Agenda item

To consider report PES/405aof the Head of Economy and Planning.

RECOMMENDATION to PERMIT.

The Committee considered report PES/405a of the Head of Economy and Planning which proposed as follows:

Demolition of Longley House (offices) & erection of building ranging between 4 to 9 storeys to provide 121 x residential units (class C3) with associated sub-station, car/cycle parking, tree works, public realm improvements and landscaping.

Councillors Ali and Mwagale declared they had visited the site since the application was previously considered by the Committee.

The Principal Planning Officer (VC) provided a verbal summation of the application, which the Committee previously resolved to permit on 3 November 2020.  The application had since been affected by the Natural England (NE) position statement on water neutrality and therefore required further consideration solely on this matter.  The proposed development’s estimated water usage was likely to be higher than the current usage as office space.  Water neutrality was to be achieved, however, through a combination of on-site water efficiency measures (water-saving fixtures/fittings, grey water recycling, and limitations to the watering of the landscaping and washing of vehicles) and off-site offsetting measures (through the Crawley Homes Water Neutrality Retrofit Programme). 

The Officer updated the Committee that, since the publication of the report, the recommendation had needed to be updated to refer to the consultation with NE and the conclusion of the S106 legal agreement.  The recommendation was therefore to delegate the decision to permit the application to the Head of Economy and Planning subject to the conclusion of consultation with NE, the conclusion of the S106 agreement, and the conditions as set out in the agenda.

Henry Courtier, the agent, spoke on behalf of the applicant in support of the application.  Matters raised included:

·       Since the original application had been permitted, the applicant had worked collaboratively with Crawley Borough Council’s Housing and Planning teams to propose a scheme that achieved water neutrality.

·       The proposals sought to implement water efficiency measures on-site and to utilise the Retrofit Programme.

·       The granting of permission for these matters would allow work to begin on the delivery of the scheme, which was to provide 121 affordable homes in Crawley town centre.

The Committee then considered the application.  Committee members sought clarification on the reasons for the application being put forward prior to others which had been delayed by water neutrality requirements.  Officers explained that the two applications on the agenda had been previously permitted by the Committee and the S106 agreements had almost been completed, so these applications were further progressed than other cases. It was also confirmed that it was the responsibility of a developer to present water neutrality solutions to the Local Planning Authority, and presently, the two applications on the agenda were the sole larger residential applications which had done so.

A Committee member noted that the development’s estimated water usage was based on an 88% occupancy rate; it was queried as to whether this could lead to an underestimation of water usage.  The Planning Officer clarified that this was not 88% of the total units being occupied, but 88% of the total number of people that could occupy the entire development.

Concerns were raised that the proposed limitations on vehicle washing would simply displace the water that would have been used to wash vehicles on-site to elsewhere in the borough.  Officers confirmed that further detail was to be provided as part of the Section 106 agreement.

The Retrofit Programme was discussed in detail.  Officers confirmed that the scheme was ongoing and data would be analysed to evaluate its success as it continued.  So far 100 homes had been fitted with the flow regulator fitting and this was being rolled out selectively.  Tenants were not required to have the fitting installed; those that did were able to have it removed if they changed their minds within six months.

Further questions were put to officers regarding the operation of the flow regulators.  It was highlighted that the fittings had been shown to regulate and improve, rather than decrease, water pressure.  Although the fittings did not reduce water usage when a specific volume of water was required, they did reduce usage through showers and hand washing.  It was hoped that tenants would also see a benefit in the form of lower water bills.

A Committee member suggested that in the future, the Retrofit Programme be streamlined by installing water-saving fixtures and fittings between Crawley Homes tenancies, while properties were empty.

RESOLVED

Delegate the decision to permit the application to the Head of Economy and Planning, subject to the conclusion of consultation with Natural England, the conclusion of a Section 106 agreement, and the conditions set out in report PES/405a.