Agenda, decisions and minutes
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Contact: Email: Committee.Services@north-herts.gov.uk 01462 474655
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Members are required to notify any substitutions by midday on the day of the meeting.
Late substitutions will not be accepted and Members attending as a substitute without having given the due notice will not be able to take part in the meeting. Decision: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Caroline McDonnell, Val Bryant, Tom Tyson and Martin Prescott.
Having given due notice, Councillor Claire Strong substituted for Councillor Prescott and Councillor Mick Debenham substituted for Councillor Bryant. Minutes: Audio recording – 1 minute 53 seconds
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Caroline McDonnell, Val Bryant, Tom Tyson and Martin Prescott.
Having given due notice, Councillor Claire Strong substituted for Councillor Prescott and Councillor Mick Debenham substituted for Councillor Bryant. |
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NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.
The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered. Decision: There was no other business notified. Minutes: Audio recording – 2 minutes 15 seconds
There was no other business notified. |
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CHAIR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chair of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote. Decision: (1) The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be recorded.
(2) The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.
(3) The Chair clarified matters for the registered speakers.
(4) The Chair confirmed the procedure for moving to debate on an item.
(5) The Chair advised that Section 4.8.23(a) of the Constitution applied to the meeting.
(6) The Chair confirmed the cut off procedure should the meeting proceed at length.
(7) The Chair advised that there had been an additional meeting of the Planning Control Committee scheduled for Tuesday 21 April 2026. Minutes: Audio recording – 2 minutes 19 seconds
(1) The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be recorded.
(2) The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.
(3) The Chair clarified matters for the registered speakers.
(4) The Chair confirmed the procedure for moving to debate on an item.
(5) The Chair advised that Section 4.8.23(a) of the Constitution applied to the meeting.
(6) The Chair confirmed the cut off procedure should the meeting proceed at length.
(7) The Chair advised that there had been an additional meeting of the Planning Control Committee scheduled for Tuesday 21 April 2026. |
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PUBLIC PARTICIPATION To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public. Decision: The Chair confirmed that the registered speakers were in attendance. Minutes: Audio recording – 4 minutes 46 seconds
The Chair confirmed that the registered speakers were in attendance. |
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24/01013/HYA LAND SURROUNDING BURLOES COTTAGES, NEWMARKET ROAD, ROYSTON, HERTFORDSHIRE REPORT OF THE
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED: That application 24/01013/HYA be GRANTED planning permission, subject to:
a) The completion of a satisfactory legal agreement including a conditional viability review mechanism and for officers to negotiate appropriate viability review triggers to ensure that viability is revisited at appropriate junctures throughout the development. b) The applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement as required. c) Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to update conditions and informative with minor amendments as required. d) A revised Recreation Mitigation Strategy, in consultation with and receipt of no objection from Natural England, and delegate power to the Development and Conservation Manager to agree this. e) Conditions as set out in the report, subject to the amendments to Condition 29 g shown below:
Condition 29 g
“Timing of construction activities (including delivery times and removal of waste) and to avoid the hours 08.00-9.15 and 15.00-15.45;” Minutes: Audio recording – 5 minutes 22 seconds
N.B. Councillor Bryony May Declared an interest and moved to the public speaking area to act as Member Advocate.
The Senior Planning Officer advised that written updates on matters relating to application 24/01013/HYA had been published as a supplementary document and advised that, item 1 needs to be revised as Natural England requested the Recreation Mitigation Strategy to be agreed before the decision so the following should be added to the recommendation “A revised Recreation Mitigation Strategy, in consultation with and receipt of no objection from Natural England, and delegate power to the Development and Conservation Manager to agree this.”
The Senior Planning Officer presented the report in respect of Application 24/01013/HYA accompanied by a visual presentation consisting of plans and photographs.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Ruth Brown · Councillor Louise Peace · Councillor Claire Strong · Councillor Nigel Mason
In response to questions, the Senior Planning Officer advised that:
· It was standard practice for the Section 106 not to be finalised at this point and therefore it was in draft form. · The independent viability report looked at the site as a whole. Even though the first third has come forward with a good housing mix, the other two thirds have been estimated. The S106 agreement would cover the entire site and there would not be a lowering of the amount owed in S106 contributions as the viability review progressed. · The 22% provision of affordable housing could not go down for the rest of the site, it could however go up. · There were no flats in this phase of the development. Increased height buildings would be in the bowl on the site up to 3.5 storeys or 15m, for example due to topography with 2.5 storeys in the upper slope and the 3.5 storeys in the lower side. · The emergency access was not a public right of way. · Most of the Biodiversity Net Gain would be on site, with some off-site provisions. · Strand 1 Highways works would be complete before occupation and the Strand 2 works would be complete after occupation. · Sports England use a calculator which suggested that Royston did not need more changing rooms, but needed more cricket and hockey facilities. · There was not an option to look at sports on Newmarket Road at the time. · The viability report was done by the applicant and their consultant, this was then reviewed by Officers.
In response to questions, the Development and Conservation Manager advised that:
· The viability review mechanism works in a way that if viability improves further contributions would be needed, however if viability worsens there would not be a reduction in financial contributions. · This was the minimum financial contribution that the applicant will have to pay.
