Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Installation of a new Children's Play Area including play equipment bonded rubber mulch safety surfacing, site furniture, 1m high galvanised steel boundary fencing and access pathway from Swinburne Avenue.

RESOLVED: That application 19/01748/FP be GRANTED planning permission, subject to the conditions and reasons contained in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager and the additional and amended conditions below:

Amended Condition 5

The proposed CCTV camera shall be installed and operated so as to prevent any loss of privacy to the adjacent residential occupiers. The CCTV equipment shall be permanently maintained as a feature of the development.

Reason: In the interests of residential amenity  

Additional Condition 6

Prior to the commencement of the development full details of cycle parking to serve the play area shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: In the interests of sustainability.

Audio recording – 1 hour 4 minutes 2 seconds

Installation of a new Children's Play Area including play equipment bonded rubber mulch safety surfacing, site furniture, 1m high galvanised steel boundary fencing and access pathway from Swinburne Avenue.

The Principal Planning Officer advised Members of the following update:

The resident of No. 128 Hine Way was in support of the application and raised the following points:

·                The playground would be in a safer environment away from roads;

·                The proposed site was only 5 minutes walk from the current site;

·                Young children would be supervised;

·                There was no current evidence of antisocial behaviour;

·                Anti-social behaviour was more likely to be deterred by the presence of children and parents;

·                There were many residents in support of this proposal;

·                Incorporating a park within the John Barker Place development would mean no playground in the area for up to 4 years.

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 19/01748/FPsupported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

Mrs Elizabeth Whitelock and Mr Kevin Martin thanked the Chair for the opportunity to addres the Committee in objection to application 19/01748/FP as follows:

·                Mrs Whitelock had lived most of life on the Westmill Estate and had brought up her children there;

·                The park was originally located on Milestone Road and was currently located on John Barker Place;

·                She had serious concerns that the relocation of the park to the edge of the estate would put children at risk;

·                Why change what residents have been happy with ie good location, easy access to shops and plenty of people round;

·                Mr Martin feared that the Swinburn location would be an expensive white elephant in the week and a magnet for anti social behaviour in the evenings;

·                At dusk this area was lonely, empty and very dark;

·                The park would be at the rear of houses at the end of very long gardens;

·                If a child had an accident or were concerned about unsavoury characters, where would they go to?

·                There were no occupied public buildings any where near the proposed site;

·                John Barker Place was a much safer location with people around and shops where a child could run to;

·                The people from John Barker Place would not want to walk all the way to Swinburn Avenue;

·                Any problems would be magnified by the isolation of the area;

·                This will be seen by many in the community as a failure to listen;

·                Had the local Police been consulted and would they have the resources to deal with the inevitable complaints;

·                The site was remote and had poor natural surveillance from local dwellings;

·                There have been many instances of anti-social behaviour with calls to the Police not brining the required response.

The following Councillors made comment and asked questions;

·                Councillor Daniel Allen:

·                Councillor Val Bryant;

·                Councillor Terry Tyler;

·                Councillor Mike Rice.

In response to questions Mrs Whitelock and Mr Martin advised:

·                The area was extremely dark and suffered from extreme weather conditions;

·                Children  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88