Agenda item

Proposed redevelopment of the site for three industrial/warehouse units with ancillary offices (Use Classes B1c/B2/B8) and a total floorspace of 16,178sq.m (GEA) including a new access off Ashley Road, a minor re-alignment of the highway, service yards, car parking and landscaping.

Recommendation: Approval

RESOLVED: That the application be approved.

Proposed redevelopment of the site for three industrial/warehouse units with ancillary offices (Use Classes B1c/B2/B8) and a total floorspace of

16,178sq.m (GEA) including a new access off Ashley Road, a minor realignment of the highway, service yards, car parking and landscaping.

Officers introduced the report, confirming that the application was originally presented at the Planning Committee meeting held on 3 August 2016, at which the Committee approved the application subject to a Legal agreement. Since then, it had come to light that a small parcel of land adjacent to the site and required for the necessary highway improvement work was registered to a different owner, J Stoddart, a company that no longer exists having been wound up in 1980. In order to regularise the matter, the appropriate notices were given and the application was re-consulted on.

Responses from three neighbouring occupiers had been received, with the officer's response set out in the accompanying report. Members were informed that the proposed scheme had not changed since the Committee resolved to approve the proposal at the meeting in August 2016. Officers confirmed that they were satisfied that policy had not changed that would lead them to reach a different conclusion, and therefore the application was recommended for approval, subject to the changes as set out in the addendum.

Councillor J Cooper addressed the Committee on behalf of the residents of Cowley Mill Road. Councillor Cooper confirmed that she had no objection to the application itself, which was an improvement on the current situation.  It was expected that the proposed highways works should go some way to ameliorating the traffic problems identified in the report.

However, Councillor Cooper was concerned that residents of 77-80 Cowley Mill Road would be disproportionately affected by the proposed double yellow lines referenced within the report. Access to public transport at the location was poor and the (many elderly) residents were therefore dependent on their cars, as were their visitors, especially those who were elderly, frail or disabled. 

Councillor Cooper went on to suggest that the proposed double yellow lines would cause significant stress and anxiety for the residents, impacting on their quiet enjoyment of their property and would adversely affect the value of their property, should they decide the development impacts so much on their lives that they need to move.  However, in such an instance, they may not be in a position to afford to move because of the reduction in property value.

Whilst it was understood that the Planning Committee could not take property values into account, the junction in its current state was highly unsatisfactory. Large vehicles had regularly been observed mounting the kerb to navigate through the junction, a problem that would not be resolved by the addition of double yellow lines. Instead, it was suggested that a one-way system be introduced.

Councillor Cooper concluded by requesting that the Committee look at the circumstances of the residents and how their lives will be adversely affected if double yellow lines are implemented.

Members discussed the parking issues, with Councillor Cooper confirming that some residents did have limited off-street parking. Members were mindful of the traffic issues raised within the report, and it was highlighted that all such proposals approved at Committee were approved subject to evidence that the traffic can be made to work. It was confirmed that the yellow lines referenced did not form part of the planning proposal being determined by the committee at the meeting, and that if the proposal was subsequently approved, any resolution to the traffic and parking issues would be the domain of the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation & Recycling, in conjunction with highways officers, via a public consultation and resultant traffic order.  With this in mind, the officer's recommendation was moved, seconded, and when put to a vote, unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED: That the application be approved.