Issue - meetings

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

The application sought approval for the installation of an extract duct.

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from Mr Davies.

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          Impact on visual amenity.

     ii.          Flues were acknowledged to be noisy and to give off unpleasant odours.

   iii.          Area was suffering from the cumulative impact of such ducts.

   iv.          Placing ducts at the rear might benefit the street scape but increased the impact for local residents.

    v.          Would be noisy at night.

   vi.          Waste disposal was not being considered and an opportunity to stop the change of use was being missed.

 vii.          Character of area is undergoing gradual change.

Members expressed concerns that the Permitted Development Order would only grant the change of use for 2 years. However, once the flue was in place, it was unlikely to be removed.

The Principal Planner drafted an additional condition addressing their concerns as follows:

“The flue shall only be erected in the event of a change of use of the property to an A3 use and shall be removed within a period of 3 months following any subsequent reversion to A1 use or any other use if it is demonstrated that a flue is not necessary.”

The Committee:

Resolved (by 7 votes to 0) 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 subject to an additional condition to read:

The flue shall only be erected in the event of a change of use of the property to an A3 use and shall be removed within a period of 3 months following any subsequent reversion to A1 use or any other use if it is demonstrated that a flue is not necessary.

Reason: In the interests of minimising the unnecessary accumulation of flues within the Conservation Area (Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 4/11).’