Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Stuart.

Members of the committee are asked to declare any interests in the items on the agenda. In the case of any doubt, the advice of the Head of Legal should be sought before the meeting.

Name	Item	Interest
Councillors Ashwood, Blackhurst & Meftah	14/27/SAC	Personal: Member of Trumpington Resident’s Association.
Councillor Ashton	14/27/SAC	Personal: Chairman of Cherry Hinton Resident’s Association
Councillors Crawford, Dryden & McPherson	14/27/SAC	Personal: Member of Cherry Hinton Resident’s Association.
Councillor Dryden	14/27/SAC	Personal: Member of Friends of Cherry Hinton Hall.

 

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2014.

The minutes of the 3 March 2014 meeting were approved and signed as a correct record.

14/17/SAC Open Forum “Action Point: Councillor Ashton to discuss with Councillor Reiner (Executive Councillor for Public Places) and Adrian Ash (Interim Head of Services, Streets and Open Spaces) how to expedite issue of Hobson Conduit bridge to implement it as quickly as possible.”

 

The Interim Head of Services, Streets and Open Spaces has contacted residents to explain how the matter will be dealt with.

Refer to the ‘Information for the Public’ section for rules on speaking.

1.    Mr Lowson raised the following points on behalf of Accordia residents:

·       A Conservation Area consultation was pending.

·       Accordia and nearby residents need safe and attractive cycle corridors to the city centre.

·       Expressed concerns regarding:

o   Safety of cycle route users.

o   Lack of join up between various cycle schemes. The proposals for traffic and road safety improvements on Trumpington Road, between Chaucer Road and Bateman Street, would only affect a small area; and not contribute to safer cycle routes or address safety concerns at junctions affected.

·       If more cyclists visit Cambridge as expected, the need for safe cycle routes will become more pressing.

 

Councillor Ashton said a response would be given under agenda 7 (minute item 14/28/SAC).

 

2.    Mr Carpen asked for an update on letters sent to local schools and colleges by the South Area Committee (SAC) Chair inviting them to engage in local democracy.

 

Councillor Ashton said he had received acknowledgements to his letters, but no other responses.

 

3.    Mr Carpen asked what councillors will do to help Netherhall School improve following a recent inspection.

 

Councillor Swanson said that she had emailed Netherhall School two months ago on behalf of residents, but had received no response.

 

Councillor Ashton (referring to questions 2 and 3) said schools needed to respond to open a dialogue.

 

ACTION POINT: Councillor Ashton to write to Netherhall School to ask how South Area Committee and the community can support the school.

 

4.    Mr Carpen asked for SAC’s comments on Councillor Herbert’s remarks at 10 April 2014 East Area Committee on the importance of engaging young people in democracy.

 

Councillor Ashton said that SAC would not comment on views expressed at East Area Committee. SAC Councillors had tried to engage local schools and colleges, and were willing to do so if they received a formal invitation. SAC were happy to take up Mr Carpen’s offer to speak with him at schools.

 

Councillor Taylor told the meeting that County Councillors would be visiting Cambridge Regional College to take part in a ‘Question Time’ style debate.

 

Councillor Birtles endorsed Mr Carpen’s comment that social media is another way to engage children and young.

 

Councillor Dryden said a number of councillors were school governors, so understood their issues.

 

5.    Mr Carpen said he attended various resident association meetings around the city and noted the following issues:

·       It was hard to engage people in the community as knowledge on how to use social media etc was variable. This meant people were losing out on knowledge sharing.

·       It was hard to reach out to residents who commuted. This could be done electronically but was (generally) more difficult face to face.

 

Mrs Minns (member of public) said that people used digital media (eg email), but not necessarily social media. People would welcome education on how to use social media. People needed enough money to buy equipment in order to use social media, otherwise they could not interact.

 

Mr Carpen felt there was a cultural divide between those who read/viewed on-line content, and those who created it.

 

6.    Mr Butt referred to the management of the "Green Corridor" alongside the railway line (Clay Farm), with specific reference to habitats for birds. Mr Butt asked how red listed species would be protected.

 

Councillor Blackhurst undertook to seek a response from Officers. He also said the issue would be discussed at the Southern Fringe Forum being held 3 June 2014 at Trumpington Meadows Primary School.

The Committee received a report from the Operations & Resources Manager.

 

Members considered applications for grants as set out in the Officer’s report, and table below.

