Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Sargeant and Page-Croft. Councillor Thornburrow attended as the (Labour) Alternate.

 

Councillor McQueen left after the consideration of item 19/23/FUL.

Name	Item	Interest
Councillor Baigent	All	Personal: Member of Cambridge Cycling Campaign.
Councillor Green	19/19/Plan and 19/20/Plan	Personal: Application made by Cambridge Investment Partnership.   (Established in January 2017, CIP is a joint venture between Cambridge City Council and Hill Investment Partnerships.)

 

To follow

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 and 18 June would be reviewed at a future meeting.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for the erection of 3 no. retail units (2 x use class A1 and 1 x use class A5), 1no. Community Centre (use class D1) and provision of 14 no. dwellings (8 flats and 6 maisonettes) following demolition of existing commercial units and flats).

 

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

 

Councillor Thornburrow proposed amendments to the Officer’s recommendation to include:

       i.          Condition 50 to be amended to include “Installation” (not just sign-off) of electric vehicle charge points.

     ii.          Amend wording of condition 24 requiring the development a scheme for ecological enhancement after any demolition work but before the first occupation on-site.

 

The amendments were carried unanimously.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 plus amended conditions and delegated powers for officers to amend wording.

 

Condition 24 should now read as follows:

 

24.     Prior to the commencement of development above ground, with the exception of demolition, a scheme for ecological enhancement including native planting, measures to allow dispersal of hedgehogs and in-built features for nesting birds and roosting bats shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The measures shall be implemented in accordance with the agreed scheme.

         

          Reason: To improve the bio-diversity contribution of the site (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policy 69).

 

Condition 50 should now read as follows:

 

50.     Prior to the installation of any electrical services, an electric vehicle charge point scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The charging points shall be installed in accordance with the approved details and retained thereafter.

 

Reason:  In the interests of encouraging more sustainable modes and forms of transport and to reduce the impact of development on local air quality, in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, 2019) paragraphs 105, 110, 170 and 181, Policy 36 of the Cambridge Local Plan (2018) Cambridge City Council’s adopted Air Quality Action Plan (2018).

 

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for temporary change of use of 39 Akeman Street as a Community Centre Office for a period of 55 weeks involving the widening of a rear door and the installation of an access ramp.

 

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

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 Senior Planner requested delegated authority to seek s106 contributions from the County Council. Hitherto no response to the consultation had been received in this regard from the County.

 

The application sought approval for the proposed erection of extensions to the Future Business Centre and installation of car and cycle parking, installation of substation and associated works.

 

Ms Hyde (Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Councillor Thornburrow proposed amendments to the Officer’s recommendation to include:

       i.          Installation of electric vehicle charge points in all 5 car bays.

     ii.          Sufficient parking space for cargo bikes be provided.

 

The amendments were carried unanimously.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 plus:

       i.          Delegated powers of approval for Officers to resolve the outstanding issue of whether Cambridgeshire County Council require a contribution. If a contribution is required, a S106 will need to be completed prior to the permission being issued.

     ii.          Additional condition requiring EV charge points in all 5 car bays.

   iii.          An informative encouraging provision for cargo bikes as part of the cycle parking scheme.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for a change of use of existing first floor staff accommodation to bed and breakfast (11no rooms).

 

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from a local resident.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          Concerned that priority for the cycle route had been lost over time.

     ii.          Was pleased that the allocated disabled parking bay was to be relocated so that it did not block the cycle route.

   iii.          Hoped that enforcement of parking restriction that protected the cycle route would be enforced.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 application sought approval for the erection of a detached 3-bed dwelling to the side of 57 Peverel Road.

 

The Committee requested that additional wording be added to draft condition 5 in order to make application compliant with requirement for hedgehog permeable boundaries.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 subject to the hard and soft landscaping condition (no.5) being amended to include a requirement for hedgehog gaps in the boundary treatment.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for retrospective permission for the erection of a bike store.

 

The Committee noted that the application was part retrospective with details of modifications to the current building outlined in the amendment sheet.

 

The Committee received representations in objection to the application from local residents. A representative of the West Cambridge Preservation Society addressed the Committee on behalf of the Society and other local objectors:

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          The cycle store was out of keeping with the conservation area.

     ii.          Building damages the street scene.

   iii.          Had an adverse impact on the local landscape.

   iv.          The aesthetic of the area was important.

    v.          Application contravened Local Plan policies.

   vi.          Green landscaping needed to be protected.

 

Joe Sanghera (Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Local residents addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Councillor Cantrill sent a statement in support of the application.

 

Councillor Gehring (Newnham Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee in support of the application and made the following comments:

 

       i.          The proposed design was sympathetic to the local area.

     ii.          Use of bicycles was to be encouraged and safe storage of cargo bikes would be needed.

   iii.          Cargo bikes had been shown to reduce car journeys.

   iv.          Soft landscaping was important and the proposed greening of this building was welcomed.

 

The Committee expressed support for the application and suggested that the design was in keeping with the area. It also responded to the Council’s policies regarding Climate Change.

 

The Chair reminded the Committee of the policy test required for an application in a Conservation Area: that they must improve and/or conserve the area.

 

The Committee suggested that the existing building might have been approved without the proposed revisions. It was noted that, should enforcement action be needed in the future, the Committee would likely be consulted in advance of any such action.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (by 5 votes to 1) to reject the officer recommendation to refuse the application.

 

Unanimously resolved to grant the application for planning permission contrary to Officer recommendation, for the following reason:

 

The development, as amended, is considered to preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. Notwithstanding this, any harm would be mitigated by the benefits the development would bring in providing secure cycle storage for the property which is consistent with the Council’s policies on sustainability and climate change.                               

The description of the application would need to be modified to reflect the fact that the proposal is part retrospective and subject to the following conditions:

 

1.       Approved drawings

2.       Requirement for soft landscaping scheme

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for erection of detached two bedroom dwelling and associated works at 11 Hinton Avenue, Cambridge.

 

The Committee noted the error in the description of the Proposal in the Committee report which incorrectly stated that the proposal was for a three bedroom property.

 

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from a local resident.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          As owner of the property next door to the site he had concerns.

     ii.          Property would overshadow outdoor space.

   iii.          Shadow study was incorrect and in winter months his garden would receive no direct sunlight.

   iv.          Amended design was not an improvement.

    v.          Would be overbearing and would create a feeling of enclosure.

   vi.          Main living area of property would be facing the new building.

 vii.          Would have a negative impact on the streetscape.

 

Councillor Thornburrow proposed an additional condition regarding the visibility splay of the proposed on-site parking space access route.

 

The Committee:

 

Unanimously resolved 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 but with modification to the boundary treatment condition to refer to visibility splays, and the inclusion of an informative regarding hedgehogs.