In response to questions, the Locum Planning Lawyer advised that:
· The Section 106 was a legal agreement which ties the applicant into certain contributions, these must be provided even if viability changes. · The Planning Committee should be only focusing on the planning application in ... view the full minutes text for item 150. |
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25/01420/FP HIGHOVER FARM, HIGHOVER WAY, HITCHIN, HERTFORDSHIRE, SG4 0RQ REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION
MANAGER Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED: That application 25/01420/FP be GRANTED planning permission, subject to:
a) The completion of a satisfactory legal agreement. b) The applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement as required. c) Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to update conditions and informatives with minor amendments as required. d) The conditions as set out in the report. Minutes: Audio recording – 1 hour 29 minutes 57 seconds
N.B. Councillor Nigel Mason declared an interest in this item, left the chamber and Councillor Emma Fernandes took over as Chair.
The Senior Planning Officer presented the report in respect of Application 26/01420/FP and 25/01383/LBC accompanied by a visual presentation consisting of plans and photographs.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Ruth Brown · Councillor Claire Strong · Councillor Louise Peace · Councillor Bryony May · Councillor Mick Debenham
In response to questions, the Senior Planning Officer advised that:
· The access to this site was connected to the larger HT1 site, the highway comes straight up to the access road to the site, but was currently untarmacked. This road would curve in to the farmyard at a more logical angle. · The new active travel corridor would carry on straight HT1. · There was enough space for 42 waste bins or there was an option for the larger euro bins. If occupants subscribe to the garden waste bin then that would be kept in their gardens. · Units 3-8 would all have access to the shared bin store, and other properties would have access to smaller bin stores on their property. · There was sufficient space provided for the refuse vehicles to turn. · This site was completely separated from the HT1 site and should be considered completely separately. · The site does not provide any affordable housing but a £493,000 commuted sum toward affordable housing would be provided. · Each dwelling had its own garden; there was no other green spaces on the site other than the Biodiversity Net Gain area. The Threshing Barn Green would be next to the site. · All the inside barn beaming will stay and be preserved while the outside of the barn will be re-cladded.
The Chair invited the Member Advocate Objector, Councillor Daniel Wright-Mason to speak against the application. Councillor Wright-Mason thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following:
· He was here to not to object but to raise a number of points on behalf of residents living near the planned development. · Flooding and drainage were issues in relation to existing conditions on the access road, as well as how water behaved on the site. · There was significant flooding in Hitchin including Woolgrove Road over a year ago, which had led to residents being more aware of the risk of flooding. This has led to questions about this site and the larger Hive farm site and how surface water would be managed. · He asked Members to consider the lead flood authorities final position, how the proposed drainage approach responds to local ground conditions and how this scheme fitted in the wider drainage strategy.
There were no points of clarification from Members.
The Chair thanked Councillor Wright-Mason for his presentation and invited the Applicants agent, Mr Ian Coward to speak in support of the application. Mr Coward thanked the Chair for the opportunity to speak and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the ... view the full minutes text for item 151. |
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25/01383/LBC HIGHOVER FARM, HIGHOVER WAY, HITCHIN, HERTFORDSHIRE, SG4 0RQ REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION
MANAGER Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED: That application 25/01383/LBC be GRANTED planning permission, subject to:
a) The issuing of full planning permission for the farmyard reference 25/01420/FP. b) Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to update conditions with minor amendments as required. c) The applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement as required. d) The conditions as set out in the report including the additional Condition 11 as outlined in the supplementary documents as follows:
Condition 11
“ Details of the floor finish to the Entrance Hall to Unit 4 in the listed barn on approved drawing no. 2208.LBC.03A shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of that part of the alterations hereby approved. Thereafter the finish of the former threshing floor shall be installed in accordance with the approved details.
Reason: To ensure that special regard is paid to protecting the special architectural and historic interest and integrity of this grade II listed building under Section 16 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and Policy HE1 of the Local Plan.”
Minutes: Audio recording – 1 hour 59 minutes 12 seconds
In answer to a point of clarification from Councillor Ian Mantle, the Senior Planning Officer advised that the Conservation Officer had approved this application with conditions, and this Listed Building Consent was required to support the Full Planning granted in the previous item.
Councillor Emma Fernandes proposed to grant planning permission, and this was seconded by Councillor Ruth Brown.
As part of the debate Councillor Claire Strong commented that the barn conversion looked stunning.
Having been proposed and seconded and, following a vote, it was:
RESOLVED: That application 25/01383/LBC be GRANTED planning permission, subject to:
a) The issuing of full planning permission for the farmyard reference 25/01420/FP. b) Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to update conditions with minor amendments as required. c) The applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement as required. d) The conditions as set out in the report including the additional Condition 11 as outlined in the supplementary documents as follows:
Condition 11
“ Details of the floor finish to the Entrance Hall to Unit 4 in the listed barn on approved drawing no. 2208.LBC.03A shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of that part of the alterations hereby approved. Thereafter the finish of the former threshing floor shall be installed in accordance with the approved details.
Reason: To ensure that special regard is paid to protecting the special architectural and historic interest and integrity of this grade II listed building under Section 16 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and Policy HE1 of the Local Plan.”
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REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER To update Members on appeals lodged and any decisions made. Decision: The Development and Conservation Manager provided an update on Planning Appeals. Minutes: Audio recording – 2 hours 4 minutes and 3 seconds
The Development and Conservation Manager provided an update on Planning Appeals and advised:
· There were no appeal decisions to report. · One appeal had been lodged relating to a storage unit site at Cadwell Lane in Hitchin. · A full update on an appeal decision relating to The Cabinet in Reed would be provided at the next meeting of the Committee.
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