Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director (Planning).

The Committee received the report of the Assistant Director, Planning.

The application site comprises of the Campus West Car Park which measures approximately 1.2 hectares in size. The site is located entirely within the Conservation Area and the Ayot Greenway Local Wildlife Site runs along the northern boundary.

Planning permission is now sought under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for a variation of the approved plans condition (No. 21) on planning permission 6/2021/2207/MAJ for changes to the lighting arrangement.

Karen Winbow, Objector, spoke regarding the application:

“When the major planning application was decided in December 21, planning officer, Ray Lee, said, back shields to perimeter lights would be installed and diffusers for headlights.  There aren’t any diffusers and limited back shields.

I have written numerous e-mails and still there are no back shields on some of the lights and the ones that are there serve no purpose. They are small bent pieces of metal that are three foot behind the light head so don't shield the light.

At the December 21 meeting, at 55 minutes, Raymond Lee said “install back shields to the lights around the perimeter of the site to reduce light spill.”

and he said, “not result in a significant increase in light pollution over and above the existing situation”.  At 1.00 hour, 17 minutes he also said “utilise shielding, therefore, overall impact will not be material”. At 1.00 hour 53 minutes Jonathan Bolton said lights will be shielded. At 1.00 hour 57 minutes, Alistair Hellyer said there should be a condition that there is conifer screening.  There is no conifer screening.

There are three lights that directly shine into our property, the 6 metre light on the corner of roller city has no shield and the two new lights on the corner of the car park face us and can't be shielded.  Lights facing our property and not capable of being shielded even if their low illumines will impact us more than lights with a higher facing away from us.

The 6 metre light needs a side shield or preferably reduced to a 3 metre

light and shielded. These lights impact us, particularly in the wintertime, particularly when there are no leaves on the trees. The chart of the lumens shown tonight shows that light spillage on northern boundary is the greatest of all the boundaries, even after the reduction of lumens proposed in this application.

I therefore would like the councillors to refuse planning permission. The council do what they want, including installing whatever lights they want, then drawing up three lots of plans to show where they have been installed. The car park is open. It should never have been opened until planning permission was granted, including all the conditions being satisfied. One of the conditions is that a crossing is installed before first use. The car park was opened before work even commenced on the crossing, and the crossing was only commissioned today. The council have behaved appallingly with regards to campus west. I only hope this joint administration will abide by the rules and listened to the residents of Welwyn Hatfield, thank you.”

Councillor Frank Marsh, Ward Councillor, spoke regarding the application:

“1. Back-shields: The lights on the top floor of the carpark and those along the northern elevation (Ayot Greenway) should have much larger back-shields. The size needs to be a metre high by a metre wide and curved around the light on the vertical axis to prevent sideways light pollution. The same should also apply to the lights on the western elevation (Woodside House) at ground level and on the top floor of the carpark.  All lights should have back shields.

2.   Height of the lights: the lights at ground level on the northern elevation should all be lowered as some are too high as there needs to be some consistency.  At the moment they are approximately 6 to 7 metres high. They do not need to be this high. 3 to 4 m high would be much better, some of the new ones installed seem to be the right height.  Also there are a couple of old, pre multi-storey, lights 6 to 7 m high along these boundaries. I think that these should also be reduced in height subject to the other newer lights being approved. There is a new light at ground level on the western elevation to light which seems to be acceptable.

3.   The lights above the pay machines have been removed. They can go back as before , however the one on the Roller City wall needs a side shield (not a back shield) to prevent light pollution towards Ayot Greenway and not be so high.

4.   The original plan was to put a parking pay-point on the north east corner of the multi-storey structure. This pay-point was moved elsewhere, but the light above it remains. The light points outwards towards the Ayot Greenway. The light need to be removed.

5.   The light along the western boundary to light the footpath next to Woodside House is on a time clock and goes off before 11 pm. It should be on a motion sensor so people can see where they going.  Perhaps all lights should be on sensors when it is dark, as this will save on electricity and serve a dual purpose to assist people if and when they use the carpark.

6.   There are several redundant grey posts that used to hold carpark charging notices for the old carpark, for example, by the steps to the Ayot Greenway. These need removing. Although it is recognised that this will have no bearing on this application, but should be noted and dealt with separately.”

Officers confirmed that the current effectiveness of shielding would not be consideration at the meeting and could be reviewed by planning enforcement.

Officers informed the Committee the proposals for lighting had been developed by industry professionals.

Following the discussion, it was proposed by Councillor Tunstall, and seconded by Councillor Panter, to approve the application.

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

1.     The variation of condition 21 on planning permission 6/2021/2207/MAJ for changes to the lighting arrangement.

2.     Noted the amended elevation and floor plans were received during the course of the application to reflect the lighting units that had already been installed at the application site.

3.     The lighting alterations:

·        2 x additional structure mounted lights added to the cladding at 3 metres from ground level to provide lighting to the new ground floor pay meters at Stairs 1 and 2.

·        Repositioned structure mounted light on east facing elevation serving disabled parking area approximately 1.5m towards the south.

·        2 x additional 3m tall column mounted lights for the new pay machines at the northern and southern boundaries of the site.

·        3 x additional column fixed lights to the first floor at a height of 3 metres from the first-floor level (1 metre lower than the main top deck lighting) to provide lighting to the new first floor pay meters at Stairs 1, 2 and 3.

·        Replacement of 7 single head lighting columns with twin heads units at the centre of the first floor deck (set at the same height from the first floor deck as the approved scheme).