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15/0665/S73 - Cambridge Water Company, Rustat Road

Meeting: 01/07/2015 - Planning (Item 120)

120 15/0665/S73 - Cambridge Water Company, Rustat Road pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a Section 73 application.

 

The application sought approval to vary condition 13 of Application 07/1223/REM to allow amendments to refuse storage, cycle storage, landscaping and block positions.

 

The Committee received representations in objection to the application from the following:

·       Mr Fordham.

·       Dr Meredith.

·       Dr Vaughan.

 

The representations covered the following issues:

       i.          Referred to the representation made to Planning Committee in 2002. The points raised remain unchanged:

·       Did not object to developing the site per se.

·       Objected to overshadowing of garden.

     ii.          Suggested the 3 storey building be moved so it overshadowed the bike shed instead neighbour’s back garden.

   iii.          Concern over proposed reduction of the amount of affordable housing on site.

   iv.          Queried lawfulness of commencing work on site and if any meaningful work has occurred, as trenches that had been dug had now been filled in and covered over.

    v.          Took issue with:

·       Details in the Officer’s report that said there would only be 3 windows, 23 were listed in the design.

·       On site sub-station being recommended for approval despite resident’s opposition.

 

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

 

Cllr Herbert (Coleridge Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee about the application.

 

The representations covered the following issues:

       i.          This site had been on the Planning Committee’s radar for over 10 years. It had been derelict since 2005 when the building on it was demolished.

     ii.          Expressed concern regarding:

·       Lack of green space in the design.

·       “Rushed” design of replacement buildings, cycle parking and waste arrangements.

·       The enforcement notice issued against Western Homes (Applicants) for undertaking work on site without planning permission (this was against the law). This was reported in the local media. Queried if Western Homes could be trusted to deliver against permitted development conditions.

·       Waste management conditions set out on P195 of the Officer’s report were unsafe. Also, locating bin stores away from people’s homes could lead to problems in future.

·       Cycle storage racks were unsuitable.

·       Courtyards removed people’s green spaces.

·       Took issue with the over ground (as opposed to underground) sub-station design.

   iii.          Was awaiting Legal Advisor’s comments on Western Homes undertaking work on site without planning permission.

 

The Principal Planning Officer supplemented his introduction by stating:

         i.          Meaningful work had commenced on the Rustat Road site.

       ii.          Dr Wittorff’s representation had been received after the submission deadline, so was tabled for Councillor’s information.

      iii.          Dr Meredith’s representation had not been published pre-committee as it needed to be redacted pre-publication (this had been delayed as the representation was hand delivered), but was referred to in his report.

 

Councillor Smart proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation that an informative be included to accommodate larger bikes in cycle storage areas.

 

This amendment was carried unanimously.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (by 6 votes to 2) 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 with the following additional informative:

 

The applicant is advised that information submitted to satisfy Condition 14 should recognize that some residents are likely to use cycles with trailers, ‘box-bikes’, tricycles and other large cycles, and should make appropriate space available for such machines.