Agenda item

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

The report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) setting out the application which sought full planning permission for the erection of a 3-bed detached dwelling following demolition of an existing detached garage and the rear section of the existing dwelling.  External materials are proposed to match existing neighbouring properties.

Site Description

The application site comprises a two storey semi-detached dwelling located on the western side of heron Way, directly opposite its junction with Falcon Close.  There was a large garden area to the south side of the property, currently occupied by a detached single garage.  The immediate locality featured similar detached, semi-detached and link-detached properties in terms of size, design and appearance.

Reason for Committee Consideration

This application was presented to the Development Management Committee because Hatfield Town Council had objected to the proposed development.  The objection stated:

‘The Committee objected to the application due to an over development of the site and loss of car parking.  The Committee questioned did the build impact on the neighbours?  And was the new build a HMO?’

Claififcation was given that, whilst Hatfield Town Council had objected to the original proposal, they did not object to the revised proposal that was now being considered by the Committee.

The Planning Officer asked the committee to consider the addition of a further condition in order to ensure that the property is used as a single dwelling house rather than a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Members were asked to note that there had been no objections from the immediate neighbours and the Agent advised that the development had been discussed with the Officers and was set back a similar distance from the highway to match the properties in the area.

The report noted that spacing distances between adjacent properties would adequately prevent overdevelopment across the plot width or a terracing effect within an area characterised with detached and semi-detached properties.  58 Heron Way is contained within what is considered to be a generous sized plot relative to the footprint and scale of the dwelling and featured a larger site footprint than other residential sites in the immediate context.

Mr D Goodman (Agent) spoke in support of the application.

It was proposed by Councillor N. Pace seconded by Councillor A. Chesterman and

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

That planning permission be approved for application 6/2016/2615/FULL subject to the conditions set out in the report and the additional condition no 6:-

1.            No development shall take place until samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the building hereby granted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall be implemented using the approved materials and subsequently, the approved materials shall not be changed.

            REASON:  To ensure a satisfactory standard of development in the interests of visual amenity in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and Policies D1 and D2 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005.

2.               No development shall take place until full details on a suitably scaled plan of both hard and soft landscape works have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall not be carried out other than in accordance with the approved details.

The landscaping details to be submitted shall include:

(a)       means of enclosure and boundary treatments

(b)       hard surfacing, other hard landscape features and materials

(c)       planting plans, including specifications of species, sizes, planting centres, number and percentage mix, and details of seeding or turfing

(d)       management and maintenance details

REASON: The landscaping of this site is required in order to protect and enhance the existing visual character of the area and to reduce the visual and environmental impacts of the development hereby permitted in accordance with Policies GBSP2, D2 and D8 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005.

3.            The first floor side window of the development, facing 60 Heron Way, shall be glazed with obscured glass and shall be fixed so as to be incapable of being opened below a height of 1.7 metres above floor level, and shall be retained in that form thereafter.

          REASON: To protect the residential amenity of adjoining occupiers in accordance with Policy D1 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005.

4.               Details of the location, design and specification of the refuse bin and recycling materials storage bins and areas to serve the development shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Subsequently the refuse and recycling materials storage bins and areas shall be constructed, equipped and made available for use prior to first occupation and retained in that form thereafter.

REASON:   To ensure a satisfactory standard of refuse and recycling provision and to protect the residential amenity of adjoining and future occupiers in accordance with Policies R5 and D1 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005.

5.               Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking or re-enacting that Order with or without modification), no development within Classes A, B and D of Part 1 of Schedule 2 shall take place at the development hereby approved and 58 Heron Way.

REASON: To enable the Local Planning Authority to fully consider the effects of development normally permitted by that Order, given the nature and scale of development hereby approved, in accordance with Policies D1 and D2 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005.

Additional condition

6.            The development hereby permitted shall be used for Class C3 dwelling house (s) only, notwithstanding the provisions of the town and Country Planning (General permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking re-enacting that Order with or without modification).

REASON: The Article 4 Direction covering Hatfield removes permitted development right to move from a use falling within Class C3 (dwelling houses) to a use falling within Class C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation) and to enable the Local Planning Authority to fully consider the effects of development normally permitted to maintain mixed, balanced, sustainable and inclusive communities and in the interests of residential and visual amenity in accordance with the Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document 2012 and Policies GBSP2, D1 and D2 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

7.            The development/works shall not be started or completed other than in accordance with the approved plans and details:

(Note: Lisa Hughes, Development Management Service Manager left the meeting when the above item was considered).