Issue - meetings

The Committee received an application for full planning permission for the erection of offices and maintenance accommodation for the Wildlife Trust, together with the provision of allotments, associated landscape planting and ancillary development.

The Committee noted the amendments presented in the amendment sheet and the following change to New Condition 13 (additional wording in italic and bold).

New Condition 13

The development shall be carried out in accordance with the allotment specification agreed under the outline permission 08/0048/OUT contained within  and all the terms and provisions required by Schedule 10, Part E of the associated S106 Agreement dated 9 October 2009.

To ensure the development is carried out in accordance with the agreed specification and all the terms of the S106 Agreement, and Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 3/4.

Rhian Powell the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Expressed satisfaction that this was a good scheme and that initial concerns had been addressed.

    ii.        Expressed disappointment that this building could have been exemplar in terms of its energy use and carbon footprint. An opportunity had been missed.

   iii.        Expressed concerns that this would become a popular cycle route and could be hazardous as it contained pinch points, areas of poor visibility and flowed onto a busy road.

In response to Members’ questions the Senior Planner and the Head of Planning said the following:

     i.        Parking options included the Park and Ride site and Byron’s Pool. If on-road parking was later found to be a problem, it could be addressed via a Traffic Regulation Order.

    ii.        In addition, the area could be referred to the Joint Transport Committee if problems arose in the future.

   iii.        The site satisfied the exceptions criteria for building on the green belt as it was needed for outdoor recreation provision. The City Council would manage the allotment site and any allotment outbuildings would be small and low level (small garden sheds).

  iv.        The allotments would have  limited parking provision. However, there would be a drop off point on site.

   v.        Explained that the location of the parking bays for disabled had been dictated by the required turning circle and that the access officer was satisfied with their location.

The Committee:

Resolved (by 14 votes to 1) to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the officer report, and subject to the conditions recommended by the officers and in accordance with the new and amended conditions set out on the amendment sheet.  The wording of condition 13 was verbally amended at the meeting to read as follows:

New Condition 13

The development shall be carried out in accordance with the allotment specification agreed under the outline permission 08/0048/OUT and all the terms and provisions required under Schedule 10, Part E of the associated S106 Agreement dated 9 October 2009.

Reason:  To ensure the development is carried out in accordance with the agreed specification,  all the terms of the S106 Agreement, and Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 3/4.