Issue - meetings

[Note 1:  Councillor Aziz left the Chamber during the consideration of this application]

[Note 2: In accordance with the procedure for public speaking at Planning Committee, Mr Ben Whitaker attended the meeting and spoke in objection to the application]

The Committee considered  an application for the erection of a freestanding two storey restaurant with a drive-thru, car parking, landscaping, patio, playframe and associated works, plus the installation of two Customer Order Displays with associated canopies.

[Note 3: The Officer  advised the Committee of updates to Condition 6 as noted below:

Excluding the Customer Order Displays shown on the approved plans listed within Condition 2 of this notice, no sound reproduction equipment which conveys messages, music and other sound by voice or otherwise which is audible outside the premises shall be installed on the site without prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:  To protect the environment and amenities of the occupants of neighbouring properties in accordance with Policy CS21 of the Woking Core Strategy 2012.

The Chairman asked the Planning Officer to address concerns raised by the Public Speaker in regards to the refusal of the KFC application. The Planning Officer advised the Committee that the KFC application was refused and an appeal had been dismissed for the following reasons:

(i)         the loss of public house which would have undermined the availability of such facilities within the Town Centre;

(ii)        the application failed to make effective and efficient use of the site of the Town Centre, undermining the sustainability and economic objectives for this location in the Town Centre; and

(iii)       the application  failed to have regard to the key location in the Town Centre.

It was noted that the current application was a vacant site located on the edge of Woking Town Centre.  The Woking Town Centre boundary was sited a minimum of approximately 77m to the north of the site.  The Woking Core Strategy (2012) glossary defined drive-through restaurants as a Town Centre use.  The proposed site was therefore not a preferred location for the proposed use as it fell outside of Woking Town Centre, however provision was made in paragraphs 86 and 87 of the NPPF (2018) to enable considerations of proposal at such locations.  Paragraph 86 of the NPPF stated that ‘main town centre uses should be located in town centres, then in edge of centre locations; and only if suitable sites are not available (or are expected to become available within a reasonable period) should out of centre sites be considered’.  The NPPF glossary defined edge of centre ‘for all other main town centre uses, a location within 300 metres of a town centre boundary’.  The proposed use was a main town centre use and the application site is located within 300m of the town centre boundary. 

In regards to the 24 hour opening facility, it was stated in the Hot Food Takeaway SDP (Supplementary Planning Document) that limited operating hours should be applied in order to minimise the impact on neighbouring  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5