Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jas Dhot and from Councillor Steve Tuckwell with Councillor Darran Davies substituting for the latter.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting dated 22 June 2023 be agreed as an accurate record.

None.

It was confirmed that all items were in Part I and would be considered in public.

Variation of Conditions 12 (All-Weather Pitch Hours of Use) and 13 (All-Weather Pitch Restriction of Use) of planning permission ref. 2082/APP/2007/1411 dated 11-09-2007 (Removal of existing building and construction of new early years centre and relocation of all-weather sports surface playing field (approved under planning application ref. 2082/APP/2003/1103) including details of design and layout) to change the permitted operating hours and use of the all-weather pitch.

Recommendations: Approve + Sec 106

RESOLVED:

1.    That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Planning and PPA Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chairman, to draft an informative to ensure any future floodlighting applications at the site be brought back to Committee for consideration;

2.    That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Planning and PPA Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chairman, to amend Condition 14 to ensure temporary consent is granted for a 24-month temporary period;

3.    That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Planning and PPA Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chairman, to expand Condition 15 to include a noise complaint procedure;

4.    That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Planning and PPA Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chairman, to amend Condition 9 to ensure activities are supervised by a Coach or Club Member and that no championships or tournaments are held at the application site; and

5.    That the application be approved.

Variation of Conditions 12 (All-Weather Pitch Hours of Use) and 13 (All-Weather Pitch Restriction of Use) of planning permission ref. 2082/APP/2007/1411 dated 11-09-2007 (Removal of existing building and construction of new early years centre and relocation of all-weather sports surface playing fields (approved under planning application ref. 2082/APP/2003/1103) including details of design and layout) to change the permitted operating hours and use of the all-weather pitch.

Officers introduced the application. Members heard that planning permission was sought to amend conditions in relation to hours of use and who was permitted to use the sports pitch. The proposal was to extend the hours of use to 09:00-21:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00-18:00 on Saturdays and 10:00-16:00 on Sundays. Use by the wider community on a managed basis was also proposed. It was considered that the noise nuisance risk was low, and a Noise Mitigation and Management Plan would be submitted prior to use of the all-weather playing surfaces during evening hours (18:00-21:00). It was considered that a reason for refusal based on noise would not be robust or defendable at appeal. No flood lighting was proposed in the current application. The Highways Authority had been consulted and it was considered that the proposal was unlikely to have a significant impact on the highway. In respect of air quality, the application site was in the catchment area of a LBH Focus Area hence a S106 agreement of £12,222 was payable to Hillingdon to deliver air quality measures.

A petition had been received in objection to the proposal. The lead petitioner was in attendance and addressed the Committee. Key points highlighted included:

·         There were 52 flats in the Glen where people of all age groups resided. The Glen lay close to the application site and the noise emanating from the application site was already difficult to bear;

·         The area lay within the Northwood Town Centre Green Lane Conservation Area and maintenance of the stream was key;

·         If the application were to be approved, residents of The Glen would be subjected to additional noise, light and air pollution;

·         Wildlife in the area had halved in recent years – bees, frogs, hedgehogs and birds were rarely seen;

·         The Police Station change of use application had been refused due to traffic, air pollution and noise concerns;

·         Petitioners did not agree that the impact of traffic overspill onto The Glen would be negligible;

·         The air quality mitigation of £12,222 would serve no purpose as it would not resolve pollution concerns – more mature trees should be planted to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen;

·         At the very least, the sports pitch should not be used on Sundays.

In response to questions from Members, the lead petitioner stated that parking issues could occur at any time of day. The roads in the Glen were of a standard width. To date no direct representations to Councillors or the school had been made in respect of the noise nuisance. The lead petitioner confirmed that residents of the Glen had a good  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

Redevelopment of the site to provide a flexible warehouse facility (Use Class B2/B8) and ancillary office space, with associated HGV loading and servicing bay, car and cycle parking, access arrangements, landscaping and infrastructure.

Recommendations: Approve + Sec 106

RESOLVED: That the application be approved subject to the information in the addendum and the conditions set out in the officer’s report.

Redevelopment of the site to provide a flexible warehouse facility (Use Class B2/B8) and ancillary office space, with associated HGV loading and servicing bay, car and cycle parking, access arrangements, landscaping and infrastructure.

Officers introduced the application and highlighted the information in the addendum. Members heard that the proposed redevelopment was considered acceptable from a design perspective and was deemed not to be out of keeping with the Green Belt. There would be space for two HGV vehicles to pass each other at points on Horton Road and access and egress would be controlled at the site. The application was recommended for approval.

Members sought further clarification regarding the view from the Green Belt. It was confirmed that a visual impact assessment had been carried out and reviewed by officers. It was considered that the development would have no significant impact on the views from the Green Belt – dense tree planting at Stockley Park Golf Course offered good screening and the application site would sit below the treeline.