 

Ref	Organisation	Purpose	Award £
S1	Accordia Community and Residents Assoc	Community website hosting	£1,161
S2	Accordia Social Housing - Families	Trip to Twin Lakes theme park	£671
S3	Cambridge Royal Albert Benevolent Soc	Trip to Thursford Music Hall	£550
S4	The Centre at St Paul's	Three trips, inc two boat trips	£300
S5	Cherry Hinton Festival Society	Festival 2014 interactive installations	£5,000
S6	Cherry Hinton Football Club	Improvement to the playing surface	£4,950
S7	Denis Wilson Court Social Club	Trip to Hunstanton	£400
S8	Denis Wilson Court Social Club	"Celebration of Age" party	£500
S9	Denis Wilson Court Social Club	Christmas luncheon	£220
S10	Denis Wilson Court Social Club	Sunday brunch 2015	0
S11	Friends of Cherry Hinton Hall	Festival of Fur and Feathers	£295
S12	Hanover Court and Princes Court R A	Events, outing and activities	£1,610
S13	Huxley Group	Trip to Shrepreth Wildlife Park	£304
S14	Newtown area - families living in	Trip to Paradise Wildlife Park	£344
S15	Queen Edith Community Forum	3 editions of newsletter	£1,650
S16	Queen Edith's Community Forum	Three events	£850
S17	St Andrews Glebe Residents Association	BBQ, outings (x 4), activities, social	£514
S18	St Andrews Tuesday Afternoon Club	Activities, parties and trips	£100
S19	Trumpington Bowls Club	Crockery	£1,000
S20	Trumpington Elderly Action Group	8 meetings, trip, outing and party	£1,000
S21	Trumpington Elderly Action Group (D Sparks)	Six separate coach trips	£1,000
S22	Trumpington Residents Association	Trip to Hunstanton	£500
S23	Trumpington Stitchers at the Pavilion	Room hire and 4 activity days	£900
S24	Trumpington Women's Institute	95th anniversary celebration	£275
S25	Trumpington Youth Group (c/o TRA)	3 day residential trip.	£1,100

 

Budget available	25,984
Total awards	25,194
Budget remaining	790

 

Following discussion, Members unanimously resolved to agree the proposed awards detailed in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report and summarised in the table above.

The Committee received a report from the Cycling Projects Team Leader.

 

The report informed SAC Members about the emerging proposals for traffic and road safety improvements on Trumpington Road, between Chaucer Road and Bateman Street. The proposals aim to improve conditions for pedestrians, bus users and cyclists. Public consultation is due to take place in May 2014.

 

The Cycling Projects Team Leader circulated a map of the area affected.

 

The Committee raised the following concerns in response to the report:

       i.          A lot of money was being spent on a project that was unlikely to solve many problems.

     ii.          The impact on local communities due to the relocation of the bus stop and loss of parking spaces near the Botanic Gardens.

   iii.          Lack of join up between infrastructure projects.

   iv.          Cyclists riding on the pavement due to their road safety concerns, and the impact on pedestrians.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Cycling Projects Team Leader said the following:

       i.          Funding for cycle lane work came from the Department for Transport (DfT).

     ii.          The relocated bus stop would be sited close to the Botanic Gardens.

 

Members of the public made comments and asked questions, as set out below.

 

1.       Mr Lowson asked how the Trumpington Road scheme fitted into a wider plan of city cycle routes.

 

The Cycling Projects Team Leader said DfT timescales limited when the County Council could apply for, and use funding. The County Council had to undertake projects that were practicable to complete within timescales allowed by DfT, or risk losing the funding. As such there was no overarching scheme as funding was bid for on an adhoc basis, so individual projects could be completed.

 

2.       Mr Lucas-Smith (Cambridge Cycling Campaign) made the following comments:

·       Raised safety concerns regarding cycling near the Botanic Gardens.

·       The DfT has a lot of short term funding, so the County Council has to bid to use it when it can.

·       People cycling on the pavement showed that they had road safety concerns.

·       Supported a Dutch style layout.

 

3.       Mrs Higgs (North New Town Residents Association) raised the following points:

·       North New Town Residents have not been consulted on proposals affecting local schools.

·       Raised safety concerns regarding the Bateman Street junction.

·       Suggested the Trumpington Road scheme would have little impact on the majority of people travelling to the New Town area eg commuters.

·       Asked for a traffic impact assessment to be undertaken on the cycle lane scheme. Suggested there was little point in undertaking the scheme if it made minor safety impact improvements in Trumpington, but caused greater problems elsewhere due to the cumulative impact on traffic flow and parking.

·       Suggested the scheme would exacerbate existing traffic flow and parking issues in the New Town area.

 

The Cycling Projects Team Leader apologised that residents were not included in the planning day with schools and undertook to liaise with Mrs Higgs after the meeting.

