Agenda and minutes

The committee received apologies for absence from City Councillors McPherson and Sanders, and County Councillor Heathcock.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11^th November 2010 were approved as a true and accurate record of the meeting.  

There were no matters arising. 

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.

 

Cllr Blackhurst declared a personal interest in item 8 (Community Development and Leisure Grants) as a member of the Trumpington Residents Association, and his wife being an officer holder of the association.

There were no issues raised in the open forum. 

The committee were advised that Police Sergeant Gavin Townsend would be leaving his current role on 24^th January and that Jim Stephen would replace him. The committee also noted that a new Community Police Officer Matt Smith would be starting imminently. The committee formally thanked Sergeant Townsend for his work with the committee.

The committee received a presentation from the Census Area Manager regarding the 2011 census process.

 

In response to a question from a member of the public, the Area Manager reassured the committee and the public present that robust processes were in place for the management of personal information. It was also confirmed that personal information would not be shared or transfer to other organisations.

The committee agree to alter the order of the remaining items to take the items in the following order 10, 9b, 9c, 8 and 9a.  

The committee received a report from the Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation regarding grant applications. The Chief Executive clarified a number of points in the report, namely

 

·        Mission 7 Impossible – The committee were advised that the group was a ladies group meeting at Netherhall School.

 

·        Normanhurst – The grant had been incorrectly attributed to the wrong area committee.

 

The committee were advised that there was one application (Trumpington Residents Association) for consideration. The committee made the following comments regarding the application

 

i)                   The proposal (purchase of Marquee) was welcomed, but it was suggested whether it would be possible for the sharing of assets to be promoted through Community Foundation process.

 

ii)                 Reservations were expressed about the principle of the group charging of other users of the facility, other than for transport and associated costs such as cleaning.

 

iii)               It was noted that the group would have to set a policy of whether the marquee would be loaned to groups outside of Trumpington.

 

The committee resolved to approve (unanimously)

 

i)                   A grant allocation to Trumpington Residents Association of £800 towards the purchase of a marquee

The following members considered the planning applications, Councillors Taylor, Stuart, Blackhurst, Swanson and Dryden.  

The committee received an application for full planning permission for the installation of a fenced enclosure and pole stack housing along with lighting and associated CCTV to existing car park and associated works.

 

The committee received representations from one objector, the applicant and a County Councillor acting in their Ward Councillor capacity.

 

The objector (Philipa Bond) raised the following issues

 

i)                   Concerns about the potential consequential effects on the local road system, if the parking provision is reduced.

ii)                 Potential increased risk to cyclists if there are an increase number of parked cars.

 

The agent for the applicant spoke in favour of the application.

 

County Councillor Shepherd addressed the committee and raised the following issues

 

i)                   Concerns about the potential consequential effects on the local road system, if the parking provision is reduced.

ii)                 Highlighted that the County Council were currently reviewing options to address parking issues in the local road system.

 

Resolved (Unanimously) to accept the officer recommendations and approved the application, subject to conditions, for the following reasons

 

1. This development has been approved, conditionally, because subject to those requirements it is considered to generally conform to the Development Plan, particularly the following policies:

 

East of England plan 2008: SS1, T1, T2, T3, T4, T8, T14 and

ENV7

 

Cambridge Local Plan (2006): 3/1, 3/4, 3/7, 3/11, 4/4, 4/13,

4/15, 8/9, 8/10 and 10/1

 

2. The decision has been made having had regard to all other material planning considerations, none of which was considered to have been of such significance as to justify doing other than grant planning permission.

The committee received an application for full planning permission for the erection of 2 flats and bin storage and parking provision off road.

 

The agent for the applicant spoke in favour of the application.

 

Resolved (Unanimously) to accept the officer recommendations and approved the application, subject to conditions, for the following reasons

 

1. This development has been approved, conditionally, because subject to those requirements it is considered to generally conform to the Development Plan, particularly the following policies:

 

Cambridge Local Plan (2006): 3/1, 3/4, 3/7, 3/8, 3/10, 3/12,

3/14, 5/1, 5/14, 8/2, 8/6, 8/10 and 10/1

 

2. The decision has been made having had regard to all other material planning considerations, none of which was considered to have been of such significance as to justify doing other than grant planning permission.

The committee received an application for full planning permission for Change of use to a mixed Restaurant/Cafe and take-away use (mixed use Classes A3 and A5).

 

The applicant spoke in favour of the application.

 

Resolved (4 votes to 1) to reject the officer recommendations and approve the application for the following reasons.

 

1.    The takeaway element of the proposed mixed A3/A5 use would be likely to result in short stay car parking on the highway close to the premises, which is located at a narrow and busy part of the High Street, with a pedestrian crossing immediately to the front and very close to the junction with Mill End Road, where there are high volumes of cycle and pedestrian traffic as well as vehicular traffic. These factors combine to make this a location where cars parking close to the junction to use the takeaway, even for short periods, are likely to obstruct the highway and create a hazard for other users, vehicles, cycles and pedestrians. The development would as a consequence prejudice highway safety, contrary to East of England Plan (2008) policy T1, Cambridge Local Plan (2006) policy 8/2 and advice provided by Planning Policy Statement 1 – Delivering Sustainable Development (2005) and Planning Policy Guidance 13 Transport (2001).

 

2.    The proposal, because of the nature of a Class A5 Use and its relatively short-term customers and higher turnover levels compared to customers of the existing Class A3 use, will be likely to generate significantly greater levels of activity to the frontage of the premises in a predominantly residential area. The noise and disturbance from this greater level of activity will be detrimental to the amenity that neighbours should reasonably expect to enjoy. For these reasons the proposal, fails to respond to its context or relate well to its surroundings and is contrary to Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 3/4; gives rise to unacceptable environmental problems or nuisance contrary to Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 6/10; and adversely affects the environmental amenity of others, contrary to Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 4/13.

The committee resolved to approve the meeting dates as circulated for 2011/12.