Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Erection of three Class E (former B1C, B2 and B8) units with associated car parking and ancillary works.

RESOLVED: That application 20/01017/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons contained in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.

Audio recording – 1 hour 46 minutes 38 seconds

Erection of three Class E (former B1C, B2 and B8) units with associated car parking and ancillary works.

The Development and Conservation Manager presented the report in respect of application 20/01017/FP supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans and provided the Committee with the following updates:

·                There had been discussion with the applicant’s agent and the description of the development had been changed to read as follows: Erection of three Class E (former Class B1C units), B2 and B8 units with associated car parking and ancillary works. This clarified that it was only the former Use Class B1C that fell within the new Use Class E.

·                The wording of recommended Condition 3 had also been changed to read: Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 Order the approved units should only be used for uses falling within Use Class E(g) which was former Use Class B1, B2 and B8, and should not be changed to any other use including any other uses within the new Use Class E which could include A1, A2, A3, D1 without first obtaining a specific planning permission from the local planning authority;

·                Because of those changes to the recommendation, there needed to be subsequent changes to paragraphs 4.32, 4.33 and 3.33.

The Development and Conservation Manager clarified that in September 2020 a new Use Class Order was produced which had replaced Use Classes B1A, B1B, B1C and D1 with a new Class E which related to Commercial Business and Service Uses. The agent and applicant had confirmed that they continued to seek a flexible planning permission for one element of Class E which was former Class B1, B2 and B8, i.e. a flexible permission for office use, light industrial, general industrial and warehouse storage and distribution uses. It was a speculative planning application with no identified end user for each of the proposed units. The purpose of recommended Condition 3 was to prevent changes of use to other uses within the new Class E such as retail, leisure or any other uses without planning permission, i.e. it was not a completely open-ended commercial planning permission. Condition 3 however did allow changes of use within the scope of office, light industrial, general industrial and storage use.

The Development and Conservation Manager further updated the Committee as follows:

·                Recommended Condition 15 had been removed as the Environmental Protection Officer had advised that the application site boundary was not adjacent to the site which housed an electricity substation, therefore it had been accepted that no further intrusive investigation was required at that site;

·                With regard to the Materials Condition (4) it had been suggested that graded panelling be used to make the building more recessive although it was acknowledged that graded panelling tended to work better on buildings that had a flat roof. The applicant’s agent responded to say that they did not consider graded panelling to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77