Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda. No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 26 June 2007.

RESOLVED :That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 June 2007 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered their wish to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is by 5pm the working day before the meeting. Members of the public can speak on specific planning applications or on other agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of this agenda.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak, under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme, in general issues within the remit of this committee.

This item invites Members to determine the following planning applications:

Members considered reports of the Assistant Director, Planning & Sustainable Development, relating to the following planning applications, outlining the proposals and relevant considerations and setting out the views and advice of consultees and officers.

Extension and alterations to 3 existing B1/B8 Business units to create 7 no. B1 Business units and 9 no. B2/B8 industrial units, erection of new building to create 5 B1 Business units and associated parking, access, landscaping and amenity area adjacent to Hassacarr nature area (resubmission).

Members considered a major full application, submitted by Simpson (York) Ltd, for extension and alterations to 3 existing B1/B8 Business units to create 7 B1 Business Units and 9 B2/B8 industrial units, and the erection of new building to create 5 B1 business units and associated parking, access, landscaping and amenity area adjacent to Hassacarr nature area (resubmission).   

Officers updated that if Members were minded to approve the application they would recommend the wording of condition 7 be amended to relate only to the area affected by mitigation measures. They would also recommend an additional condition relating to the mitigation measures and an additional condition relating to height of buildings.

Members discussed newts and mitigation work, cycle parking and the need for cycle parking to be accessible for visitors, and sustainability issues.

RESOLVED :That the application be approved subject to the conditions and informative outlined in the report and the following amended and additional conditions:

Amended condition 7:

Prior to the development commencing in the area beyond the front wall of unit C (North of front wall) the mitigation measures relating to greater crested newts set out in the method statement dated 15 May 2007 shall be implemented to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority and thereafter maintained.

Reason: To take account of protected species

Additional conditions :

• Prior to the commencement of the development details of the construction of the pond forming part of the Greater Crested Newt mitigation measures shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority and thereafter implemented and maintained to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority. 

Reason : To ensure the satisfactory implementation of the scheme.

• Notwithstanding the information contained on the approved plans, the height of the unit E shall not exceed 5.3 metres to the underside of the eaves and 7 metres to the ridge and the height of unit C shall not exceed 7.2 metres to eaves and 9.8 metres to the ridge, as measured from existing ground level. Before any works commence on the site, a means of identifying the existing ground level on the site shall be agreed in writing, and any works required on site to mark that the ground level accurately during the construction works shall be implemented prior to any disturbance of the existing ground level. Any such physical works or marker shall be retained at all times during the construction period.

Reason : To establish existing ground level and therefore to avoid confusion in measuring the height of the approved development, and to ensure that the approved development does not have an adverse impact on the character of the surrounding area.

REASON :     The proposal, subject to the conditions listed in the report and above, would not cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance, with particular reference to design and landscape considerations, traffic, highway and access issues, sustainability, drainage and impact on protected species.

As such the proposal complies with Policies E3(b)  GP1, GP4a, L1(c), NE6, GP9 and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14a

Use of land for a Maize Maze with car parking and mobile toilet

This application was withdrawn by the applicant.

Erection of 8 no. business units comprising B1, B2 and B8 uses

Members considered a major full application, submitted by William Birch And Sons Ltd, for the erection of 8 business units comprising B1, B2 and B8 uses. 

Officers updated that a revised plan has been submitted making minor alterations to the internal layout of the site with regard to parking / turning etc, and that this is acceptable to the highways officer. If Members were minded to approve the application condition 2 would be amended to refer to the relevant plan and a further informative pertaining to the adoption of the highway would also be added. They updated that the landscaping officer was content with the revised plans, and that with regard to surface water drainage comments had been received from the Internal Drainage Board and that the requirements would be covered by condition 14 of the report. With regard to sustainability, if Members were minded to approve the application a condition would be recommended to be added to cover this.

Representations were received from the applicant. He stated that the application was to further develop the site and that it would be a sustainable development providing employment. There are currently a variety of some 25 businesses on the site providing 450 jobs. The site is sustainable in terms of travel and ecology.

Members discussed the plant schedule, and sustainability issues relating to rainwater harvesting. Officers recommended the amendment of the reason to condition 14 to include reference to sustainable drainage. Condition 16 was discussed in relation to including reference to recycling of any waste materials.      

RESOLVED :            That the application be approved subject to the conditions and informatives outlined in the report, and the following additional and amended conditions and informative :

Additional condition :

The developer shall aim to achieve a BREEAM "very good" assessment standard for the development unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Prior to the commencement of any works on the site, the developer shall submit in writing for the approval of the Local Planning Authority a BREEAM design assessment demonstrating the progress of the BREEAM assessment, the percentage score expected to be achieved and the standard to which this relates.

Reason:  In order to ensure that the proposal complies with the principles of sustainable development.

Amended conditions :

2             The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the following plans:-

  5942 (SK) 10 Rev F,   5942 (SK) 08 Rev C

or any plans or details subsequently agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority as amendment to the approved plans.

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure that the development is carried out only as approved by the Local Planning Authority.

14        No development shall take place until details of the proposed means of disposal of foul and surface water drainage, including details of any balancing works and off-site works, have been submitted to and approved by the local planning authority.

            Reason:  To ensure that the development can be properly drained, and in the interests  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14c

Outline application for the erection of three storey and two storey B1 office units with associated landscaping and car and cycle parking (approval sought for scale and access)

Members considered a major outline application, submitted by Monks Cross Partnership, for the erection of three storey and two storey B1 office units with associated landscaping and car and cycle parking (approval sought for scale and access).

Officers updated the comments of the countryside officer that the retention of one pond and the creation of another was acceptable in principle, and that the newt fencing would be on the development side of the site.

Officers stated that if Members were minded to approve the application, they would recommend amendments to condition 3 relating to the plan references and reference to scale and access, condition 4 relating to plan reference for the zoning plan and eaves height of three storey block to not exceed 12.25 metres,condition 5 regarding the maximum floorspace, condition 12 add “for measures before, during, and following commencement of development” at the end of the second sentence,and an amendment to informative 3 to refer to condition 16.

Members discussed the height of the proposed development, newts and mitigation measures, cycle parking, sustainable drainage and BREEAM ratings.

RESOLVED :That the application be approved subject to the conditions and informatives outlined in the report and subject to the following amended conditions and informative :

3             The scale and access arrangements of the development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the following plans:-

Block Plan ref. A792.2006.SK02/A received 19 July 2007

Zoning Plan received 19 July 2007

or any plans or details subsequently agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority as amendment to the approved plans.

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure that the development is carried out only as approved by the Local Planning Authority.

4             The buildings erected on this site shall be no more than two storeys high in the area indicated for such buildings on the Zoning Plan received 19 July 2007 and no more than three storeys on the in the relevant appropriate area also indicated on that plan.  The eaves height of two storey buildings shall not exceed 7.50 metres and the overall height of two storey buildings (including any roof mounted plant) shall not exceed 9.45 metres.  The eaves height of three storey buildings shall not exceed 12.25 metres and the overall height of three storey buildings (including any roof mounted plant) shall not exceed 13.20 metres. Before any works commence on the site, a means of identifying the existing ground level on the site shall be agreed in writing, and any works required on site to mark that ground level accurately during the construction works shall be implemented prior to any disturbance of the existing ground level. Any such physical works or marker shall be retained at all times during the construction period.

Reason: To establish existing ground level and therefore to avoid confusion in measuring the height of the approved development, and to ensure that the approved development does not have an adverse impact on the character of the surrounding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14d