Agenda for Development Management Committee on Thursday 23rd April 2020, 6.30 pm

Agenda and minutes

Contact: Alison Marston 

Note: The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020) came into force on Saturday 4 April 2020 to enable councils to hold remote committee meetings during the Covid 19 pandemic period. This is to ensure local authorities can conduct business during this current public health emergency. This meeting of Development Management Committee will be held remotely under these regulations, via the Zoom application and will be webcast to ensure accessibility by the public and press. 

Items
No. Item

J.Backhaus confirmed that the DMC meeting can be held remotely in line with new regulations passed under the Coronavirus Act 2020 using the Zoom application. These regulations have been passed under to ensure Local Authorities can conduct any necessary business under the current public health emergency.

117.

APOLOGIES

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S.Boulton, A.Chesterman, P.Hebden, S.Kasumu, F.Marsh and P.Shah.

118.

MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2020.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2020 were approved as a correct record and noted by the Chairman.

 

The hard copies of minutes will be signed by the Chairman as soon as it is reasonably practicable or alternatively, electronic signatures can be arranged after a meeting.

119.

1 AND 1A TOWN CENTRE AND 3-9 TOWN CENTRE, HATFIELD, AL10 0JZ - 6/2019/2430/MAJ - DEMOLITION OF EXISTING BUILDINGS AND THE ERECTION 3 X BUILDINGS COMPRISING OF 71 X FLATS AND 1,110 SQM OF FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL USES (USE CLASS: A1, A2, A3, A4, D1 & D2) (INCLUDING A SMALL OFFICE ELEMENT (B1A)) AND ASSOCIATED WORKS TO INCLUDE CAR AND BICYCLE PARKING, PLANT AND REFUSE STORAGE AND PUBLIC REALM WORKS pdf icon PDF 714 KB

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

Minutes:

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 3 building comprising of 71 flats and 1,110 sqm of flexible commercial uses (use class A1, A2, A3, A4, D1 and D2) (including a small office element (B1A)) and associated works to include car and bicycle parking, plant and refuse storage and public realm works.

 

The site (which is some 0.71 hectares in size) is located at the eastern end of Hatfield Town Centre, bounded to the east by Wellfield Road and Queensway. Much of the application site is currently vacant (following the demolition of the building at no. 1 Town Centre), although a two storey building currently exists at nos. 3 – 9 Town Centre. Pedestrian access runs through the site into the town centre from Wellfield Road, Queensway and the town beyond. The site is also occupied by an existing short stay public car park (the car park contains 74 spaces and is operated by the Borough Council) which is accessed from Kennelwood Lane.

 

Planning permission was previously sought for the erection of 2 buildings on the site comprising 1,194sqm commercial floor space (A1 & A3) and 70 flats (15 1-bed, 55 2-bed) (ref. 6/2017/0606/MAJ). Following concerns raised in respect of the impact of the proposal on heritage assets, the application was withdrawn and the applicant undertook discussions with the relevant statutory consultees and third parties to seek to agree parameters for development on this site.

 

The application is presented to the Committee because the application is a major development and the Borough Council is the applicant, and Hatfield Town Council have submitted a major objection to the proposed development for the reasons set out below:

 

“The Committee wish to make a major objection due to this application having insufficient allocated car spaces. The car parking also needs to be shared with shops and a health centre. The Committee wished to encourage and suggest underground parking for this application”.

 

Mr A.Shapland, Agent, spoke for the application saying that Hatfield is a town with huge potential.  He said that the development will be the next chapter for Hatfield.  The project included 71 apartments and nearly 11,000 sq ft of flexible commercial accommodation.  These uses will help to revitalise the eastern end of the town and bring much-needed housing right into the town centre.   The development is a vital component of the phased regeneration of Hatfield Town Centre.  It will replace a series of dilapidated buildings with high quality residential apartments and the new commercial accommodation will re-energise this part of Hatfield.

 

Mr A.Edwards, spoke as an objector, saying that there are reasonable cycle routes in Hatfield – For example Hatfield Garden Village, Business Park and Alban Way. The Hatfield 2030+ Strategy says they want to ‘improve the experience of cycling and improve connections across Hatfield and breakdown the east-west town division. Currently Queensway runs through the middle of the route and acts as a significant barrier to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 119.

120.

7 HANYARDS LANE, CUFFLEY, POTTERS BAR, HERTFORDSHIRE EN6 4AS - 6/2019/2311/FULL - ERECTION OF TWO DWELLINGS FOLLOWING THE DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING DWELLING pdf icon PDF 541 KB

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

Minutes:

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the erection of two dwellings following the demolition of the existing dwelling.

