Agenda item

A major full application for the erection of a motor vehicle dealership, sales and servicing buildings with outside vehicle parking areas. [Rural West York Ward]

Consideration was given to a major full application for the erection of a motor dealership, sales and servicing buildings with outside vehicle parking areas.

Officers provided an update to the committee report, full details of which are attached to the online agenda for the meeting, the main points were as follows:

·        Correction to the report at paragraph 4.9 to clarify that the planning permission for the retail garden centre expired in June 2015.  It is not therefore a “fall-back” option for the landowner. 

·        Delete condition 24 as its controls are duplicated by condition 11.

·        Amended condition 2 to reflect approved plans.

·        Additional conditions to prevent parking on areas shown as verge or landscaping, protection of existing trees on the north western boundary and a condition to ensure highway works are carried out before the development comes in to use.

A Member queried the use of the words ‘long term’ in condition 18(f). Concern was raised that the lack of a set time frame in relation to the maintenance of the landscaping at the site could eventually lead to the use of landscaped areas for the displaying of more vehicles. Members attention was then drawn by Officers to condition 5 in the report and it was suggested that by amending condition 5 to remove the words ‘within a period of five years from the completion of the development’, this would ensure that the landscaping is continually maintained.

Resolved:           That the application be approved, subject to the conditions outlined in the committee report, the conditions in the update and condition 5 as amended as follows:

                             No development shall take place above foundation level until there has been submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a detailed landscaping scheme which shall illustrate the number, species, height and position of trees, shrubs and hard landscaping.  This scheme shall be implemented within a period of six months of the completion of the development.  Any trees or plants which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species, unless alternatives are agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:              The application site consists of a large vacant plot within the York Business Park with a recently developed care home to the west , the East Coast Main Line to the east and a concentration of car dealerships to the north. It furthermore has a previously extant planning permission for extensive retail use in the form of a garden centre. Planning permission is sought for erection of a  two storey car dealership with associated facilities including car valeting, servicing and used car sales. Concern has been expressed in terms of the impact of site lighting on the amenity of residents of the adjacent care home; the level of staff parking and servicing arrangements within the site and the mitigation for the loss of the notified SINC. These issues have subsequently been resolved,  the development is felt to be acceptable and approval was recommended