Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from City Councillors Baigent and Flaubert.

Apologies were also received from South Cambs Councillors Bradnam and Stobart. Councillor Garvie attended as alternate for South Cambs Councillor Stobart.  

As the JDCC Chair, South Cambs Councillor Bradnam was not present at the meeting a South Cambs Councillor representative needed to be elected for for the specific purpose of chairing this meeting. Councillor Fane nominated and Councillor Smart seconded Councillor Cahn as the South Cambs Councillor representative for the meeting. This was agreed nem con.

Proposal: Construction of an employment building (lab use - use class E) with associated car parking, cycle parking and landscaping

Developer: Trinity College Cambridge

Proposal: Construction of an employment building (lab use - use class E) with associated car parking, cycle parking and landscaping

Developer: Trinity College Cambridge

Members raised comments/questions as listed below. Answers were supplied, and comments provided by officers but as this was a pre-application presentation, none of the answers or comments are binding on either the intended applicant or the local planning authority so consequently are not recorded in these minutes.

      i.         Queried how much m² of space there would be per employee.

    ii.         Queried if the landscaping would fit into the masterplan.

   iii.         Asked what consideration had been given to passive cooling of the building.

  iv.         Encouraged the developer to be more ambitious with their sustainability measures.

    v.         Expressed concerns about the longevity of bulb planting.

  vi.         Asked developers to consider cargo bike parking.

 vii.         Would have liked to see comparison in height to building nearby.

viii.         Asked if there were parking spaces on site.

  ix.         Asked how many Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points were on site.

    x.         Queried if a ground source heat pump could be used.

  xi.         Queried the attractiveness of the building.

 xii.         Asked what the building materials for construction of the building would be.

xiii.         Queried the lifespan of the building.

xiv.         Asked where the front door was.

xv.         Queried how disabled access to the building works.

xvi.         Stated that a car parking management strategy was needed in particular in relation to the offsite car parking.

Due to a declaration of interest Councillor Smart left the room and did not take part in the consideration or decision of the application.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission for the change of use of land to car parks for a temporary period of up to 10 years, including hard surfacing, vehicular access, pedestrian walkways, barriers, CCTV, electric vehicle charging points, bus shelter, lighting columns and associated infrastructure and landscaping.

The Principal Planner updated their report by referring to the amendments contained within the Amendment Sheet summarised as follows:

Condition 1: which seeks to secure a temporary permission for the proposed development, refers to the operation of both Cambridge South Station and the Cambridge South East Transport Scheme (CSET). However, following the recent announcement by GCP that the second phase of CSET is to be paused due to funding and uncertainties around the project, reference to strategic transport improvements has been removed to ensure the condition satisfies the five tests set out in national planning policy guidance. Condition 1 as worded in the officer report to JDCC also provides for a slightly longer temporary consent than is referenced in the description of development which seeks “up to 10 years”. It is therefore necessary to revise the expiry date of the temporary permission to align with the description of development. Condition 1 is therefore to be amended to read as follows: The use of the temporary car parks hereby approved shall cease on or before the 20 September 2033. The temporary car parks hereby approved shall be removed and the land restored to a serviced development plot with underground services and connections retained, within 12 months from cessation of the use, in accordance with a schedule of works that has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, prior to the commencement of any restoration works.

Carin Chandler (Applicant’s Representative) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The Principal Planner said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         The parking provision may only be needed for a temporary period of seven years but a backstop period of 10-years would allow a degree of flexibility in terms of infrastructure delivery and realising the expected modal shift.

    ii.         No issues regarding nesting birds with the installation of a helipad. Ecology Officer and Landscaping Officer had been consulted.

   iii.         There would be a net increase of 39 electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

  iv.         There were bookable parking spaces for staff.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

      i.         Expressed concern/disappointment that parking provisions had not been made for the Gypsy Roma Travellers community at that stage of the application process.

Resolved (unanimously) to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

i.               the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23/41/JDCC

Due to a declaration of interest Councillor Smart left the room and did not take part in the consideration or decision of the application.

The Committee received an S73 application to vary Conditions 3 (Approved Plans), 8 (Hard and Soft Landscape Works), 9 (Landscape Implementation) of planning ref: 22/02591/FUL (Retention, change of use and extension of Regional Surge Centre 40 (RSC 40) to Provide Orthopaedic Theatres, Orthopaedic Wards, new and realigned vehicular access, and associated infrastructure for a temporary period of 10 years) to take account of changes to the layout, landscape and elevations resulting from detailed design and neighbouring proposals.

The Legal Advisor made a statement regarding the meaning and status of a S73 planning application and in particular the permission resulting from a successful application.

The Senior Planner updated their report by referring to the amendments contained within the Amendment Sheet summarised as follows:

-Removal of paragraph 21.2 from the officer report.