 

Hanyards Lane is an established residential area characterised by large plots containing detached dwellings in a variety of architectural styles. There has been much redevelopment in the area, where large plots have been sub-divided or smaller dwellings have been extended or replaced by larger dwellings, as a result, architectural styles and materials vary considerably.

 

The application site is situated on the northern side of Hanyards Lane, close to the junction with The Ridgeway. The site comprises a detached dwelling and garage set within a large and spacious plot. The site slopes down from front to rear by a few metres and is well treed on its rear boundary.

 

Planning permission is sought for the demolition of the existing dwelling and the erection of two dwellings on the site. The forward-most dwelling would be sited in approximately the same location as the existing dwelling on the site, the rear-most dwelling would be sited approximately 48m further back within the plot, at a slight angle to the front dwelling and aligned with the dwellings at 50 – 56 Bradgate Close. The new dwellings would have the same sized footprint, measuring approximately 16.4m wide and up to 13m deep, incorporating a single storey, flat roofed, side and rear projection. The forward-most of the dwellings would be approximately 8.8m high at the ridge with accommodation in the roofslope. The rear-most dwelling would be approximately 7.6m high at the ridge.

 

The application is presented to the Committee as Northaw and Cuffley Parish Council has raised a major objection to the application on the following grounds:

 

“Major objection. This is a backland development in a garden for which there is no precedent in Hanyards Lane. There is precedent on Hanyards for two houses side by side where the plot is wide enough, but not for “Tandem Developments”. NCPC are not aware that any similar Tandem Developments have ever been approved in Cuffley. We are concerned that the access road is too narrow for refuse lorries and fire/ambulance vehicles and for shared vehicle/pedestrian access. There is no appropriate turning circle. It is unrealistic for house owner of House Type-02 to walk every week to place bins at the entrance. Refuse lorries must have access. The bulk and mass of the two properties represent an over development of the site (approximately 0.6 acres), in the context of a lane which has large single dwelling houses either side. This plot has previously been subdivided. The development is out of character with the local environment. The very small rear garden of House Type-02 will be north facing so represents poor design as the amenity is much reduced. The position of House Type-02 with the existing trees along the eastern boundary (and western boundary of the neighbouring garden) together with the proposed Acer campestre, means this house and garden will receive minimal sunlight in summer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120.

121.

7 DANESBURY LANE WELWYN AL6 9SG - 6/2020/0090/HOUSE - RETENTION OF EXISTING OUTBUILDING pdf icon PDF 408 KB

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

Minutes:

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the retention of existing outbuilding.

 

The application site is situated to the north of the borough, outside of any settlement and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.

 

The plot is located at the end of Danesbury Lane and comprises a two storey detached dwelling and garage, as well as a large area of land which extends beyond the property. The surrounding land is predominantly open and undeveloped although there are some other houses set within large plots which are located to the south-east of the site.

 

The application site is located to the west of the property and is served by the existing vehicular access from Danesbury Lane, which has been separated to create a hard surfaced path that leads to the site.

 

The application is presented to the Committee because it has been called-in by Councillor P.Smith for the following reason:

 

“I would like to call in the application due to the proposed development being on the same footprint as the previously approved application on this site. I therefore request that it is given due consideration by being discussed by members at DMC.”

 

Welwyn Parish Council have raised a major objection to the proposed development for the reasons set out below:

 

“We believe the proposal to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.”

 

Mr A.Collins, Applicant, spoke for the application saying that the house is shielded by large trees and six metre high laurel hedges which means that the building cannot be seen at all from the road or by neighbours. They built the building on the same footprint as the previous application for a stable building. It was dug two metres into the ground and had no visual impact. The neighbours had been kept involved in what they were doing and they were happy as long as they were not impacted.

 

Councillor P.Smith, Councillor, spoke for the application saying that the site is tucked away from neighbours and is on a narrow private road with a number of properties a small distance away. The building is in the same location as an approved application for a small agricultural building. Neighbours objected to the previous application due to the nuisance it would cause. The neighbours support this application and there were no objections received.

 

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

 

RESOLVED:

(6 in favour and 1 against)

 

That planning permission be REFUSED for the reasons set out in the report.

122.

APPEAL DECISIONS pdf icon PDF 179 KB

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

Minutes:

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) detailing recent appeal decisions for the period 13 February to 2 April 2020.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That appeal decisions during the period 13 February to 2 April 2020 be noted.

123.

PLANNING UPDATE - FUTURE PLANNING APPLICATIONS pdf icon PDF 142 KB

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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.

124.

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE REPORT JANUARY - MARCH 2020 pdf icon PDF 374 KB

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

Minutes:

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) relating to the performance of the Development Management Service over the three month period January to March 2020.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Development Management Performance Report, January to March 2020 be noted.