Further information was sought regarding the potential impact of an increase in traffic around the application site.  The Officer confirmed that a transport assessment had been undertaken, which predicted an additional 77 two-way vehicle movements in the morning peak period and 82 in the afternoon peak period.  West Sussex County Council, as highways authority, had concluded that there would be no unacceptable impact on nearby roads and junctions as there was currently excess capacity, and had raised no objection to the proposals.  Hydehurst Lane was a privately-owned highway; any damage to the road would fall to the owner to repair.

 

Committee members sought more detail about the proposed changes to the ponds currently at the site and any related flood risk.  The Officer clarified that the pond at the eastern end of the site was to be retained and enhanced.  The pond in the central section was to be removed; underground storage tanks were to be installed underneath the car park to collect rainwater to protect against flooding.  The existing drainage features at the western end of the site were to be retained.  The measures set out in the drainage strategy had been considered by specialists and were deemed sufficient to mitigate any water displacement caused by the development.

 

Committee members raised several other points as part of the discussion:

·     A concern was raised that the development was located within the boundary of safeguarded land for the potential future development of a second runway at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Planning Application CR/2023/0220/FUL - 76 Gales Drive, Three Bridges, Crawley pdf icon PDF 313 KB

To consider report PES/440b of the Head of Economy and Planning.

 

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered report PES/440b of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

 

Construction of a part two storey / part single storey rear and side extension.

 

Councillors Ali, Jaggard, Mwagale, and Pritchard declared they had visited the site.

 

The Principal Planning Officer (HW) provided a verbal summation of the application, which sought permission for an extension to a residential property.  The extension was proposed to be the full width of the existing property at ground floor level, with a small area around the side of the property, and the addition of one habitable room on the first floor.  The Officer then gave details of the various relevant planning considerations as set out in the report.

 

M Amer, the applicant, spoke in support of the application.  Matters raised included:

·     The proposal in front of the Committee was the final of a number of iterations, which had been changed following feedback from Planning Officers.  The original plans were ambitious and had sought a four bedroom house; the application would instead create a three bedroom house.

·     Compromises had been made in order to reduce the adverse impact of the proposals on neighbours and discussion with the owner of the neighbouring property had taken place.

·     The space available for the extension was limited but had been made use of as best as possible.

 

The Committee then considered the application.  A Committee member raised concerns that a significant amount of space would be lost from the garden as a result of the extension.  The Officer confirmed that the garden depth would be reduced to eight metres, which was below the minimum of 10.5 metres set out in the Urban Design SPD, however reassurance was given that the sizable width of the rear garden and the large front garden would mitigate this and the total area would exceed policy requirements.

 

Clarification was sought about the positioning of the window on the first floor part of the extension and the extent to which it may overlook the neighbouring school.  The Officer explained that the window was for an ensuite bathroom so would likely be obscured, and would overlook the school’s parking/service space rather than the main area.

 

RESOLVED

 

Permit subject to the conditions set out in report PES/440b.

 

6.

Planning Application CR/2023/0484/FUL - 9 Mill Road, Three Bridges, Crawley pdf icon PDF 476 KB

To consider report PES/440dof the Head of Economy and Planning.

 

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT.

 

Minutes:

­The Committee considered report PES/440d of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

 

Erection of 1 x attached three bed dwelling in side garden space, and erection of single storey side and rear extension and internal alterations to existing dwelling.

 

Councillors Ali, Jaggard, and Pritchard declared they had visited the site.

 

The Principal Planning Officer (HW) provided a verbal summation of the application, which sought permission for an extension to a residential property on Mill Road and a new, separate dwelling attached to the existing property.  The Officer updated the Committee that, since the publication of the report, updates to the drawings submitted with the application had been made which had led to amendments to condition 2 as follows:

·     Replacement of drawings PL001 Rev B (Site Plan), PL301 Rev B (Proposed Floor Plans Loft and Roof), PL300 Rev C (Proposed Floor Plans Ground Floor & First Floor) and PL310 Rev A (Proposed Elevations), as listed in the report, by the updated drawings PL001 Rev C, PL301 Rev C, PL300 Rev D and PL310 Rev B.

 

It was explained that the Committee was recommended to delegate the decision to permit the application to the Head of Economy and Planning. The Officer then gave details of the various relevant planning considerations as set out in the report.

 

Elena Andrei, a neighbour of the site, spoke in objection to the application.  Matters raised included:

·     The property was in a conservation area – the character of which, under planning legislation, should be preserved and enhanced.  The proposed application did not contribute to the preservation or enhancement of the area.

·     Damage to properties and to the highway may be caused by construction work; this was of particular concern given the age of the houses on Mill Road.

·     The highway assessment undertaken by West Sussex County Council was insufficient.

 

Brenda Burgess, Ward Councillor for Three Bridges, spoke in objection to the application.  Matters raised included:

·     There was a known issue with narrow roads and limited parking availability in the area.  West Sussex County Council had not consulted residents as part of its parking assessment and had not seemed to consider that 77% of parking permits had already been prescribed for the controlled parking zone.

·     The construction of another building would displace water and may increase local flood risk; especially in light of recent significantly high rainfall levels.

·     Although the design of the development was said to be in-keeping with the style of the area, it was still likely to be difficult to recreate the character of the older neighbouring railway properties.  The proposed dwelling was large and bulky.

 

The Committee then considered the application.  Committee members discussed that no parking provision was proposed as part of the application and that there was a shortfall of up to 4.5 parking spaces.  Concerns were raised that parking was already an issue in the local area and the loss of spaces may exacerbate this.  Mill Road was a narrow one-way street which could become dangerous  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Planning Application CR/2023/0420/FUL - Unit A, 1-3 Metcalf Way, Langley Green, Crawley pdf icon PDF 299 KB

To consider report PES/440c of the Head of Economy and Planning.

 

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered report PES/440c of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

 

Insertion of 3 no. new windows complete with roller shutters to south east flank wall.

 

Councillor Ali declared he had visited the site.

 

The Principal Planning Officer (VC) provided a verbal summation of the application.  It was explained that that the internal layout of the building was being altered, so permission was sought for the installation of three windows to align with the new floorplans.  The Officer then gave details of the various relevant planning considerations as set out in the report.

 

The Committee then considered the application.  It was noted that the changes proposed were modest and were of an acceptable scale and design.

 

RESOLVED

 

Permit subject to the conditions set out in report PES/440c.

 

8.

Section 106 Monies - Q1 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 214 KB

To consider report PES/446 of the Head of Economy and Planning.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered report PES/446 of the Head of Economy and Planning, which summarised all the Section 106 (S106) monies received, spent and committed to project schemes in quarter one of the financial year 2023/24. 

 

The Head of Economy and Planning explained that funding received through S106 contributions via planning applications sought to offset the impacts of those developments and must be spent on specified projects.  A Committee member requested clarification on the status of the Memorial Gardens mosaic project, to which S106 monies had been previously committed.  It was heard that the works on the mosaic had been completed and the monies utilised, so there was an outstanding administrative procedure to ensure that that money was allocated to the correct budget.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the update on S106 monies received, spent and committed in quarter one of the financial year 2023/24 was noted.