Agenda and minutes

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

The following disclosures of interests were made:

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.

The following lobbying declarations were made by Councillors:

Councillors Ali, Burrett, Jaggard, K Khan, Y Khan, Mwagale, Pritchard, Raja and Sivarajah had been lobbied but had expressed no view on application CR/2022/0783/FUL.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 6 February 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 6 February 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider report PES/411aof the Head of Economy and Planning.

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT

The Committee considered report PES/411a of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

Improvement works to railway station forecourt, including rationalisation of bus facilities with area for bus hub, car, cycle and motorcycle parking, taxi rank, and drop off/pick up areas; highway alterations; and the provision of public (pedestrian/cycle) access to eastern side of station from Station Hill including cycle parking, ticket machine and entrance building and revised depot and signal staff parking.

Councillors Ali, Burrett, Jaggard, K Khan, Mullins, Mwagale, Pritchard, Raja and Sivarajah declared they had visited the site.

The Principal Planning Officer provided a verbal summation of the application, which sought permission for improvement works to the railway station forecourt to promote sustainable forms of travel and to improve accessibility to the transport interchange. The works included the creation of new, enlarged and better quality public space across the whole of the site frontage along Haslett Avenue East; the rationalisation of the bus facilities with an area for a bus hub; car, cycle and motorcycle parking, taxi rank, and drop off/pick up areas; highway alterations; and the provision of public (pedestrian/cycle) access to the eastern side of the station from Station Hill including cycle parking, a ticket machine and an entrance building, with revised depot and signal staff parking facilities; and space available for public art.

The Officer updated the Committee that, since the publication of the report, the Environment Agency had requested several additional conditions relating to ground water and prevention of its contamination.  The Environment Agency had also requested several additional informatives which related to the new conditions and information on which those conditions were based.  Those new conditions and informatives concerned:

·        A Contamination Strategy.

·        A verification report demonstrating completion of works identified in the Remediation Strategy.

·        A Remediation Strategy for any potential previously unidentified contamination.

·        Surface water drainage.

In addition to the new conditions requested by the Environment Agency, the Principal Planning Officer had incorporated an additional informative regarding ongoing discussions with the station operatorsto explore alternative positions for the loading bay and had amended current Condition 4 as follows to clarify the position of the protective fences for trees:

Amended Condition 4:

“No development or site works of any description, including setting up works or storage of materials, plant or equipment, shall take place on the part of the application site that is on the eastern side of the railway unless and until all the existing trees/bushes/hedges to be retained on the site have been protected with fences in accordance with the details set out in the Arboricultural Report and the Tree Protection Plan. The protective fencing shall remain in position for the duration of the works.Within the areas so fenced off, the existing ground level shall be neither raised nor lowered and no materials, temporary buildings, plant machinery or surplus soil shall be placed or stored thereon without the prior written approval of the Local Planning Authority. If any trenches for services are required in the fenced  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider report PES/429 of the Head of Economy and Planning.

RECOMMENDATION to CONFIRM.

The Committee considered report PES/429 of the Head of Economy and Planning which sought to determine whether to confirm the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) – St Joan Close No. 1 – 04/2022 – with or without modification for continued protection, or not to confirm the TPO.

Councillor Burrett declared they had visited the site.

The Group Manager (Development Management) provided a verbal summation of the application, which related to two trees in residential gardens in Langley Green.  In October 2022 the trees were protected under a six month provisional TPO, which the Committee was now requested to confirm.  Objections had been received from local residents regarding the protection of one of the trees in particular. 

Ian Chandler, the owner of a neighbouring property to the site of the trees, spoke on behalf of all the objectors to the TPO.  Several photos submitted by Mr Chandler were displayed during their presentation.  Matters raised, particularly in respect of the larger tree, included:

·       They did not wish to fell the tree but wanted to trim and tidy it.

·       The tree was unruly, dropped sticky residue on the garden and provided an excessive amount of shade to the garden which stopped grass from growing.

·       The tree provided limited amenity value as it was not visible from the street.

The Committee then considered the application.  Whilst it appreciated the matters raised by Mr Chandler, it held the opinion that a TPO did not prevent works from being undertaken and the trees were worthy of protection.  The Committee therefore unanimously agreed that the TPO should be confirmed without modification.

RESOLVED

That the Tree Preservation Order - St Joan Close No. 1 - 04/2022 be CONFIRMED without modification.

To consider report PES/428 of the Head of Economy and Planning.

The Committee considered report PES/428 of theHead of Economy and Planning.

The report summarised all the Section 106 (S106) monies received, spent and committed to project schemes in Quarter 3 of the financial year 2022/23.

RESOLVED

That the update on S106 monies received, spent and committed in Quarter 3 of the financial year 2022/23 was noted.