Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held 23rd July 2009 TO FOLLOW

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2009 be received and approved and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

Members are asked to declare any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting.

09/0441/FUL LAND TO REAR OF 291 WALDEGRAVE ROAD, TWICKENHAM

Councillor Bouchier expressed a personal interest by virtue of being on the board of Richmond Churches Housing Trust.

08/3277/FUL GARAGES TO THE REAR OF 37-55 ORCHARD ROAD, TWICKENHAM

Councillor Morgan declared a personal interest by virtue of being an Interested Councillor and undertook to withdraw from the committee for the duration of this item to enable him to make representations to the committee as an Interested Councillor.

Reports of the Development Control Manager attached – see list below.

The recommendations contained in the attached reports are those of the officers and are not binding upon the Committee.

The Chair will determine the order in which the attached reports are to be heard at the start of the meeting. Members are asked to note that there will be an adjournment of the meeting for a period of approximately 10 minutes starting at a convenient time between 9.00 and 9.30pm.

Change of use of garden building into two self-contained 2-bedroom units, alterations to external elevations, re-arrangement of rear amenity area and bin storage. Block up ground floor rear window to No.99.

Officer’s Recommendation: Permission

The application be Delegated to Development Control Manager for approval, subject to removal of parking space from plans, and the conditions and informatives set out in the officer’s report, with the following changes to the conditions:

Condition NS01 (parking space) to be deleted.  

·        Condition LA30 needs to be added.

The landscaping details required by condition  LA11A to include provision for permeable landscaping and submitted for determination to the Committee. 

[The Development Control Officer made the following additions and corrections to the report:

·        On line 2 in the final recommendation paragraph   substitute “and taking into account” instead of “it should be noted that”

The Committee heard representations from Mr Sewell, Mr Wilson and Councillor Stanier who spoke as an Interested Councillor.]

Erection of a 1½ storey, 2-bedroom house (affordable unit).

Officer’s Recommendation: Permission

The application be approved subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the officer’s report and the following additional conditions and informatives:

·        Condition requiring submission of a Construction method statement, in particular to secure polythene screening to protect neighbours from dust during construction.

·        Informative advising that future landscaping proposals should include landscaping to the metre wide strip between new house and boundary wall to 289 Waldegrave Road: climbers should be introduced to the flank wall of the new house to soften its appearance and improve natural screening between properties.

It was requested by members that 289 Waldegrave Road and other properties affected be consulted on landscaping proposals submitted pursuant to condition

[The Development Control Manager reported the receipt of 2 letters objecting to the application on the following grounds:

·        2 late letters received objecting on the following grounds:

·        Street scene rapidly degrading due to modern development

·        Visitors will cause parking problems on the stretched parking facilities for 291 Waldegrave Road.

·        Other matters reiterated and reported under the public and other representations section.

·        Non planning matters – physiological issues related to one of the occupants of 291 Waldegrave Road and the loss of open space and need to relocate.

Additional paragraph to be added before the conclusion: Whilst the Council has a land ownership interest in the application site, the proposal has been considered and dealt with by the Council in its separate role as Local Planning Authority entirely on its planning merits and fully in accordance with the requirements of the national planning system.’

The Committee heard representations from Mr Chapman, Mrs Kinnear and Councillor Head who spoke as an interested Councillor.]

Demolition of existing garages and construction of 2 three bedroom houses and 2 one bedroom flats with car parking and private gardens.

Officer’s recommendation: Permission subject to the completion of a s106 agreement.

(1) The recommendation be NOT adopted

(2) The application be REFUSED for the following reasons:

1. The proposal, by reason of the increased usage of a narrow, restricted access and the passage of motor vehicles in close proximity to the entrance doors of numbers 49 and 51 Orchard Road, would represent an inconvenient and unsafe form of development prejudicial to the interest of highway and pedestrian safety and is therefore contrary to Policy TRN 4 of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Unitary Development Plan: First Review 2005.

2.  The proposal, by reason of its siting, scale, height and design, in particular the amount of first floor glazing, would be visually obtrusive and detrimental to the green, open character and appearance of the adjacent Metropolitan Open Land and is therefore contrary to Policies ENV1 and BLT 11 of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Unitary Development Plan: First Review 2005.

[The Development Control Officer reported the receipt of the following item:

·        A letter received from the agent stating that whilst at the time of submission compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes was not required, the scheme does benefit from good sustainable credentials, many of which would contribute to a code 3 scheme such as materials from sustainable sources, southerly aspect, permeable hard surfaces, energy saving heating, low energy lighting, rain water harvesting, recycling, composting and cycle storage.

The Development Control Officer made the following additions to the report:

·        Paragraph 44 compares the existing garage width with the size of a standard car parking space.  It is also useful to note that current standards require a single garage to be 2.75m x 5.5m.  Reference to manoeuvring areas quotes a distance of #6m#, this should be replaced by #6.8m – 7.3m#

·        Addition condition: DV44 - Code for Sustainable Homes - New Build. Insert ‘3’

The Committee heard representations from Ms Lovell, Ms Thomas, Mr Tyler and Councillor Morgan who spoke as an interested Councillor.]