Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Scutt, Councillor Gawthrope Wood attended as the alternate. Councillor Hawkins also gave apologies and Councillor Garvie attended as the alternate.

Councillor Fane attended the meeting virtually.

Description: Demolition of the existing building on site and the redevelopment of the site to provide a new ground plus four-storey commercial building for life sciences/research and development uses (Use Class E(g)(ii)) along with associated ancillary facilities)

(Developer: Breakthrough properties)

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.         Massing and height was substantial. A landscape and visual impact assessment should be submitted to enable assessment of height.

    ii.         Queried how the colour of the building related to the existing building and the surrounding environment

   iii.         Questioned the whole life cost of the existing building and its structural form; could this be dismantled at the end of its building life or be continuously adaptable. 

  iv.         Asked why the cycle parking was in the lower basement, and why this part of the building had a higher floor to ceiling ratio compared to the car parking.

    v.         Queried if lift access to the cycle parking was suitable and whether it would deter individuals from using the space; was there a way to give freer access.

  vi.         Recommended cycle spaces were available for cargo bikes and adaptable bikes.

 vii.         Developers should give thought to car share and car club schemes when allocating parking spaces on site.

viii.         Asked if the electrical grid had capacity to serve the development,

  ix.         Asked about water supply and resources to serve the development. Requested details of water consumption when building is fully occupied,.

    x.         Asked if and how grey water recycling had been considered; lab use would increase water usage.

  xi.         Advised that the water table was very high which should be taken into account when looking at the drainage on site. Permeable paving should be considered.

 xii.         Asked what arrangements had been made with regards to service vehicles on site.

xiii.         Encouraged sustainable materials in construction.

xiv.         Important to look at the structure of the building and how flexible the working spaces were. How quickly the building could adapt to meet new ways of working, such as wet labs and new project types; essential to identify service implications and limits and how what business use cases had been used on this matter.

xv.         Enquired about the details for the transport plan and transport mitigation measures to keep within the trip budget; what travel to work scheme would be in place, where would employees park and how would displacement parking be discouraged.

xvi.         Queried which side of the development would be facing Jane Coston Cycle Bridge.

xvii.         Requested further detail on the following:

·      Energy management.

·      Noise management.

·      Climate control system and how it will prevent odours from entering the building systems.

·      Landscaping.

·      Roof planting and asked if the roof garden would be open to those working in the building

xviii.         Enquired what consideration had been given to the landscaping, and whether a vegetable garden could be included and trees with edible fruits. </AI3>

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