Agenda item

The Committee received an application for full planning permission for external refurbishment works to the existing office building and minor development within the application site to bring the building up to a lettable standard.

The Committee noted the following amendments presented in the Amendment Sheet:

·      The application was a Regulation 3 application under the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992 as a consequence of South Cambridgeshire District Council being the applicant and owner of the site.

·      The recommendation covering an additional condition 4 in the following terms: Prior to occupation of the building, details of facilities for the covered, secure parking of bicycles at the front of the site for use in connection with the development hereby permitted shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing. The approved facilities shall be provided in accordance with the details before the use commences. Reason: To ensure satisfactory provision for the secure storage of bicycles. (Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 8/6)

·      An additional Informative: The applicant is advised to ensure appropriate signage is displayed directing site users to the covered, secure cycle parking provision within the multi-storey parking building.

David Ousby (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

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

      i.         Questioned whether the JDCC should be determining the application.

    ii.         Queried whether the cycle parking was for this building and not the rest of the area and whether the cycle parking could include Sheffield stands.

   iii.         Queried whether the location of the cycle parking would deter people from using it.

  iv.         Asked if one of the disabled parking spaces could include EV charging provision.

    v.         Asked if the EV charging provision could be more flexibility located.

  vi.         Asked for more detail regarding landscaping.

 vii.         The application proposed 2 EV charging points out of the 125 car parking spaces and commented that 10% of the spaces should be EV charging enabled.

viii.         Asked for an informative to be added if the application was approved to ensure that people could access the cycle parking comfortably.

In response to Members’ questions the Assistant Director Delivery and the Interim Management Support Officer said the following:

      i.         The JDCC’s Scheme of Delegation permitted officers to exercise discretion to refer applications to the JDCC for determination.  The application had been brought to the JDCC in this particular case because South Cambridgeshire District Council was the applicant. This will be reviewed as to whether it is appropriate for similar future applications.

    ii.         There were some Sheffield cycle parking stands in the parking area on the left-hand side. An informative regarding Sheffield cycle parking stands could be included if the application was approved.

   iii.         The building had an allocation of 208 cycle parking spaces. The cycle parking provision had to be provided in accordance with the 2016 planning application. The door which served the cycle parking was 65m from the rear access door to the building itself. The existing cycle parking was around 25m-45m to the building.

  iv.         The application was for 2 EV charging points. A condition could not be imposed as it would not be reasonable nor in accordance with the NPPF.

    v.         The picnic tables were currently not located in the nicest part of the site and this location was much more appropriate for the location of bins.

  vi.         The rear of the site was almost all hard landscaping. There was a large grassed area with mature trees at the front of the building where the picnic tables would be relocated.

 vii.         An informative regarding Sheffield cycle parking stands could be included if the application was approved.

The Committee:

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, and subject to:

      i.         the conditions contained in the Officer’s report.

    ii.         the following additional condition 4: Prior to occupation of the building, details of facilities for the covered, secure parking of bicycles at the front of the site for use in connection with the development hereby permitted shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing. The approved facilities shall be provided in accordance with the details before the use commences. Reason: To ensure satisfactory provision for the secure storage of bicycles. (Cambridge Local Plan 2006 policy 8/6)

   iii.         informatives included on the planning permission in respect of:

a.    The applicant is advised to ensure appropriate signage is displayed directing site users to the covered, secure cycle parking provision within the multi-storey parking building.

b.    The applicant is advised to secure the installation of additional Sheffield stands within the covered cycle parking area in the multi-storey parking building, close to the entrance from the car park of building 270, to encourage the use of the parking provision through enabling easier use of the cycle parking stands.