Agenda and draft 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:

Councillor Nawaz had been lobbied but had expressed no view on both applications CR/2023/0734/FUL and CR/2022/0609/FUL.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 2 April 2024.

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 2 April 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider report PES/458aof the Head of Economy and Planning.

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT

The Committee considered report PES/458a of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

Erection of a new 4 storey Sussex and Surrey Institute of Technology Building, and the reconfiguration of the car parking layout with associated hard and soft landscaping and new substation.

Councillors Ali, Charatan, Jaggard, K Khan, S Mullins, Mwagale, Nawaz and Pritchard declared they had visited the site.

The Principal Planning Officer provided a verbal summation of the application, which sought permission for the second redevelopment of the Crawley College site for a new Institute of Technology building. 

The Committee was informed of clerical corrections to the report as follows:

·         The fifth line of paragraph 5.33 should read ‘An additional 7 trees will be provided to replace those that are to be removed’.

·         The second line of paragraph 5.46 should read ‘Roof water will be collected via a rainwater harvesting tank and used for flushing the WCs in the new building’.

The Officer updated the Committee that, since the publication of the report discussions regarding the Surface Water Management Plan and Method Statement had taken place which had led to recommended amendments to pre-commencement condition 4.  Furthermore, updates and final comments had been received from WSCC as the Lead Local Flood Authority and from Water Environment regarding water neutrality which had led to recommended additional conditions 26, 27 and 28:

Pre-Commencement Conditions

That the Committee was requested to grant delegated authority to the Head of Economy and Planning to amend Condition 4 from a pre-commencement condition to a condition requiring the implementation of the Surface Water Management Plan and Method Statement, subject to agreement from consultees that the Surface Water Management Plan and Method Statement were acceptable.

New Conditions

26.       The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until details of the maintenance and management of the sustainable drainage scheme have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The drainage scheme shall be implemented prior to first occupation of the building and thereafter managed and maintained in accordance with the approved details in perpetuity. The details of the scheme to be submitted for approval shall include:

a) a timetable for its implementation;

b) details of SuDS features and connecting drainage structures and maintenance requirement for each aspect; and

c) a management and maintenance plan for the lifetime of the development which shall include the arrangements for adoption by any public body or statutory undertaker, or any other arrangements to secure the operation of the sustainable drainage scheme throughout its lifetime.

REASON: To ensure that the development achieves a high standard of sustainability and ensure the flood risk is adequately addressed and not increased in accordance Policy ENV8 of the Crawley Borough Local Plan 2015 – 2030 and Policy EP1 of the Draft Crawley Borough Local Plan 2023 – 2040.

27        The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until a Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan which covers a period of no less than 15 years has been submitted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider report PES/458bof the Head of Economy and Planning.

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT

The Committee considered report PES/458b of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

Redevelopment of the site for three commercial buildings – Unit 1 (Class B2 Use), Units 2 and 3 (Class B8 Use) and associated servicing, parking and landscaping.

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

The Acting Group Manager (Development Management) provided a verbal summation of the application, which sought permission for the demolition of the existing buildings on the site and the subsequent redevelopment of the site by the construction of 3 separate commercial units, as now amended. The proposed Unit 1 would be used for Class B2 - general industrial and the proposed Units 2 and 3 would be used for Class B8 - storage and distribution. 

The Officer updated the Committee that, since the publication of the report discussions regarding water neutrality were continuing which could lead to recommended changes relating to Conditions 4 and 32.

Condition 4 currently restricted the hours of operation to unit 1 and the Applicant was seeking to demonstrate that the site would remain water neutral even if unit 1 operated on a 24hr/day basis.  Further information had been submitted and was being assessed.  If subsequently agreed with Natural England this would remove the need for this Condition and would result in an amendment to Condition 32.

In terms of Conditions 4 and 32, the Committee was requested to grant delegated authority to the Head of Economy and Planning, if appropriate, to delete Condition 4, and amend the documents referred to in Condition 32, subject to the conclusion of consultation and agreement with Natural England.

Amended Conditions

That the Committee was requested to grant delegated authority to the Head of Economy and Planning to:

·         Delete Condition 4, if appropriate, following satisfactory appropriate assessment and consultation with Natural England that the applicant can demonstrate water neutrality on the basis of 24 hour per day operation of Unit 1 and

·         Amend the documents referred to in Condition 32, subject to the satisfactory conclusion and consultation with Natural England.

The Officer then drew the Committee’s attention to the first pages of the report which identified the plans and drawings which had been considered as part of the application. The Committee was advised that amendments to the following drawing references were required:

·         Drawing numbers CBC 0001 ‘Proposed Elevations Unit 3’ 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2321 ‘Site Sections As Proposed’ and 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2340 ‘Typical Sections As Proposed’ had been updated and superseded by drawing 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2340 ‘Typical Sections – As Proposed’ and could therefore be deleted from the list of approved drawings.

·         The following drawing numbers would be deleted: 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2900, 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2901, 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2902 and 19032-HNW-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-2903

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

Rory Joyce, the agent (Brunel Planning) spoke  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.