Agenda and minutes

The Assistant Director (Delivery) took the chair whilst the Committee elected a Chair. 

Councillor Bradnam proposed, and Councillor Smart seconded, the nomination of Councillor Sargeant as Chair.

Resolved unanimously that Councillor Sargeant be Chair for the ensuing year.

Councillor Sargeant assumed the chair from the Assistant Director (Delivery) at this point.

Councillor Sargeant proposed, and Councillor Daunton seconded, the nomination of Councillor Bradnam as Vice-Chair.

Resolved unanimously that Councillor Bradnam be Vice-Chair for the ensuing year.

Apologies were received from City Councillor Tunnacliffe (City Councillor Page-Croft was present as alternate).

The Committee received a report from the Assistant Director (Delivery).

The report referred to the County Council resolution in May 2020 to withdraw from the Joint Development Control Committee (JDCC) after July 2020. The effect of their withdrawal would mean the JDCC as then constituted would no longer be quorate.

The corporate processes for the establishment of the new Joint Development Control Committee, composed of members from both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council had now been completed and the previous JDCC dissolved.

The changes made to the Terms of Reference, Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation at each stage of the corporate processes were summarised in the officer’s report.

Members of the new Joint Development Control Committee were asked to consider the Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation in order that the Committee could proceed with business.

Recommendations

i)     To confirm the Standing Orders for the Joint Development Control Committee.

ii)     To confirm the Scheme of Delegation for the Joint Development Control Committee.

iii)    To agree that the Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation will be reviewed on an annual basis.

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

i.     Indicated the wording to the appointment of Chair and Vice Chair should be re worded under p13 (Standing Orders) of the agenda pack, paragraph 1.1 and 1.2.

ii.     Suggested under Appendix A, Public Speaking Rights, p18 of the agenda pack there needed to be clarity on the order of public speakers.

iii.    Would be helpful to highlight at which point of the public speaking the Committee could ask for points of clarification.

The Assistant Director (Delivery) said the following in response to Members’ questions:

i.     Noted the request for the rewording of the election and vice chair for the municipal year; this would be brought back to the next meeting for approval.

ii.     When considering raising the quorum it should not be set too high as there was a possibility that the meeting may not be quorate.

iii.    Previous Standing Orders requested a minimum of 3 members from Cambridge City Council and 3 members from South Cambridgeshire District Council as part of the quorum composition.

iv.    Points of clarification should be at the discretion of the Chair and used in exceptional circumstances. There could be an issue where the points of clarification took longer than the committee debate.

v.    Noted the request to include clarity on the order in which the public speakers addressed the committee; the wording would be presented to the Committee at the next meeting for approval.

Councillor Smart proposed the following amendment under item 4, Financial Implications, p4 of the officer’s report (agenda page 6), additional text underlined, deleted text struck through.

4. Implications

a) Financial Implications

The JDCC is managed by Cambridge City Council at present and the cost of the JDCC meetings are covered within the existing budgets. These costs may will form part of the shared services charging agreement.

On a show  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/4/JDCC

The following meeting dates were approved for the municipal year 2020/21:

Wednesday September 16,   2020

Wednesday October 21,       2020

Wednesday November 18,    2020

Wednesday December 16,    2020

Wednesday January 20,       2021

Wednesday February 17,      2021

Wednesday March 17,          2021

Wednesday April 14,             2021

The Committee received applications for full planning permission for the following:

S/4532/19/FL - The demolition of existing community centre and erection of 56 council rented dwellings, car parking, new play equipment, the creation of new vehicular accesses onto Daisy Close and St Catharines Road, the provision of new landscaping and associated land levelling, together with land reprofiling as part of wider proposal for the full Meadows site seeking permission for the demolition of existing community centre, and the erection of a new community hub 78 affordable dwellings, car parking, a replacement multi use games area, new play equipment, the creation of new vehicular accesses on to Arbury Road, Daisy Close and St Catharines Road, the provision of new landscaping and substation, the installation of drainage to the football pitch and associated land levelling together with land reprofiling.

19/1756/FUL - Erection of new community hub and 22 council rented affordable dwellings, car parking, replacement multi use games area, new vehicular access off Arbury Road and enhancements to the recreation ground and installation of substation (as part of wider proposal for the full Meadows site seeking permission for the demolition of existing community centre and the erection of a new community hub, 78 affordable dwellings, car parking, a replacement multi use games area, new play equipment, the creation of new vehicular accesses on to Arbury Road, Daisy Close and St Catharines Road, the provision of new landscaping and substation and the installation of drainage to the football pitch and associated land levelling together with land re-profiling).

The Committee received a representation in objection to the applications from 2 members of Friends of St Albans Rec Association:

i.     A total of 1500 residents had signed the Petition against the proposals.

ii.     The response presented to the Committee today had been written in conjunction with Cambridge Past, Present and Future.

iii.    Did not object in principle to redevelopment of the buildings to provide affordable housing but objected to the applications for the following reasons:

·    Would result in loss of public open space in a Ward with the lowest open space provision.

·    The development height was out of character and did not comply with the City Council’s tall building policy.

·    The development proposal was not in the current Cambridge Local Plan (CLP), therefore this application was not Plan lead.

·    Said the CLP and the Open Spaces and Recreation Strategy recognised the Ward as the second highest population with the lowest total areas of open space and recommended St Albans Road Rec be protected from development.

·    Building on the Rec opposed the Council’s commitment to improve green spaces; development should not be used as justification.

·    population and reducing open spaces contradicted CLP which presumed overall net gain of amenity space not loss.

·    The open space had been designed as “green lung” benefitting the community both physically and mentally. More facilities and landscaping would not compensate the impact of towering buildings, including a six-storey high building.

·    COVID-19 had seen a significant increase in the use of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/6/JDCC