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Decision details

18/1470/FUL - 9-10A Ventress Close

Decision Maker: Planning

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for the demolition of existing flats and erection of 12no affordable apartments and 3no affordable dwellings with associated access, car parking and landscaping.

 

The Senior Planner updated his report by amending conditions 5, 6, 20, 21 and 22. He also added a new one (split into 2 separate conditions #30 and 31 below).

 

5. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, with the exception of below ground works and demolition, full details including samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of buildings, which includes external features such as coping and banding, detailed finishes around entrances (eg. green ceramic tiles), entrance doors, windows, roof cladding, external metal work, balcony and balustrades, rain water goods, bike and bin stores, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

 

Reason: To ensure that the appearance of the external surfaces is appropriate. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 52, 55, and 57)

 

6. Brick sample panels of the facing materials to be used shall be erected on site and shall be 1m x 1m to establish the detailing of bonding, coursing, and any special brick patterning/articulation detailing shall be agreed in writing with the local planning authority.  Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure that the appearance of the external surfaces is appropriate. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 52, 55, and 57)

 

20. No development above ground level, other than demolition, shall commence until full details of both hard and soft landscape works have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The works shall be carried out as approved.  These details shall include proposed finished levels or contours; means of enclosure; car parking layouts, other vehicle and pedestrian access and circulation areas; hard surfacing materials. This should also include a scheme of lighting for the public areas within the site. Soft Landscape works shall include planting plans; written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment); schedules of plants, noting species, plant sizes and proposed numbers/densities where appropriate and an implementation programme. All hard and soft landscape works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.  The works shall be carried out prior to the occupation of any part of the development or in accordance with a programme agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The maintenance shall be carried out in accordance with the approved schedule. Any trees or plants that, within a period of five years after planting, are removed, die or become in the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, seriously damaged or defective, shall be replaced as soon as is reasonably practicable with others of species, size and number as originally approved, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation.

 

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity and to ensure that suitable hard and soft landscape is provided as part of the development. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 55, 57 and 59)

 

21. Prior to occupation, a plan indicating the positions, design, materials and type of boundary treatments to be erected shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The boundary treatment shall be completed in accordance with the approved details prior to the first occupation or the bringing into use of the development (or other timetable agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority) and retained as approved thereafter. This should include:

 - Boundary treatment for the edges of the site.

 - Boundary treatment for the private amenity areas of the ground floor units 1 to 5 on the block of flats.

 - Boundary treatment for dwelling houses (plots 1 to 3).

 

Reason: To ensure an appropriate boundary treatment is implemented in the interests of visual amenity and privacy (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 55, 57 and 59).

 

22. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, with the exception of below ground works and demolition, a surface water drainage works details shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority, in accordance with the submitted drainage strategy (MLM, 6th September 2018). Before these details are submitted, an assessment shall be carried out of the potential for disposing of surface water by means of a sustainable drainage system in accordance with the principles set out in The National Planning Policy Framework and associated Guidance, and the results of the assessment provided to the local planning authority. The system should be designed such that there is no surcharging for a 1 in 30 year event and no internal property flooding for a 1 in 100 year event + 40% an allowance for climate change. The submitted details shall:

a) Provide information about the design storm period and intensity, the method employed to delay and control the surface water discharged from the site and the measures taken to prevent pollution of the receiving groundwater and/or surface waters; and

b) Provide a management and maintenance plan for the lifetime of the development which shall include the arrangements for adoption by any public authority or statutory undertaker and any other arrangements to secure the operation of the scheme throughout its lifetime.

c) The final drainage design should explore the incorporation of additional SuDS features to manage surface water more sustainably such as rain garden and above ground surface water features.

d) Confirmation from the Environment Agency that infiltration is not suitable for site due to the principal aquifer should be submitted.

 

The approved details shall be fully implemented on site prior to the first use/occupation and shall be retained thereafter.

 

Reason: To ensure appropriate surface water drainage. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 31 and 32).

