Issue - decisions

The Committee received an application for retrospective planning permission.

The application sought approval for conversion of the ground floor store to a 1 bedroom studio flat.

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from Mr Sakol.

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          The reasons for refusing the application in 1998 still applied today and were even more relevant:

·       Lack of amenity space.

·       Lack of parking provision (unsuitable allocation).

·       Referred to paragraphs 6.1 and 8.25 in the Officer’s report setting out existing traffic flow and capacity issues.

     ii.          The Applicant had infringed planning permission by letting out the property and was seeking retrospective permission to mitigate this.

Mr Hirsch (Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Councillor Gehring (Newnham Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee about the application.

The representation covered the following issues:

       i.          Several residents had contacted him about the application.

     ii.          Traffic flow and parking issues had not changed/improved since 1998. The application would exacerbate these. The parking space allocated was unfit for purpose as it was too small.

   iii.          Emergency vehicles had difficulties accessing streets in the local area.

   iv.          The sub-division of 15 Derby Street will worsen the amenity of occupants.

Councillor Hart proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation that a bollard be placed in front of refuse bins.

This amendment was carried (by 5 votes to 0).

The Committee:

Unanimously resolved to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the officer report, and subject to the conditions recommended by the officers with the following additional condition:

PARKING CONTROL MEASURE CONDITION: “The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied until an approved system of parking control measures (e.g. permanent bollards or low rise walling or such other means of physical barrier) which are positioned alongside the Derby Street pavement edge in front of the area proposed for bin storage and access to both 15a and 15b Derby Street, which forms a physical barrier to prevent any person(s) from parking a vehicle in that space (not including the area shown as ‘parking under cover’ on plan reference 14643-02 Rev B) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The parking control measures shall be implemented prior to the occupation of the living space area residential unit 15b Derby Street and shall remain in place in perpetuity.

Reason: In order to prevent parked vehicles overhanging the footpath and causing an obstruction to pedestrians and to ensure adequate space is provided for access to 15a and 15b Derby Street for occupiers of those properties including for storage of bikes and bins. (Cambridge Local Plan 2006, policies 3/7, 3/10, 5/2 and 8/2).