Agenda and minutes

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Thornburrow who subsequently joined the meeting virtually during item 25/6/JDCC.

Councillor R. Williams and Councillor Hawkins attended the meeting virtually.

The minutes of the meetings held on 16 October, 12 November and 20 November 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Committee received a report from the Area Development Manager (East) recommending changes to the Scheme of Delegation for the City Planning Committee, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) Planning Committee and the Joint Development Control Committee (JDCC) namely:

·      The creation of one Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service Scheme of delegation.

·      Reviewing the types of applications that can be brought to committee, allowing Members to focus upon the more complex, significant and controversial applications.

·      Aligning the triggers for committee referral

·      Introducing a Delegation Panel for Cambridge City Committee and Joint Development Management Committee.

·      Review and align triggers for the existing Delegation Panel

·      Name Change for Joint Development Control Committee to Joint Development Management Committee

·      Changes to the Public Speaking arrangements

·      An updated Members Planning Good Practice Guide for Planning Committee

The Committee noted the following amendment to paragraphs 3.10 – 3.12 within the Members Planning Good Practice Guidance, which was also set out within the Amendment Sheet:

Pecuniary Interests

3.10  Pecuniary interests are defined in regulations. Interests which fall into this category are those which include but are not limited to business, employment, trade, profession, contract and wider financial interests, assets such as land, payments, securities, and shares. All Planning Committee Members are encouraged to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or the Legal Adviser to the Committee where they have any concerns as to whether a pecuniary interest exists.

3.11  Any Planning Committee Member with a pecuniary interest must, following declaration of the interest at the committee meeting immediately recuse themself from the meeting and take no further part in the discussion on the application.  Members can remain in the Chamber should they wish to do so but must sit in the public gallery until the item has been determined.

3.12  As a member (and not just a member of planning committee) there are things you should avoid if you have a disclosable pecuniary interest. These include the following:

·      You should avoid representing ward or local views on a matter in which you have such an interest. In these circumstances it is appropriate to ask another ward councillor to take on this role;

·      You should avoid getting involved in the processing of the application by using your position as a councillor to get access to officers or papers;

·      You should not lobby other members of the Council, including the circulation of letters or emails, or by raising the matter in group or similar meetings;

·      You may address the meeting that considers the application or other matter in the same way that members of the public may address the meeting. However you should then withdraw from the meeting (formal or informal) at which the matter is under consideration, you can remain in the meeting room, and if you do you should sit in the “public gallery”. ;

·      To reiterate the advice in 3.1 above, if you are a member of planning committee you must avoid representing your ward or any local views on a planning matter in which you have a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/4/JDCC

Resolved unanimously to approve the following JDCC meeting dates and site visit dates for municipal year June 2025 – May 2026.

Committee meeting dates:

18 June 2025

16 July 2025

20 August 2025

17 September 2025

15 October 2025

19 November 2025

17 December 2025

21 January 2026

25 February 2026

18 March 2026

15 April 2026

Site visit dates:

16 June 2025

14 July 2025

18 August 2025

15 September 2025

13 October 2025

17 November 2025

15 December 2025

19 January 2026

23 February 2026

16 March 2026

13 April 2026

Outline planning permission (all matters reserved save for "access" from Cowley Road) for the partial demolition of the existing buildings, structures and site apparatus, remediation and re-profiling of site levels, for the phased development of residential dwellings (Use Class C3); older persons’ accommodation (Use Class C2); retail, financial & professional services, cafes & restaurants, indoor recreation & fitness, laboratory, offices and co working floorspace (Use Class E); bars and hot food takeaways (Sui Generis); two primary schools with play space and community buildings with ancillary uses (Use Class E, F.1 & F.2); outdoor sports play areas; associated surface and decked car parking and landscaping including central play line and SUDS; highways works to Cowley Road including vehicular accesses, improved bus stops, cycle and pedestrian facilities; and, new electrical substations; associated infrastructure, enabling and other relevant works.

Councillor Thornburrow joined the meeting virtually during this agenda item.

Councillors Fane, Baigent, Flaubert, Hawkins and R.Williams left part way through this agenda item. 

The Committee received a pre-application developer presentation for the Hartree development at Land north and east of Cowley Road, North-East Cambridge.

The developer team provided a briefing note to the Committee in advance of the meeting which has been published on the meeting webpage: Agenda for Joint Development Control Committee on Wednesday, 22nd January, 2025, 10.00 am - Cambridge Council.

Members raised comments/questions as listed below. Answers were supplied, and comments from 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.

1.     Asked if there would be a Design Code produced for this development and if it would be updated over time as it was estimated that the build out of the development would take 20 years.

2.     Asked who was anticipated to live in the development.

3.     Noted that consideration had been given to dual aspect windows in relation to overheating but had consideration also been given to insulation.

4.     Is on-site wind power being considered.

5.     Are ground source heat pumps being considered.

6.     Asked about water recycling and noted that certain standards needed to be met for water to be drinking water, which meant currently water could not be recycled to be used as drinking water.

7.     Noted the importance of natural light in rooms balanced against the need to ensure that rooms were appropriately heat controlled.

8.     Asked what the microclimate would be like for single aspect units.

9.     Asked if the ground level car park would be made from permeable materials.

10. Raised concerns regarding surface water drainage.

11. Asked what the three water tanks on-site would be used for.

12. Hoped the residential development would be tenure blind. 

13. Asked if purpose-built Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) were being considered for this development.

14. Asked if the developers thought people would live within the development permanently or for limited periods.

15. Asked if services charges would be included within the rent charge or if it would be charged separately.

16. Asked if consideration had been given to providing a co-operative site (self-managed site).

17. Asked for further information regarding the ‘income generating opportunities’ on the site.

18. Asked whether the ‘build to rent’ accommodation was likely to be apartments or houses.

19. Asked for more information about cargo-bike parking provision.

20. Asked where delivery vans would be expected to park.

21. Requested car parking provision for the affordable housing units.

22. Asked if the development would take into consideration the vision for change in modes of transport.

23. Noted that car parking was proposed to be provided through ‘car barns’ and asked if the developers were aware of any examples of successful car barns being used elsewhere. Also asked whether the car barns would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/6/JDCC