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58 20/02504/S73 - Varsity Hotel and Spa, 24 Thompsons Lane 10am PDF 136 KB
Minutes:
The Committee
received an application for removal of condition 2 (vehicle parking) of
planning permission 08/1610/FUL.
At 21st April 2021
Planning Committee, Members resolved to defer the application due to concerns
over the fire safety matters and members requested a representative of
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue be present at the committee meeting to answer
members questions and concerns in relation to fire safety matters. Following on
from the deferral of the application a site meeting had taken place between the
case officer, the applicants and fire safety consultant. Additional information
had also been submitted in the form of a fire strategy and a further
consultation on this document had taken place with Cambridgeshire Fire and
Rescue and Cambridgeshire County Council Highways authority.
The Senior Planner
updated his report by referring to the amendment sheet and updated condition wording
in his presentation:
i.
Additional conditions were recommended as follows:
a.
The area within the hotel site available for
visitor drop off and taxi turning shall be retained throughout the lifetime of
the development to enable vehicles to enter and leave the site in forward
gear. The area shall be used solely for
that purpose and shall not be used for the parking of cars.
Reason: To avoid obstruction to traffic in
Thompson`s Lane and in the interest of highway safety, and to ensure the area
is retained free of obstruction for fire safety reasons. (Cambridge Local Plan
2018 policy 81).
b.
The hotel shall continue to offer a valet parking
service for all disabled guests throughout the lifetime of the development.
Reason: To secure the provision of an
adequate car parking service to meet the needs of disabled visitors. (Cambridge
Local Plan 2018 policy 82).
ii.
Officer recommendation: The proposed loss of the
disabled car parking space subject to the conditions which retain the ability
for taxis to enter and leave the site in forward gear and the provision of a
valet car parking service for disabled guests throughout the lifetime of
development is on balance considered to be acceptable.
Mr Davies
(Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.
Councillor Porrer
proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation to include an
informative concerning the provision of signs
giving information where taxis could park when dropping off/collecting
passengers from the hotel.
This amendment was carried
unanimously.
Councillor Dryden requested a recorded vote.
The Committee:
Resolved (by 5 votes to 1) to grant the S73
application in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set
out in the Officer’s report, subject to:
i.
the planning conditions set out in
the Officer’s report and the
amendment in the Officer presentation (listed above);
ii.
an informative included on the planning permission concerning signage
giving information where taxis could park when dropping off/collecting
passengers from thehotel.
Votes in favour of application: Councillors Baigent, Flaubert, Gawthrope
Wood, Porrer and Thornburrow.
Vote not in favour of application: Councillor Dryden.