Minutes:
Councillor Fuller re-joined the meeting and Chaired the rest of the meeting.
The Planning Officer presented the report and drew attention to the Supplementary Matters which reported that:
36 further representations have been received since publication of the Officer Report for Committee, objecting to the proposal on the following grounds:
a) Development out of character with other properties in the area;
b) Inadequate parking causing highway /pedestrian safety and air quality concerns; consideration should be given to ways to provide more parking in the local area through changes to highway markings etc;
c) Lack of outside space for residents;
d) Overdevelopment of the site;
e) Increased population will create problems with social distancing on footpaths and roads, increasing health risk;
f) There could be better alternative uses for the site such as a park, community centre or parking provision for the nearby school;
g) The houses and flats are too big for the plot;
h) Internal arrangement of the flats not suitable for families;
i) Increased indiscriminate parking could lead to issues with emergency vehicle access in the area;
j) Particular concerns about increased parking problems in Templeton Close and Conan Road;
k) Feel that the scheme is being 'pushed through' without due regard to residents' concerns;
l) Increased strain on local facilities and services such as healthcare;
m) Negative impact on local house prices;
n) Insufficient bicycle storage;
o) Limited bus services from Northern Parade;
p) Increased waste and pollution.
A letter had also been received from Penny Mordaunt MP, making the council aware of the concerns raised by residents in relation to parking pressure and safety of road users. The letter requests that the Planning Department considers the concerns of residents carefully as part of the planning process.
The Planning Officer reported that:
Matters relating to design, layout, standard of living accommodation and parking had been addressed within the planning committee report. The concern regarding impact on house prices is not a material planning consideration.
The applicant confirmed their intention to provide electric vehicle charging points for the three disabled parking spaces in front of the dwellings fronting Conan Road.
An additional plan showing the detailed elevations of the cycle and refuse storage facilities had also been provided. Conditions 2, 18 and 19 had been updated to reflect the additional plan number.
Further written deputations were read out as part of the officer presentation from:
Against
Janet Rennell-Smith
Stephen Carter
Mrs N Vaughan
Councillor Scott Payter-Harris gave a deputation against the application.
Members' Questions
In response to questions from members, officers explained that:
The Highways Engineer had clarified his concerns regarding amenities and impact on air quality of people driving around looking for parking spaces.
Solar panels would be installed on the roofs.
Seven or eight representations had been received after the report had been published. Approximately ten more had been received early this week. None of these had indicated that they wished to make a deputation.
Parking in front of the houses on Northern Parade side of the building had not been investigated. None of the parking spaces would be allocated. It would be for the council to manage these through the tenancy agreements.
Members' Comments
Members noted the pressure from the government to build 12,000 new homes in the city, the need for more social housing particularly for disabled tenants and that this application was not an over-intensive use of the site.
Councillor Donna Jones reported that she had not been involved in any of the residents' discussions about this applications as one of the Ward Councillors for that area and therefore could sit on the committee for this item.
There was concern that this application would only provide 12 out of the 29 parking spaces required by the parking standards. However, more parking spaces would be made available after the removal of the hoardings particularly during term time.
RESOLVED
Permission was granted subject to the conditions set out in the report.