Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1BN

Contact: Colm Ó Caomhánaigh, Democratic Services Officer  Tel 0118 974 6059, Email  colm.ocaomhanaigh@wokingham.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

56.

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

57.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 157 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 October 2015.

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 October 2015 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Members' Update pdf icon PDF 294 KB

There are a number of references to the Members’ Update within these minutes.  The Members’ Update was circulated to all present prior to the meeting.  A copy is attached.

 

58.

Declaration of Interest

To receive any declaration of interest.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

59.

Applications to be Deferred and Withdrawn items

To consider any recommendations to defer applications from the schedule and to note any applications that may have been withdrawn.

Minutes:

No applications had been recommended for deferral, or withdrawn.

60.

TPO 1502/2015 and TPO 1503/2015 - Arborfield SDL pdf icon PDF 419 KB

Recommendation: Confirm TPOs 1502 and 1503 unaltered with the exceptions that:

·       The Tree of Heaven (Alianthus altissima) shown as part of G1 in the provisional TPO 1502/2015 is to be shown as T6 on the confirmed TPO.

·       Removal of T3, T4, T5 from TPO 1502/2015 as they are already covered by another TPO.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: To confirm TPOs 1502 and 1503 of 2015.

 

Applicant: Wokingham Borough Council

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about these Tree Preservation Orders, set out in Agenda pages 11 to 34.

 

Members asked about objections from the developer’s Arboricultural consultants.  The Planning Officers explained that the TPOs were required to ensure that the trees are retained and not removed prior to construction.  The trees are in the area of the proposed Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).

 

RESOLVED: That Tree Preservation Orders TPO 1502/2015 and TPO 1503/2105 be confirmed without modification.

61.

Application no. 150162 - Land at Biggs Lane, Arborfield pdf icon PDF 540 KB

Recommendation: Conditional Approval.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: Reserved Matters application for the erection of 113 dwellings with access from Biggs Lane and Princess Marina Drive, with associated internal access road, parking, landscaping and open space, footpaths and sustainable Urban Drainage (Suds).

 

Applicant:Crest Nicholson Operations Limited C/O Savills

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 35 to 64.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       a full list of drawings and documents for condition 2 (Plans);

·       the final text for condition 3 (Materials);

·       a recommendation to delete condition 8 (Bus Stops);

·       a recommended amendment to condition 12 (Flooding and Drainage).

 

Laurence Heath, representing Barkham Parish Council, spoke to the application.  He welcomed the consultation that took place but expressed concern that some issues in relation to trees and transport have yet to be resolved satisfactorily.

 

Hugo Reeve, on behalf of the applicants, spoke in favour of the application.

 

Members welcomed the consultation and improvements in the design.  Questions were asked about future-proofing the design in relation to parking demand, renewable energy and broadband provision.

 

Planning officers confirmed that the design meets the parking and sustainability requirements and that adequate service margins are included within the site layout to ensure where possible that utilities are installed within dedicated areas and not within the roads.

 

RESOLVED: That application no. 150162 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 37 to 41 with conditions 2, 3, and 12 amended and condition 8 deleted as set out in the Members’ Update.

62.

Application no. 152378 - Montague Park (Phase 5), London Road, Wokingham pdf icon PDF 211 KB

Recommendation: Conditional Approval.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal:Reserved matters application pursuant to outline planning permission O/2010/1712 as varied by VAR/2015/0342 for a development of up to 650 dwellings and associated infrastructure. The reserved matters comprise 13 flats as an alternative to plots 398–405 previously approved under reserved matters RM/2014/0265 (Phase 5). Details of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale to be determined.

 

Applicant:Barratt Southern Counties

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 65 to 98.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       clarification on the reasons for listing;

·       a recommended update to condition 2 (Plans).

 

Andrew Waters, representing Wokingham Town Council, spoke in objection to the application.

 

Simon Packer, Agent, spoke in favour of the application.

 

David Lee, on behalf of Local Ward Member Bob Wyatt who was unable to attend the meeting, spoke in objection to the application.

 

Members expressed concern at the increase in the number of flats and decrease in the number of houses, given that flats usually have a higher turnover of residents.  Some felt that the mix in this Phase was not acceptable.

 

The Planning Officers said that the mix has to be seen in the context of the overall development.  The Outline approved did not specify proportions of houses and flats but referred to the mix in terms of the numbers of bedrooms per unit.

 

RESOLVED: That application no. 152378 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 67 to 70 with condition 2 amended as set out in the Members’ Update.

 

63.

F/2015/0770 - The Lodge, North Court, The Ridges, Finchampstead pdf icon PDF 230 KB

Recommendation: Conditional Approval.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: Proposed erection of 4-bedroom dwelling with associated parking, access following demolition of existing dwelling.

 

Applicant:Ms Rebecca Stead

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 127 to 164.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       clarification of the volume and floor space of the original, extant permission and proposed building;

·       clarification of the number of parking spaces;

·       comments from the Parish Council and the public;

·       recommended amendments to condition 1;

·       a recommended addition of a new condition 10.

 

It was noted that Members visited the site on 6 November 2015 to view the site in the context of the wider area and countryside setting.

 

Frances Jones spoke in objection to the application and presented a photograph which she said indicated that the height of the original building was 4.5m - 1.3m lower than the proposed height. She believed that this increase exceeded guidelines.

 

Jim Bailey, Agent, spoke in favour of the application.  He said that they could not proceed with the previous approved plans because a wall had collapsed.  He believed that the new application involved an identical design.

 

Roger Marshallsay, representing Finchampstead Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.  He referred to a covenant that restricted height to 15ft and believed that this suggested that the height of the original building was 15ft (4.57m).

 

Members discussed the disputed height and asked about the quality of the original plans on which the previous application had been based.  The Planning Officers said that there is a dispute about the height of the original dwelling and whether the building now proposed is of greater height. This cannot be resolved as the building is no longer in existence. However, it is believed that the previous plans were sufficient to gauge the size of the extension proposed. The current plans are satisfactory to determine the current proposal and members must consider if the application is acceptable on the basis of what is before them.

 

Clare Lawrence, Head of Development Management and Regulatory Services, said that the fact that the Committee had previously approved a similar design meant that if they refused this application, it would likely be overturned on appeal.

 

RESOLVED: That application no. F/2015/0770 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 128 to 130 with condition 1 amended and a new condition 10 as set out in the Members’ Update.

64.

Application no. 152354 - Units 62 – 67, Suttons Business Park, Reading pdf icon PDF 86 KB

Recommendation: Conditional Approval.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: Full application for the proposed redevelopment of site and the erection of new building for B2 use including office space and storage areas, plus associated car parking and landscape works.

 

Applicant:Mr C Hall, Standard Life Assurance Ltd.

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 99 to 126.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       further clarification on the storage of chemicals and the footprint of the building compared to the previous buildings;

·       a recommended additional condition.

 

Members asked if it was proposed to change the access point to the site.  The Planning Officer confirmed that it remained unchanged.

 

RESOLVED: That application no. 152354 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 99 to 105 with a new condition added as set out in the Members’ Update.

 

65.

Application no. 150066 - Land adjacent to Norton Road, Wokingham pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Recommendation: Conditional Approval, subject to a Legal Agreement.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: Full application for the proposed erection of 6no two bedroom flats and 3no two bedroom terraced houses including demolition of existing light industrial unit.

 

Applicant: Wokingham Housing Limited

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 165 to 194.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       further clarification on parking spaces and internal space standards;

·       a recommended amendment to condition 11.

 

It was noted that Members visited the site on 6 November 2015 to view the site in the context of the character of the area.

 

Andrew Waters, representing Wokingham Town Council, spoke in favour of the application.

 

Members welcomed the provision of affordable housing but asked about the internal space being below standard for the higher occupancy level.  Planning Officers explained that new standards were introduced on 1 October 2015 but that this application has been designed before that and complies with the current Borough Design Guide.

 

RESOLVED: That application no. 150066 be approved, subject to the completion of a Legal Agreement and conditions set out on Agenda pages 165 to 172 with condition 11 amended as set out in the Members’ Update.

 

66.

Pre Committee Site Visits

To consider any recommendations from the Head of Development Management to hold pre-committee site visits, set out in Members’ Update.

Minutes:

The Head of Development Management and Regulatory Services had recommended that pre-Committee site visits be undertaken in respect of the following applications:

·       150260 - 97 Oxford Road - Demolition of exiting building (Use Class D1 Dentist),and erection of Gospel Hall, to assess the impact on the character of the area and adjacent properties

·       152192 - 7-9 Wiltshire Road, Wokingham - 33 bed sheltered apartments, to assess the impact on the character of the area and adjacent properties.

·       152643 - 6 Meadow Road, Earley - Proposed first floor rear extension plus the installation of ground floor side windows, to assess the impact on the adjacent properties.

·       152680 - 1 Pykes Farm Cottages, Forest Road - Erection of two storey side extension, to assess impact on the character of the area.

·       152374 - Land adjacent to 8 Budges Cottages, Keephatch Road, Wokingham -   Full application for the proposed erection of a new dwelling at land adjacent to 8 Budges Cottages with new parking area to be erected, to assess the impact on the character of the area.

 

RESOLVED: That a pre-Committee site visit be undertaken on Friday 4 December 2015 in respect of the following application:

·       150260 - 97 Oxford Road - Demolition of exiting building (Use Class D1 Dentist),and erection of Gospel Hall, to assess the impact on the character of the area and adjacent properties

·       152192 - 7-9 Wiltshire Road, Wokingham - 33 bed sheltered apartments, to assess the impact on the character of the area and adjacent properties.

·       152643 - 6 Meadow Road, Earley - Proposed first floor rear extension plus the installation of ground floor side windows, to assess the impact on the adjacent properties.

·       152680 - 1 Pykes Farm Cottages, Forest Road - Erection of two storey side extension, to assess impact on the character of the area.

·       152374 - Land adjacent to 8 Budges Cottages, Keephatch Road, Wokingham -   Full application for the proposed erection of a new dwelling at land adjacent to 8 Budges Cottages with new parking area to be erected, to assess the impact on the character of the area.