Agenda item

[NOTE: The Planning Officer advised the Committee that at the meeting on 5 April 2018, Full Council had adopted the new Parking Standards Supplementary Planning (SPD) Document. The update to the Standards were listed below and it was noted that the parking provision detailed in the application would remain the same as this adhered to the new Parking Standards SPD.

2006 Parking Standards:

1 bedroom units – 1x space

2 bedroom units – 1.5x spaces

Maximum residential parking standard for proposed development: 9.5x spaces

2018 Parking Standards:

1 bedroom units (flats) – 0.5 spaces

2 bedroom units (flats) – 1x space

Minimum residential parking standard for proposed development: 5.5x spaces]

The Committee considered an application for the erection of two storey side and rear extensions to the existing Pub building following demolition of existing rear additions to facilitate the provision of eight self-contained residential units (three two-bedroom & five one-bedroom) with the retention of an A3 (restaurant/café)/A4 (drinking establishment) use at ground floor level. The proposal also included associated bin storage and parking to the frontage and the introduction of soft landscaping on the High Street frontage and a landscaped communal courtyard to the rear and new boundary treatments surrounding the site. The existing vehicular access onto Lower Guildford Road would be retained for access and servicing.

Councillor D Harlow, Ward Councillor, commented that this premises was a focal point of Knaphill and that a number of Councillors had worked with the developer to ensure that the character of the building was retained following any development. Councillor D Harlow raised some concerns including overlooking issues at the back of the property, a reduction in air quality and an increase in congestion on Anchor Hill due to the extra traffic generated.

The Planning Officer commented that the air quality on Anchor Hill was monitored as it was a designated air quality management area. However the development did not fall within this area so the issue had not been addressed specifically as part of the application. The Planning Officers and County Highway Officers were satisfied that there was sufficient capacity for servicing the development from the junction and did not anticipate this to exacerbate the congestion issues.

The Planning Officer advised the Committee that the overlooking issues were set out in paragraphs 14 and 15 on page 67 of the report. Overall the proposal was considered to have an acceptable impact on the amenities of neighbours and accorded with the Core Strategy (2012) policy CS21, Supplementary Planning Document ‘Outlook, Amenity, Privacy and Daylight’ and the National Policy Framework.

Discussion ensued on the provision of parking spaces and a Member of the Committee queried whether this complied with the new Parking Standards SPD. The Planning Officer confirmed that the residential element of the development complied with the new Parking Standards. The parking provision for the non-residential element had been addressed in paragraph 19 of the report as due to the constrained nature of the site the provision of the required spaces was deemed to be unrealistic. The location of the development in a Local Centre was also taken into consideration as was the public parking available in Anchor Crescent to the south-west and the Englefield Road and The Broadway car parks in Knaphill. With this in mind it was considered that the development proposal delivered sufficient on site parking.

RESOLVED

That Planning Permission be granted subject to conditions and Section 106 Agreement to secure a SAMM contribution.