Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S.Boulton and P.Hebden.

To note any substitution of Committee Members made in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

The following substitutions of Committee Members had been made in accordance with Council Procedure Rules:

Councillor E.Boulton for Councillor S.Boulton

Councillor R.Lass for Councillor P.Hebden

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2020 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2020 were approved as a correct record and noted by the Chairman.

The hard copy of the minutes would be signed by the Chairman as soon as it was reasonably practicable or alternatively, electronic signatures would be arranged after the meeting.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the erection of a 6 x storey building comprising of 80 x flats and associated works  to include undercroft car parking, cycling parking, plant and refuse storage.

The site (0.43 hectares in size) was located to the south of Queensway and the north of Link Drive and was currently used as a surface car park which had 114 spaces (long stay). The car park was operated by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Vehicular access to the site was from Link Drive and there was pedestrian access to the site from the town centre (via both a pedestrian crossing and underpass further to the north-east).

The application was presented to the Committee because the application was a major development and the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council was the applicant.

Anthony Shapland., Agent, spoke for the application saying that this development was intrinsically linked with the development of White Lion Square, the multi-storey car park and One Town Centre. This application for 80 new homes consisted of a single L shaped building. The ground floor provided car-parking, cycle storage and bin stores. All living accommodation was above ground floor. The design had emerged through collaboration with key stakeholders, including Historic England and the Hatfield Renewal Partnership. The proposals were also influenced by extensive public engagement and significant historical and architectural research. The development would result in 25% Affordable Housing, improvements to the highways network and the linking of the cycle routes through the town centre. Construction of this development would not take place until the building of the new multi-storey car-park had been completed to ensure the maximum number of car parking spaces would always be available in the town centre.

Councillor Margaret Eames-Petersen, Hatfield Town Council provided a statement to be read out. Hatfield Town Council raised the following concerns; there was no diagram given in the agenda which showed the exact location of the flats, loss of parking, flood risk, preservation of the Millennium Memorial tree and safety concerns regarding the skateboard park glass barrier. Concerns were also raised about the lack of infra-structure and the urgent need for another doctor’s surgery.

Following discussion, it was proposed and seconded by Councillors S.Wrenn and R.Lass and

RESOLVED:

(11 in favour and 2 against)

That planning permission be APPROVED subject to the completion of a S106 planning agreement and with suggested conditions including amendments to condition 6; to read:-

Prior to any above ground development, details relating to a scheme to protect the proposed development from noise due to traffic, the skate park and commercial/industrial businesses the applicant shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and thereafter shall be implemented prior to the first occupation of any part of the development.

For traffic noise the scheme shall ensure that indoor ambient noise levels in living rooms and bedrooms meet the standards within BS8233:2014. For commercial/industrial noise and skate park noise the scheme shall ensure the indoor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the demolition of office building and erection of 128 flats with associated car parking, landscaping, amenity space, bin and cycle storage, with alterations to existing and formation of new access on Broadwater road and alterations to the existing access on broad court.

The application site was located on the east side of Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City and comprised an office building with extensive areas of car parking beneath it and to the rear.  It was a level site with a large office building located on the north-west corner of the site with attractive landscaping bordering the road.

The sites neighbours included the former Shredded Wheat factory site opposite, now cleared in anticipation of if its future redevelopment for housing, south of which was the former Roche Office building which had recently been converted to residential flats and a significant number of homes around it on Otto Road and Penn Way.

North of the site, on the opposite side of Broadwater Court was a vehicle repair centre and MOT facility, a vehicle hire parking area and beyond this a range of small business premises.  Broadwater Court was a private road.

East of the site and beyond the large rear car park and the eastern boundary lined with trees was a further larger area of open car park.

This application was presented to the Development Management Committee because the proposal was in conflict with the development plan and had been advertised as a departure.

Councillor M.Cowan, Ward Councillor, provided a statement to be read out, opposing the application, saying that there was a lack of visitor parking which needed to be addressed. There were also concerns that the applicant wanted to provide social housing of various types and that the site could be sold as soon as consent was granted.  There was no supplementary planning documents governing all the windfall applications in the Welwyn Garden City industrial area so there was no ‘guiding hand’ on density, height, materials, amenity space or any of the other aspects that would be included in a new planned suburb. The number of homes that had emerged in the industrial area over the last few years was many thousand, yet each has little relation to each other, many are deficient in amenities.

Councillor S.Kasumu had technical difficulties during the presentation and discussion so was unable to participate in the vote.

Following discussion, it was proposed and seconded by Councillors J.Broach and S.Elam and

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

That planning permission be APPROVED subject to completion of a S106 planning agreement and with suggested conditions including additional 2 conditions in response to the LLFA consultation and deletion of condition 18.

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the approved Drainage Strategy prepared by Perega and the Drainage Strategy prepared by Thomasons, reference C12885-ZZ-XX-C-0001-P3, issued June 2020 submitted in support of this application, and the following mitigation measures:

1. Limiting the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the subdivision of existing 6 bedroom HMO into 2 flats with associated cycle and refuse storage.

The application site was located on the east side of High Dells which was residential in character and features properties of similar style and appearance.  The dwelling was located within a row of four two-storey terrace properties.  Immediately opposite the site was a row of Council owned garages with a forecourt. 

The site comprised a two storey 6-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with a front garden enclosed with a front boundary hedge and a rear garden which was accessed through the property.  It benefitted from a dropped kerb and a small hardstanding to the front.

This application was presented to the Development Management Committee because Hatfield Town Council have submitted a major objection to the proposed development for the reasons set out below:

“No bin or cycle storage are shown on the plans submitted. There is no amenity provision for the first floor flat. Whilst welcoming the demise of a HMO, the Town Council would prefer this family home to be returned to its original purpose - a family home. There is no parking provision in the plans.”

Councillor P. Zukowskyj spoke as an objector, saying that there the problem with the application was that it was an HMO and that this was not through a legitimate route. There were concerns that the property could be converted to two separate flats when there was no parking. This was not a sensible precedent for this Council to set. The area already had significant parking problems.

Hatfield Town Council, issued a statement to be read out, opposing the application saying that the Council should insist that the property reverted back to a much needed family home with a garden and parking space. The parking provision was inadequate. There was a problem with bin space which would be problematic with smells, an eyesore for the neighbour and an environmental hazard.

Following discussion, it was proposed and seconded by Councillors E.Boulton and A.Chesterman and

RESOLVED:

(9 in favour and 4 against)

That planning permission be APPROVED subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) detailing recent appeal decisions for the period 1 April to 25 June 2020.

RESOLVED:

That appeal decisions during the period 1 April to 25 April 2020 be noted.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) providing the Committee with a summary of planning applications that might be presented over the next one or two months.  Members noted that if the call-in or application was withdrawn, the item would not be presented to the Committee.

RESOLVED:

That future planning applications which might be considered by the Committee be noted.