Agenda item

Ms Hulme made the Committee aware that the proposed site has been subject to enforcement complaints. These complaints we investigated and then further investigated. The findings were that there had been an increase of ground level for the proposed application and therefore offered apologies on behalf of the Planning Department that this issue had not been identified sooner.

This application sought a minor material amendment to a scheme that was granted planning permission under reference TWC/2019/0711.  The material amendment relates to the finished floor levels (FFL) of the dwellings being up to 500mm higher than approved.

Cllr Carter – Ward Councillor, spoke against this application. He shared with Committee that the local residents were unhappy due to the impact of the stark development that was overlooking their properties. The proposed development was now on a larger scale than first agreed. Residents’ complaints consisted of loss of light and privacy due to the extra height and noise increase.

Mrs Lloyd – Member of the public, spoke against this application.  She raised her concerns regarding overdevelopment of the area and believed that the developer saved money by not lowering the ground. She raised concerns that residents were not consulted and raising fence height would not lower the height of the houses.

Mr Knight – Applicant, spoke in favour of this application. He shared with the Committee that he worked for a small loyal workforce with the proposed application being their 4th site since 2014 and was purchased with planning permission. They were not a large scale building company and unfortunately had no knowledge of the height error originally. The reason for the error was due to the service plan with the floor level not being transferred to the report. Plans included the addition of trees within the boundary. He informed Committee that the raise in the height of the fences would be in accordance with height of the properties.

After clarification from the Legal Adviser regarding the general position relating to members’ interests and committee decision making, Cllr Kiernan withdrew from the Committee meeting for this application saying that he would not be staying or voting on this application due to any potential conflict of interest due to his Free Mason membership.

Members stated that they had found the site visit useful and did not feel the increased height of 48cm would make much of a difference to the current residents view. Proposed tree planting was sufficient and the development would improve the area. A member raised questions regarding the number of parking spaces for residents.

Ms Denmark – Planning Officer, informed the Committee overdevelopment, scale, noise disturbance, highways and overshadowing were considered and deemed acceptable. Additional landscaping and higher fences would contribute to making the development acceptable. The original application’s parking did comply previously and provided garages remain as garages then parking will comply. Measures will be in place to prohibit garage conversions.

Upon being put to vote, it was unanimously

RESOLVED: that in respect of planning application TWC/2020/0624 delegated authority be granted to the Development Management Service Delivery Manager to grant full planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives (with authority to finalise conditions and reasons for approval to be delegated to Development Management Service Delivery Manager) set out in the report.