Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 5 June 2018 as published.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 5 June 2018 be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Whitehand.

(i)    To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary and other interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

(ii)   In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, any Member who is a Council- appointed Director of a Thameswey Group company will declare a non-pecuniary interest in any item involving that Thameswey Group company. The interest will not prevent the Member from participating in the consideration of that item.

(iii)   In accordance with the Officer Procedure Rules, any Officer who is a Council- appointed Director of a Thameswey Group company will declare an interest in any item involving that Thameswey Group company. The interest will not prevent the Officer from advising the Committee on that item.

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Councillor S Ashall declared a non-pecuniary interest in minute item 5b. 2018/0229 – 13 Kilrush Terrace, Woking -  arising from him knowing the spouse of the applicant. The interest was such that speaking and voting were permissible.

To consider any business that the Chairman rules may be dealt with under Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

2018/0584 Former Ian Allan Motors, 63-65 High Street, Old Woking

The reason for this item of urgent business was that prior notification had been received regarding the proposed demolition of a car showroom, office building, workshop and outbuildings at the former Ian Allen Motors site at 63-65 High Street, Old Woking (Ref. PLAN/2018/0584).

The application was received on 5 June 2018 and the Local Planning Authority (LPA) had 28 days in which to make a decision on the matter. If the LPA failed to make a determination within the 28 day period then the developer would be entitled to proceed with the demolition.

As the applicant in this instance was Woking Borough Council officers did not currently have delegated authority to deal with the matter under the terms of the Council’s constitution.

In response to a query the Planning Officer confirmed that the control of asbestos had been covered under the informative 2 and that any further remediation of the site would be dealt with under a further planning application.

Following a query the Planning Officer advised the Committee that an outline planning application was approved in December 2017, however it was thought the applicant planned to submit a revised scheme in Summer 2018.

RESOLVED

That prior approval was not required.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

The Committee determined the following applications subject to the conditions, informatives, reasons for refusal or authorisation of enforcement action which appear in the published report to the Committee or as detailed in these minutes.

The Committee considered a retrospective full planning application for the erection of a two storey side extension, single storey rear extension, rear dormer roof extension and sub-division of one dwelling house (two-bedroom) into three flats (two one-bedroom and one two-bedroom) with associated vehicular access, parking, refuse/cycle store and landscaping.

Amended plans were received on 11.06.2018 which made alterations to the internal layout in order to provide the two bedroom unit at ground floor level with direct access to, and exclusive use of, the rear amenity space. These amended plans made only internal layout alterations and did not alter the dwelling number, or dwelling mix, as initially proposed. It was therefore not considered necessary to undertake further public consultation on amended plans.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to recommended conditions and SAMM (TBH SPA) contribution secured by Legal Agreement.

[NOTE: The Planning Officer advised the Committee that the rear elevation on slide 30 was drawn incorrectly and that the single storey rear element should be on the right hand side rather than the left as shown.]

The Committee considered an application for the subdivision of the existing three bedroom dwelling into two self-contained two-bedroom flats. This would be facilitated by the erection of a part two storey, part single storey rear extension and re-positioning of the front door.

The application was recommended for refusal with the reasons for this detailed on page 48 of the report.

Councillor T Aziz, Ward Councillor, spoke in favour of the application and did not agree with all reasons for refusal and suggested that some amendments would make the application acceptable. Councillor T Aziz proposed and it was duly seconded that the application be approved. It was agreed that discussion on the application would continue before a decision was made on this motion.

Some Members thought that this application was in an area where it was beneficial for habitable dwellings to be created and that as an already heavily developed terrace it did not evidence an unacceptable loss of light or overbearing impact. Other Members thought that it would result in a loss of light to the ground floor of the neighbouring property due to the positioning of the rear extension.

Regarding the absence of windows serving the bedroom, the Planning Officer commented that although the roof lights provided light, the quality of accommodation was affected as the lack of outlook meant that the room was not considered to be good enough standard for use as a bedroom.

Following a query it was noted that although the parking on Kilrush Terrace and surrounding roads was relatively constrained, the minimum parking standard for the proposed flats would be the same as the existing dwelling. It was therefore not considered to have an unacceptable impact on parking.

In response to a Member’s query regarding Prior Approval, the Planning Officer explained that the applicant had obtained Prior Approval under the Prior Notification scheme for larger home extensions for a six metre single storey extension, although this had not been built and only related to domestic extensions to a single dwelling. This was not considered a sufficient fall back as any extensions erected in association with a proposed subdivision into separate dwellings would require neighbour consultation and planning permission in their own right.

It was noted that should the application be approved by the Committee a list of conditions and informatives would need to be drafted for Development Manager to review.

In accordance with Standing Order 22.2, the Chairman deemed that a division should be taken on the motion above.  The votes for and against approval of the application were recorded as follows.

In favour:                           Cllrs S Ashall, T Aziz, A Boote, G Chrystie and I Eastwood.

                                 TOTAL:  5

Against:                              None

                                 TOTAL:  0

Present but not voting:      Cllrs L M N Morales and G Cundy (Chairman)

                                 TOTAL:  2  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

The Committee considered a full planning application for the erection of a two storey detached house (five bedroom) following substantial demolition of the existing house (two bedroom), garage and utility.  It was previously submitted as a Householder application for extensions to the existing dwelling.  Following concerns raised by Officers that the level of demolition involved in the proposal would constitute a replacement dwelling, this application was withdrawn (PLAN/2018/0279).

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to conditions.

The Committee considered an application for the demolition of an existing two storey three-bedroom bungalow and erection of four-bedroom two storey dwelling with detached double garage.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to conditions.

The Committee considered enforcement action on the unauthorised development – creation of a separate two-bedroom dwelling by converting a double garage at Meadowbrook, Prey Heath Road, Mayford, Woking, GU22 0SL.

Councillor S Ashall, Ward Councillor, supported the course of action set out in the report and thought that the Committee should authorise the proposed Enforcement Action.

The Committee discussed the potential of the retrospective planning application noted in the report, but agreed that it was expedient to take enforcement action now and to consider the merits of a retrospective planning application if and when it was submitted.

RESOLVED

That enforcement action be authorised to issue an Enforcement Notice in respect of the land requiring;

·         Cessation of use of the double garage as an unauthorised dwelling within 3 months of the notice taking effect;

·         Reinstatement of the double garage, including its external appearance within 6 months of the Notice taking effect; and

·         Removal of all associated debris from the site within 6 months of the Notice taking effect.