Agenda item

The planning application was for a new shop unit with two flats above at 70-80 Storrington Way, Werrington. The application outlined in the report was a resubmission, following refusal of a previous scheme in 2013.

The main considerations were:

·    The Principle of Development

·    Highways

·    Design and Visual Amenity

·    Residential Amenity

·    Neighbourhood Amenity

·    Landscaping

·    Section 106

It was officer’s recommendation that planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the report and the signing of a legal agreement.

The Head of Development and Construction provided an overview of the application and raised the following key points:

·         The Committee previously refused planning permission for a previous version of this application, against officer recommendation.

·         The Committee refused on the grounds of highways. The footprint of the site would extend into the visibility slope.

·         The Committee’s decision was upheld at appeal, however the planning inspector was critical of the lack of detail presented to Committee and costs were awarded.

·         The current application before Committee proposed a revised footprint which cleared the forward visibility slope.

·         The matters for Committee to consider were the forward visibility, which Highways were happy with, and the altered design.

·         The condition of the flats and issues regarding fly tipping were not material planning considerations.

Mr David Shaw, Agent, addressed the Committee in support of the application and responded to questions from Members. In summary the key points highlighted included:

·         The previous application had been refused on a single highways ground. This problem had been resolved with the redesign of the building.

·         The current condition of the site was not relevant.

·         It had been claimed that the grass was cut on the site by the Council, at its cost. It was the case that the Council had been required to cut the grass. This, however, had been paid for by the applicant in the past.

·         Several of the leases at the site placed the responsibility for maintenance on the tenants.

The Committee discussed the amended application and considered that the problem of highway visibility had been resolved. It was raised by a Member of the Committee that the trees proposed for removal added to the site and requested that officers consider action in relation to these trees carefully.

The Senior Engineer (Development) explained that a speed survey had been conducted and, after evaluation of the plan and site survey, Highways were happy with the visibility proposed within the application.

A motion was proposed and seconded to agree that permission be granted, as per officer recommendation. The motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: (unanimous) that planning permission is GRANTED subject to the signing of a LEGAL AGREEMENT and the conditions set out in the reports.

Reasons for the decision

Subject to the imposition of the attached conditions, the proposal was acceptable having been assessed in the light of all material considerations, including weighing against relevant policies of the development plan and specifically:

·         The proposal was for retail development within a local centre;

·         The site had extant planning consent for 7 flats therefore the principle of residential development was already established;

·         The proposal would not be detrimental to the surrounding character or to neighbouring amenity;

·         The proposal would provide a satisfactory level of accommodation for the future occupiers of the flats;

·         The proposal would not result in any adverse highway implications; and

·         The proposal would provide for replacement tree planting.

Hence the proposal accorded with policies PP2, PP3, PP4, PP12, PP9, PP11, PP13 and PP16 of the Adopted Peterborough Planning Policies DPD 2012, policies CS14, CS15 and CS16 of the Adopted Peterborough Core Strategy DPD 2011 and the National Planning Policy Framework.