 

4.       Mr Butt raised the following points:

·       Supported Mrs Higgs’ comments.

·       Queried the impact of the cycle scheme on residents.

·       More people could be attracted to the area if cycle lanes were improved.

·       Parking is an important consideration when undertaking work.

·       Raised cycle safety concerns.

·       Cycle infrastructure projects should join up, not be undertaken piecemeal.

 

5.       Mr Carpen raised the following points:

·       Raised concerns regarding the consultation process to date.

·       More ‘big picture information’ was required, such as a strategy/map to join up transport issues, instead of undertaking work piecemeal.

·       Undertook to raise concerns regarding short time frames to use DfT funding with civil servants.

 

Councillor Ashton encouraged people to respond to the County Council consultation and reminded SAC delegates the document before them tonight was an introduction to the process.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for demolition of the existing residential property and the construction of 3 houses (a pair of semis and a detached house), with associated car parking, cycle parking, waste storage and landscaping.

 

Ms Carpenter (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (4 votes to 4 – and on the Chair’s casting vote) to reject the officer recommendation to refuse the application.

 

Resolved (4 votes to 4 – and on the Chair’s casting vote) to approve the application contrary to the officer recommendation, subject to conditions delegated to officers, for the following reason:

 

In considering the scheme and the officer recommendation to refuse the proposal, on balance, South Area Committee did not consider that the proposal would be harmful to either the character or appearance of the surrounding area or significantly harmful to residential amenity to warrant a refusal of planning permission.

 

At the request of the Principal Planning Officer, resolved unanimously to delegate authority to Officers to append appropriate conditions and a S106 agreement.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for erection of 2 x 4 bedroom dwellings following demolition of existing dwelling at number 2 Bishops Road. Extension to existing dwelling at number 2A Bishops Road.

 

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from Mrs Middleton.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          The development would be more appropriate for the site if the existing dwelling was replaced with a bungalow instead of a house.

     ii.          Raised the following specific concerns:

·       The development will exacerbate existing parking and traffic flow problems.

·       Overbearing design.

·       Overdevelopment of site.

 

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

 

Councillor Ashwood (Trumpington Ward County Councillor) addressed the Committee about the application.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          Took issue with the Highways Engineer’s view that there were no safety issues.

     ii.          Access to the development was close to Shelford Road, which was a busy route.

   iii.          The development would exacerbate existing parking and traffic flow problems.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (by 6 votes to 1 with 1 abstention) 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.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission. The Principal Planning Officer referred to representations on the planning amendment sheet.

 

The application sought approval for erection of two 4-bed houses.

 

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

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          Suggested that amendments made to the design since the last iteration were superficial and cosmetic.

     ii.          Raised the following specific concerns:

·       The design would stand out, not blend in with neighbours.

·       The buildings would look larger than neighbours’ properties.

·       The application is an overdevelopment of the site.

·       The design was too high, imposing, unsympathetic to neighbours and out of character with the area.

 

Mr Cater (Applicant) and Mr Wilding (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously) 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.

The Committee received an application for change of use.

 

The application sought approval for change of use from C3 dwelling to house in multiple occupation.

 

Ms Young (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously) 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.

The Committee received an update report following outcome of Appeal decision against the Council’s decision to refuse to grant a Certificate of Lawful Use or Development (application reference 12/1438/CLUED).

 

Site: 27 Babraham Road, Cambridge

Breach: Breach of planning conditions and material change of use.

 

The report sought authority as listed against each of the five

Enforcement Notices authorised by Committee in March 2013:

1.    Breach of condition 1of C/97/0695 (The number of ice cream vans stored at the premises shall not exceed two vehicle).

Enforcement notice not to be issued.

2.    Breach of condition 2 of C/97/0695 (The ice cream vans, when not in use, shall be stored within the existing garages at all times with the doors closed).

Enforcement notice to be served but amended to remove reference to ‘with the doors closed’.

3.    Breach of condition 3 of C/97/0695 (There shall be no deliveries to the premises associated with the ice cream business)

Enforcement notice not to be issued.

4.    Breach of condition 4 of C/97/0695 (The garage shall be used for the parking of no more than two ice cream vans and the parking of domestic vehicles only and for no other purpose without express consent to be given in writing by the local planning authority).

Enforcement notice not to be issued.

5.    The material change of use of the area of the Land marked with green hatching on the attached plan of 27 Babraham Road Cambridge to a B1 business use.

Enforcement notice not to be issued.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously) to close the meeting at 9:45 pm and defer considering applications regarding 27 Babraham Road until a future date due to a first aid incident.

This application was not considered due to a first aid incident.