Agenda item

The application was for the erection of a three storey building (with accommodation in the roof) to provide retail (Class A1) and office (Class B1a) space at ground floor and residential (Class C3) use on remaining floors comprising 6 no one bed and 4 no two bed flats with associated parking, cycle/bin store and landscaping. (Amended information recv'd 2/8/18) (Additional info rec'd 09/08/2018) (Amended plans rec'd 08.03.2019) (Description changed 13.03.2019)

Members were advised of the following updates:

“One additional objection has been received, raising additional concerns regarding overlooking towards the rear gardens of No. 155 Guildford Road and neighbouring properties. This impact upon the nearest rear garden of No. 159 is assessed under Para 7.6.3 (Page 103) of the Committee Report, and is considered acceptable. The impact upon the neighbouring rear gardens beyond is also considered to not lead to adverse harm to amenity.

The Council’s Arboricultural Officer has raised no objection, subject to the following condition:

ADDITIONAL CONDITION:

15. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out wholly in accordance with the submitted Arboricultural Report prepared by Aspect Arboriculture [Patrick Haythornthwaite] and dated February 2019. No development shall commence until digital photographs have been provided by the retained Consultant and forwarded to and approved by the Council's Arboricultural Officer. This should record all aspects of any facilitation tree works and the physical tree and ground protection measures having been implemented and maintained in accordance with the Arboricultural Report. The tree protection measures shall be retained until completion of all works hereby permitted.

Reason: To preserve and enhance the visual amenities of the locality in accordance with Policy DM9 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012.

Condition 9 needs to be amended to include reference to the all of the technical information provided by the applicant’s Ecologist. Condition 11 also needs to be amended to refer to the correct condition numbers of the other related ecology conditions. The applicant has requested that the pre-commencement Condition 12 be pre-occupation instead. Given the requirements of the other ecology conditions which will need to be agreed as pre-commencement, this is considered a reasonable request.

All proposed amended wording to the conditions are provided below.

AMENDED CONDITIONS:

9. No development shall take place unless and until additional bat emergence surveys and subsequent mitigation proposals (as recommended in Section 6.1 of the Ecological Appraisal Report dated August 2018 and subsequent Letter dated 06 November 2018 [Aspect Ecology Ltd]) are submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development hereby approved shall be undertaken in accordance with all agreed recommendations and mitigation measures supporting these additional surveys. The development hereby approved shall in all other respects be undertaken in accordance with the recommendations and mitigation measures contained within the abovementioned Ecological Report and Letter, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the protection of protected species in accordance with Policy CP14 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

11. No development shall take place until a scheme for the provision and management of an ecological buffer zone alongside the Addlestone Bourne of the dimensions shown in Drawing No. BH/HXXX/PL/SP/100 Rev C, has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority. This will need to be in line with any mitigation plan required by Conditions 10 and 11. Thereafter, the development shall be carried out with the approved scheme. Any subsequent variations shall be agreed in writing by the local planning authority, in which case the development shall be carried out in accordance with the amended scheme. The buffer zone scheme shall be free from built development including lighting, formal footpaths, domestic gardens and formal landscaping. The scheme shall include:

1.    plans showing the extent and layout of the buffer zone in relation to the bank top of the river.

2.    details of enhancements to the Addlestone Bourne and the ecological buffer zone. This should include the removal of any hard banks, reprofiling of the banks where necessary and the incorporation of marginal shelves for planting.

3.    details of any proposed planting scheme, that should be native species of UK provenance.

4.    details demonstrating how the buffer zone will be protected during development.

5.    details of how the buffer zone will be managed over the longer term including adequate financial provision and named body responsible for management plus production of a detailed management plan (this could go into the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan).

Reason: This condition is necessary to ensure the protection of wildlife and supporting habitat and secure opportunities for the enhancement of the nature conservation value of the site in line with national planning policy, to accord with Policy CP14 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

12. The development hereby approved shall not be first occupied until a landscape and ecological management plan for the river corridor, including long-term design objectives, management responsibilities and maintenance schedules for all landscaped areas (except privately owned domestic gardens), shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority. This will need to be in line with any mitigation plan required by Condition 10 above. The landscape and ecological management plan shall be carried out as approved and any subsequent variations shall be agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

The scheme shall include the following elements:

1. details of maintenance regimes to show how the ecological buffer zone and river corridor will be managed over the longer term.

2. details of management responsibilities including adequate financial provision and named body responsible for management.

3. details of how invasive, non-native species such as Himalayan balsam, will be controlled over the long-term.

Reason: This condition is necessary to ensure the protection of wildlife and supporting habitat and secure opportunities for the enhancement of the nature conservation value of the site in line with national planning policy, to accord with Policy CP14 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework.”

The officer recommendation to grant the application was proposed by Councillor Edward Hawkins and seconded by Councillor Mrs Vivienne Chapman, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED that application 18/0763 be granted subject to the conditions set out in the officer report and updates.

Note 1

In accordance with Part 4, Section D, paragraph 18 of the Constitution, the voting in relation to the application was as follows:

Voting in favour of the recommendation to grant the application:

Councillors Mrs Vivienne Chapman, Colin Dougan, Edward Hawkins, Paul Ilnicki, Jonathan Lytle and Ian Sams.

Voting against the recommendation to grant the application:

Councillors Katia Malcaus Cooper, Adrian Page, Conrad Sturt, Pat Tedder, Victoria Wheeler and Valerie White.

As the voting on the recommendation was equally split, the vote was carried by the Chairman’s casting vote.