 

30. No development approved by this planning permission shall take place until a remediation strategy that includes the following components to deal with the risks associated with contamination of the site shall each be submitted to and approved, in writing, by the Local Planning Authority:

1. A Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) including a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) of the site indicating potential sources, pathways and receptors, including those off site.

2. The results of a site investigation based on (1) and a detailed risk assessment, including a revised CSM.

3. Based on the risk assessment in (2) an options appraisal and remediation strategy giving full details of the remediation measures required and how they are to be undertaken. The strategy shall include a plan providing details of how the remediation works shall be judged to be complete and arrangements for contingency actions. The plan shall also detail a long term monitoring and maintenance plan as necessary.

4. No occupation of any part of the permitted development shall take place until a verification report demonstrating completion of works set out in the remediation strategy in (3). The long term monitoring and maintenance plan in (3) shall be updated and be implemented as approved.

 

Reason: To protect and prevent the pollution of controlled waters from potential pollutants associated with current and previous land uses in line with National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), paragraphs 109, 120, 121 and the Environment Agency's approach to groundwater protection (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/groundwater-protection).

 

31. If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority) shall be carried out until the developer has submitted a remediation strategy detailing how this unsuspected contamination shall be dealt with and obtained written approval from the Local Planning Authority. The remediation strategy shall be implemented as approved.

Reason: To protect and prevent the pollution of controlled waters from potential pollutants associated with current and previous land uses in line with National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), paragraphs 109, 120, 121 and the Environment Agency's approach to groundwater protection (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/groundwater-protection).

 

The Committee received representations in objection to the application from residents of Ventress Close.

 

The representations covered the following issues:

       i.          The application will exacerbate existing traffic and parking issues in the area. This could impact the local primary school as well as residents.

     ii.          Asked Councillors to be mindful of residents’ representations setting out their concerns about privacy, security, loss of light, lack of outside amenity space, size and scale of the development.

 

Mr Longstaff (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Councillor McGerty (Queen Edith's Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee about the application.

 

The representations covered the following issues:

       i.          Welcomed in principle applications for affordable housing in the city as this was much needed.

     ii.          Expressed concern about this specific application.

   iii.          Children played in the street for generations so the application will change the character of the area.

   iv.          The west of the site was unusually shaped, which constrained its space and form, making it difficult to fit in the proposed number of units.

    v.          The 3 storey development was located at the front of the site and so dominated Ventress Close. It would be better to have the 2 storey section there instead to soften the visual aspect from the Close.

   vi.          Conditions relating to gardens did not appear to reference Policy 52 relating to the protection of gardens. Councillor McGerty queried why this was so.

 vii.          Queried if this application was an overdevelopment of site which would exacerbate existing parking issues in the area and impact on the local school.

 

Councillor Thornburrow proposed amendments to the Officer’s recommendations:

       i.          The Applicant should consider the impact of lighting on ecology.

     ii.          The Applicant should investigate if there was space to park cargo bikes for residents and visitors.

 

Councillor Baigent proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation to prevent ‘no play’ signs being erected in open spaces.

 

The Senior Planner undertook to include informatives in conditions to reflect the above amendments. Officers asked for delegated powers to amend conditions.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the officer report, subject to the prior competition of a S106 agreement and subject to the conditions recommended by the officers (and amended above) plus additional informatives:

 

37. INFORMATIVE: Any lighting schemes should carefully consider the impact upon local wildlife.

 

38. INFORMATIVE: The applicant is encouraged not to put up 'no ball games' signs on the shared amenity area.

 

39. INFORMATIVE: The applicant is encouraged to investigate whether there would be any space available for cargo bike parking when discharging the relevant cycle conditions.

 

Officers were granted delegated powers to amend conditions.

Report author: Lewis Tomlinson

Publication date: 23/04/2019

Date of decision: 06/03/2019

Decided at meeting: 06/03/2019 - Planning

Accompanying Documents: