Part A
1
Welcome and Announcements
The Chairman will welcome members of the public and Councillors and remind everyone to use microphones at all times when they are speaking. The Chairman will also explain action in the event of an emergency, mobile phones switched to silent, audio-recording of the meeting. Councillors who are members of the committee will introduce themselves.
2
Have Your Say! (Planning)
The Chairman will invite members of the public to indicate if they wish to speak or present a petition on any item included on the agenda. Please indicate your wish to speak at this point if your name has not been noted by Council staff.
These speaking provisions do not apply to applications which have been subject to the Deferral and Recommendation Overturn Procedure (DROP).
3
Substitutions
Councillors will be asked to say if they are attending on behalf of a Committee member who is absent.
4
Urgent Items
The Chairman will announce if there is any item not on the published agenda which will be considered because it is urgent and will explain the reason for the urgency.
5
Declarations of Interest
Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the agenda about which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the item or participating in any vote upon the item, or any other pecuniary interest or non-pecuniary interest.
The Councillors will be invited to confirm that the minutes are a correct record of the meeting held on 8 March 2018.
566
The minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2018 were confirmed as a correct record.
7
Planning Applications
When the members of the Committee consider the planning applications listed below, they may decide to agree, all at the same time, the recommendations in the reports for any applications which no member of the Committee or member of the public wishes to address the Committee.
Application for revised house types on Plots 109 -113 and 129 -133 at Rowhedge Wharf, Rowhedge, Colchester. Original application ref:144693.
567
The Committee considered a planning application for revised house types on Plots 109 -113 and 129 -133 (original application 144693) at Rowhedge Wharf, Former Rowhedge Port, Rowhedge, Colchester. The application had been referred to the Planning Committee because it was a major application, objections had been received and a linking legal agreement was also required. The Committee had before it a report and an amendment sheet in which all information was set out.
Sue Jackson, Principal Planning Officer, presented the report and assisted the Committee in its deliberations. She referred to a misconception by objectors that the public rights of way on the site would be permanently closed and confirmed that this was definitely not the case.
One member of the Committee referred to light pollution which was visible from the development on the Wivenhoe side of the river. He considered this matter needed to be referred to the Environmental Protection Team as a potential enforcement issue and sought assurances that the conditions attached to the planning permission could be made as robust as possible. Further clarification was also sought in relation to the meaning of the wording of the recommendation in the report relating to the signing of a legal agreement and whether there would be any measures to prevent on street parking along the river frontage.
The Principal Planning Officer responded to questions by confirming that the Committee’s consideration of the original application had included a request for LED lighting to be installed to ameliorate light pollution problems. This had been provided for by condition attached to the original application and would also be attached to the current application. She explained that the recommendation in the report followed a standard wording which gave the Head of Service discretion to continue negotiating if discussions were progressing towards the conclusion of the legal agreement but, in circumstances where matters had stagnated with no progress, to include an option to refuse the application. The parking provision for the units fronting the river comprised private driveways which would not be of sufficient width to allow for additional parking.
RESOLVED (UNANIMOUSLY) that the Assistant Director Policy and Corporate be authorised to approve the planning application subject to the conditions set out in the report and the amendment sheet and subject to the signing of a linking agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 within six months from the date of the Committee meeting, to link this application to the legal agreement for the application 144693, in the event that the legal agreement is not signed within six months, authority be delegated to the Assistant Director Policy and Corporate to refuse the application, or otherwise to be authorised to complete the agreement.
100 metre hoarding around the edge of Axial Way and Via Urbis Romanae, Colchester.
568
The Committee considered planning applications for a 100 metre hoarding around the edge of Axial Way and Via Urbis Romanae, Colchester. The application had been referred to the Planning Committee because the applications have been made on behalf of Colchester Borough Council. The Committee had before it a report in which all information was set out.
RESOLVED (UNANIMOUSLY) that the planning applications be approved subject to the conditions set out in the report.
8
Exclusion of the Public (not Scrutiny or Executive)
In accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public, including the press, from the meeting so that any items containing exempt information (for example confidential personal, financial or legal advice), in Part B of this agenda (printed on yellow paper) can be decided. (Exempt information is defined in Section 100I and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).