The Senior Planner also gave a verbal update regarding Condition 19:

-The planning conditions imposed by planning permission 22/02591/FUL where appropriate shall continue to apply to this planning permission. Where any of those conditions pertaining to 22/02591/FUL have been discharged, the development authorised by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance the terms of the discharge, and those conditions shall be deemed to be discharged for this permission also.

Reason: To define the terms of the application.

Carin Chandler (Applicant’s Representative) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The Senior Planner said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         The area previously indicated as wildflower planting would form part of the neighbouring application (23/01779/FUL). A future application on the site would address the long-term Biodiversity net gain.

    ii.         Condition 9 regarding the green wall stated that it would be planted and maintained.

   iii.         Everything within the application was for a temporary period of time.

The Committee:

Resolved (by 7 votes to 0 with 1 abstention) to grant the S73 application in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

i. the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report, amendment sheet and verbal update.

Marleigh (Phase 1a) - Re-orientate seven houses that front Gregory

Park (Lot D3) and to replace eight carports with garages (D3)

Councillor Smart re-joined the Committee at the beginning of the application.

The Vice-Chair of the Committee (City Councillor S.Smith) declared an interest in the application left the room and did not take part in the consideration or decision of the application. South Cambs Councillor Cahn then took the Chair for this agenda item.

Councillor Cahn proposed and Councillor Porrer seconded for City Councillor Smart to take the role of the City Councillor representative for the purposes of any procedural matters concerning decisions arising from the application.

The Committee received an S73 application to vary condition 1 (Approved plans) of reserved matters application 20/02569/REM (Reserved matters application as part of Phase 1B pursuant to condition 5 (Reserved Matters) of outline planning permission S/2682/13/OL dated 30 November 2016 (EIA Development) for detailed access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the creation of 308 new homes, non-residential floor space, laying out of playing fields, open space, allotments, associated infrastructure and internal roads) to replace six two-storey houses (C2 and C3) within phase 1b with three-storey houses and to replace five carports with garages (D4).

The Principal Planner provided a verbal update to their report regarding an email sent from Teversham Parish Council on 18 September 2023.

The Principal Planner said the following in response to Members’ request for points of clarification:

      i.         Garages have sufficient space for parking. If a garage were converted to a habitable room, there would not be any other space for parking.

    ii.         The S73 application is only applicable to 7 houses, not the entire site.

Henry James from Hill Marshall (Applicant’s Representative) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The Principal Planner said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         Cannot condition that cycle parking must be maintained in sheds in the future but only that it was provided in the first instance.

    ii.         The garages had been designed to adopted size policies and thus are policy compliant.

Resolved unanimously to grant the S73 application for in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

i. the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report.

Marleigh (Phase 1b) - Replace 6 two storey houses with three storey and 5 carports with garages

The Vice-Chair of the Committee (City Councillor S. Smith) declared an interest in the application, left the room and did not take part in the consideration or decision of the application. South Cambs Councillor Cahn then took the Chair for this agenda item.

Councillor Cahn proposed and Councillor Porrer seconded for City Councillor Smart to take the role of the City Councillor representative for the purposes of any procedural matters concerning decisions arising from the application.

The Committee received an S73 application to vary condition 1 (Approved plans) of planning permission 22/03432/S73 (S73 to vary condition 29 of ref: 22/02554/S73 (Reserved matters application detailing access appearance landscaping layout and scale for the creation of 239 new homes and non-residential floorspace including 'Market Square' internal roads landscaping and associated works as part of Phase 1a of the Wing masterplan pursuant to condition 5 (reserved matters) of outline planning permission S/2682/13/OL) to enable retail unit 2 to be used for purposes covered under Use Class E(a), E(b), E(c), E(d), E(e) and E(gii) within Class E) g) to re-orientate seven houses that front Gregory Park (Lot D3) and to replace eight carports with garages (D3)

The Principal Planner said the following in response to Members’ request for points of clarification:

      i.         Garden space would still comply with the Design Code and the Council’s minimum standards. There was also a wealth of open space in and around the area.

    ii.         The reason for change resulted from the market demand for 4 bed houses.

Henry James from Hill Marshall (Applicant’s Representative) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Resolved unanimously to grant the S73 application for in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

i.               The planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report.

The report and appendices contains exempt information during which the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting subject to determination by the Committee following consideration of a public interest test.  This exclusion would be made under paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Councillor Smith re-joined the meeting and assumed the role of chairing the Committee.

The Committee voted unanimously to hold the debate in closed session by virtue of paragraph(s) 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Strategic Sites Delivery Manager provided Members with an update on the status of live and extant appeals against the Committee’s planning decisions as of September 2023.