In response to further queries from the Committee, Members heard that some diseased trees would be removed at the site, but replacement trees were proposed. The Tree Officer had raised no concerns in this regard.

Members were informed that the enhanced Horton Road would widened to 8.5m with 2m of footpath either side hence there would be adequate space for both vehicular access and foot traffic.

Members raised no further concerns. The officer’s recommendation was moved, seconded and, when put to a vote, unanimously approved.

RESOLVED: That the application be approved subject to the information in the addendum and the conditions set out in the officer’s report.

Conversion of the stadia pitch to a 3G Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) with a 1.1-metre-high fence and replacement 158-seater stand to the eastern elevation of the stadia pitch.

Recommendations: Approval

RESOLVED: That the application be approved.

Conversion of the stadia pitch to a 3G Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) with a 1.1 metre high fence and replacement 158 seater stand to the eastern elevation of the stadia pitch.

Officers introduced the application and highlighted the information in the addendum. It was noted that the current eastern stand was in poor condition at present and not fit for purpose. The replacement stand would be 60cm higher than the current one. The development was considered appropriate in Green Belt land and Sport England had raised no concerns. There would be no harm to residents, no increased flood risk, no increase in spectator capacity and no increase in trip generation. It was considered that the proposal would be beneficial to the community and the application was recommended for approval.

In response to questions from the Committee, it was confirmed that special circumstances did not apply in this case as the application would not result in any reduction in openness and was therefore considered to be appropriate development.

Members requested further information regarding the chemical components of the artificial turf noting reported possible links with cancer. Officers confirmed that a detailed contaminated land assessment had been undertaken and no concerns raised by the Contamination Officer in respect of the turf itself. Sport England, who were experts in the field, had also raised no objections.

Councillors welcomed the proposals and raised no further concerns. The officer’s recommendation was moved, seconded and, when put to a vote, agreed with five votes in favour and one abstention.

RESOLVED: That the application be approved, subject to the information in the addendum and the conditions set out in the officer’s report.

Redevelopment of the site to erect a part 11 storey, part 10 storey mixed use building comprising 121 residential dwellings (Class C3) and ground level commercial premises (Class E) along with public realm delivery of Green Super Highway with associated landscaping, access, and parking following demolition of existing buildings.

Recommendations: Approve + Sec 106

RESOLVED:

1.    That authority be delegated to officers to attempt to secure more 3-bed properties by way of an Early or Late Stage Review; and

2.    That the application be approved.

Redevelopment of the site to erect a part 11 storey, part 10 storey mixed use building comprising 121 residential dwellings (Class C3) and ground level commercial premises (Class E) along with public realm delivery of Green Super Highway with associated landscaping, access and parking following demolition of existing buildings.

Officers introduced the application and highlighted the additional information in the addendum. Members were informed that the application site lay within a larger industrial zone. The proposed development would be surrounded by similar buildings in terms of their scale and bulk. The overall level of affordable housing offered was 22.75% by habitable room which was lower than the 50% affordable housing target set for former industrial sites. However, this was deemed to be the maximum viable offer.  Moreover, the development would contribute to meeting the Council’s affordable housing needs and was supported by the Housing Team.

The proposal would provide 4 accessible parking spaces and was considered to be a car-free development. There would be a shortfall in the provision of amenity space, but the applicant had agreed to pay a £115,685 contribution towards Cranford Park improvements to mitigate this. The application was of a high quality, and, on balance, it was considered that the benefits outweighed the shortfalls hence it was recommended for approval.

Members queried the 22.75% affordable housing provision and noted that only 2 x 3-bed houses were proposed. It was confirmed that a higher level of affordable housing could be achieved but this would be to the detriment of the green super highway and open space provision.

In response to their queries regarding parking restrictions in Viveash Close, it was confirmed that a parking management system would come into effect once the development at 3 Viveash Close had been completed. It was noted that Viveash Close provided access to Hayes and Harlington car park which would be maintained.

Members noted that the proposal was largely compliant with policy but queried its non-compliance in respect of affordable housing and amenity space. Officers observed that 3 Viveash Close was not policy compliant either and had delivered very little in the way of public space. The current application offered a vast amount of open space and some affordable housing – it was felt that there was a balance to be struck between private amenity space and public open space. The financial contribution to Cranford Park was also noted.

Councillors sought further clarification regarding the concerns raised by TfL as set out on page 166 of the officer’s report. Members were advised that a £77,403 contribution had been agreed to mitigate the impact on travel modes, bus journey times and general traffic. Moreover, in respect of highways improvements to Viveash Close, a contribution of some £132,000 was proposed which would be secured via the S106.

The Committee highlighted further concerns regarding the lack of parking provision, noting that there had recently been a spike in parking issues in the Cranford Drive area. In response to this, officers confirmed that, when more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.