Agenda item

Outline planning application for demolition of two existing buildings, including a banqueting / conference hall (Use Class D2) and office / warehouse (Use Class B1/B8), and erection of a five-storey, 192-bedroom hotel (Use Class C1), with associated works (landscaping reserved for subsequent approva).

Recommendations: Approval + Sec 106

Outline planning application for demolition of two existing buildings, including a banqueting / conference hall (Use Class D2) and office / warehouse (Use Class B1/B8), and erection of a five-storey, 192-bedroom hotel (Use Class C1), with associated works (landscaping reserved for subsequent approval).

Officers introduced the application and noted the addendum, which included an amendment to Condition 5, replacement of Conditions 11, 22 and 24, the removal of Condition 31 and an additional informative.

A petitioner spoke in objection to the application, and stated that while the petitioners were not opposed to the application in principle, there were concerns regarding parking, noise, and the use of the premises as a party venue. Members heard that local homes would also be impacted by dust during the construction, and there were fears that concrete and other waste would end up on the local roads during construction. The petitioner commented that there were already concerns regarding litter in the area due to a fast food restaurant and coffee shop, and Craneswater is also already used as parking for other sites, and this may amplify if the application is approved. The Committee were informed that if they were minded to approve the application, petitioners would like to see conditions imposed regarding CCTV, street cleaning seven days a week, obscured glass for the affected homes, a parking permit scheme for local residents and the central reservation to be maintained.

The agent for the application addressed Councillors and noted that that current scheme is almost identical to a scheme which lapsed on the site previously. The agent confirmed that the scheme is nearly 60m from homes, and noise, litter and anti-social behaviour are all issues that are related to existing properties, and not the application itself. The Committee heard that a noise report had been prepared, and found that there was no unacceptable effect on local amenity, while a full travel plan will be submitted to the Council in due course to solve parking concerns. The agent stated that the application provided a high quality, well-designed hotel, which retained and enhanced the green spaces and would generate jobs and provide sufficient parking.

Responding to Councillors’ questioning, the agent stated that the hotel would have a restaurant, but takeaways would not be an option, and there were two conference rooms and five meeting rooms on the basement level, but these would not specifically be a banqueting room.

Members asked whether there would be a charge for parking, and were informed by the agent that this would be provided in a car parking and traffic plan, to which the Committee responded that the Council should be strict on details to ensure that there was no airport parking, and parking should be accessible to users of the facilities to alleviate local residents’ concerns. Councillors agreed that the Council should not accept prohibitive parking charges at the premises, and that this should be delegated to the Chairman and Labour Lead to ensure.

The Committee agreed that landscaping should include species of trees that included high pollution absorbing trees, and noted the low emission strategy that followed bespoke discussions with applicants. The Head of Planning, Transportation and Regeneration noted that Condition 25 would be amended to reflect this.

Councillors noted that to prevent waste on the highways during the construction period, wheel washing should be included in conditions, and dust should also be limited via Condition 9. Members noted that CCTV should be included in the application, but there was no need for obscured glass due to the distance from neighbouring buildings.

The Head of Planning, Transportation and Regeneration stated that there was a bespoke tree protection condition in the application which could be expanded to ensure that the construction did not encroach on the Green Belt. Officers also confirmed that the proposed building was larger than the previously approved scheme, but that it was closer to the road and would not go further into the Green Belt.

The Chairman noted that a Parking Management Scheme did not fall under the remit of the Committee and stated that petitioners should discuss this issue with their local Ward Councillors ahead of presenting a possible petition to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling.

The officer’s recommendation was moved, subject to the changed specified in the addendum, delegated authority to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Recycling to agree the enhancement of Condition 5 to include pollution absorbing trees, the enhancement of Condition 6 to protect the Green Belt, and the enhancement of Condition 9 to include dust suppression and wheel washing, and delegated authority to the Chairman and Labour Lead to strengthen Condition 24, with regards to low emissions and car parking.

This recommendation was seconded, and upon being put to a vote, was unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED: That the application be approved, subject changes outlined in the addendum and delegated authority to:

1.    The Head of Planning, Transportation and Recycling to agree the enhancement of Condition 5 to include species of high pollution absorbing trees;

2.    The Head of Planning, Transportation and Recycling to agree the enhancement of Condition 6 to ensure that the Green Belt was protected throughout the construction period;

3.    The Head of Planning, Transportation and Recycling to agree the enhancement of Condition 9 to include dust suppression and wheel washing;

4.    The Chairman and Labour Lead Member to agree the enhancement of Condition 24 with regards to low emissions and car parking; and,

5.    The addition of a Condition detailing a low-emission strategy to state: “No development shall commence until a low emission strategy (LES) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The measures in the agreed scheme shall be maintained throughout the life of the development”.