The Minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillor Josh Williams submitted the following question to the Chair of the Planning Applications Committee:

Local Listing

Reading Borough Council maintains a list of locally important buildings which are subject to more detailed planning control. That list has recently protected Grovelands Church from being demolished, and includes entries such as the Arthur Hill Swimming Baths. It's right that Reading protects its architectural heritage and culture. Could the Chair of the Committee please briefly outline the Local Listing process? Our Planning Committee confirms protection orders on trees, chooses new street names, and determines new applications based on planning matters such as Local Listings. Does the Chair agree with me that requests to add or remove buildings from this Local list should be decided by Reading's Planning Committee?

REPLY by the Chair of the Planning Applications Committee (Councillor McKenna):

Q1. Could the Chair of the Committee please briefly outline the Local Listing process?

Historic England’s advice is that local listing is a way to identify and celebrate historic buildings which enrich and enliven their area. They build a sense of place and history and are intended to highlight assets in order to ensure that they are given due consideration when change is being proposed.

Unlike national listing, Local Listing does not provide any additional legal protection for the building. However Locally Listed buildings are specifically referred to in existing and emerging local planning policy and the effect of development on their heritage significance can be controlled through the planning application process where an application is required.

The process of Locally Listing a building begins with the building being nominated. This nomination could be from a variety of different persons including a Council officer, a Councillor, a member of the public, or a local amenity group.

The current process was agreed by Cabinet on 18 February 2013 as follows “That Cabinet delegates the decision for adding buildings or structures to the List of Locally Important Buildings and Structures of local heritage significance to the Head of Planning and Building Control in consultation with the Lead Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning.”

The Council has identified and locally listed buildings under the current procedure and there are 11 buildings currently on the list. The Council has successfully defended appeals in respect of 3 Craven Road and Pearsons Court on Northcourt Avenue, where the Inspectors accepted their local listed status.

Q2. Our Planning Committee confirms protection orders on trees, chooses new street names, and determines new applications based on planning matters such as Local Listings. Does the Chair agree with me that requests to add or remove buildings from this Local list should be decided by Reading's Planning Committee?

The current process, by operating outside the committee cycle and involving just a few key people, has shown itself to be an efficient and effective way of protecting buildings potentially at risk without taking up scarce resources.

However, following a discussion with the Lead Member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport I can  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted, at the meeting, a schedule of applications to be considered at future meetings of the Committee to enable Councillors to decide which sites, if any, they wished to visit prior to determining the relevant applications.

Resolved -   

(1)      That the under-mentioned applications, together with any additional applications which the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services might consider appropriate, be the subject of unaccompanied site visits:

(2)      That the under-mentioned application be the subject of an accompanied site visit:

(i)      New Appeals

The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a schedule giving details of notification received from the Planning Inspectorate regarding five planning appeals, the method of determination for which she had already expressed a preference in accordance with delegated powers, which was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

(ii)     Appeals Recently Determined

The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted details of five decisions that had been made by the Secretary of State, or by an Inspector appointed for the purpose, which were attached as Appendix 2 to the report.

(iii)    Report on Appeal Decision

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the following appeal decision in Appendix 3:

Resolved –   

(1)      That the new appeals, as set out in Appendix 1, be noted;

(2)      That the outcome of the recently determined appeals, as set out in Appendix 2, be noted;

(3)      That the report on the appeal decision set out in Appendix 3 be noted.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report giving details in Table 1 of eight pending prior approval applications, and in Table 2 of eight applications for prior approval decided between 22 August and 27 September 2019.

Resolved –    That the report be noted.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the publication of a consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport seeking views on changing the permitted development rights in England for structures required to extend mobile phone coverage and to adapt to 5G networks for operators with rights under the Electronic Communications Code.

The report summarised the main changes proposed, and set out initial officer views on the proposed changes.  The Committee were asked to agree the initial response and authorise the Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee and the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport to agree the final representations for submission by the consultation end date of 4 November 2019.

Resolved –

(1)      That the publication of the Proposed Reforms to Permitted Development rights for mobile telecommunications operators be noted;

(2)      That the initial officer commentary on the proposed changes to permitted development rights, as set out in the report, be agreed;

(3)      That the Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Chair of the Planning Applications Committee and the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport be authorised to agree the final representations on the consultation.

Temporary Change of use for up to 45 days in a Calendar year, to change from Class D2 Assembly & Leisure to Christmas Party Events at Kings Meadow, with the site being restored to its former conditions at, or before 14.00 on the 31st December 2019.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

          That temporary planning permission for application 191209/FUL be granted, subject to the conditions and informatives as recommended.

Glazed platform lift covering an area of 4 m² with overall dimensions 2.05 m deep and 1.92 m wide; supported on steel frame clad in white powder coated aluminium laid on low red brick plinth and brown brick cill to match existing facing and feature brickwork, surrounding a lift pit not exceeding 200mm depth. Clear and opaque glass to front side walls, capped with flat roof; guttering and fascia to match existing.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

          That, pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992, planning permission for application 191310/REG3 be granted, subject to the conditions and informatives as recommended.

Replacement of heating system.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

          That listed building consent for application 191205/LBC be granted subject to the conditions and informatives as recommended.

Erection of single storey building comprising 1 (1x2 bed) Bungalow unit (Class C3) with associated bin and cycle storage, and a two- storey maisonette comprising 2 (2 x 2 bed) residential units (Class C3) with landscaping and associated works.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Resolved –

(1)      That the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to grant full planning permission for application 190681/REG3 subject to completion of a unilateral undertaking legal agreement by 31 October 2019 (unless a later date be agreed by the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services) to secure the Heads of Terms set out in the report;

(2)      That, in the event of the requirements set out not being met, the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to refuse permission;

(3)      That planning permission be subject to the conditions and informatives as recommended.

Non material amendments to planning permission ref. 181849 (Erection of a part 4 part 5 storey building (plus basement) to provide 135 units of purpose built student accommodation and associated facilities (Sui Generis), landscaping and access) for internal reconfiguration and associated external changes including re-location of stair cores, re-location of cycle store, level changes to the rear (west) of the building and associated alterations to windows and doors.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  At the meeting an additional condition was recommended to require retention and maintenance of the cycle rail on the stair access to the cycle storage area.

Resolved –

That the non-material amendments to permission 181849 be agreed subject to the informatives as recommended in the report and the additional condition as recommended at the meeting.

Construction of a 4-bedroom dwelling, garage, and associated works.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  An update report was tabled at the meeting which summarised an additional objection that had been received.  At the meeting an additional condition regarding electric vehicle charging was proposed.

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Objectors Steve Sharp and Fay Dyer, and Ward Councillor Clare Grashoff attended the meeting and addressed the Committee on this application.

Resolved –

That consideration of application 190087/FUL be deferred for an accompanied site visit.

Demolition of 199-203 Henley Road and erection of part four, part three and part two storey 82 unit residential care home building (C2 use class) with associated external structures, access from Henley Road, car parking and landscaping.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  An update report was tabled at the meeting which set out comments from the Ecological Consultant, confirmation that the submitted Sustainable Drainage Strategy scheme was acceptable, a corrected road adoption plan and a representation from an objector. Additional conditions and amended triggers for some of the proposed conditions were recommended.

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Objector Nigel Roberts, the applicant’s agent James Wilson, and Ward Councillor Clare Grashoff attended the meeting and addressed the Committee on this application.

Resolved –

(1)      That the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to grant full planning permission subject to completion of a S106 legal agreement by 30 October 2019 (unless a later date be agreed by the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services) to secure the Heads of Terms set out in the original report;

(2)      That, in the event of the requirements set out not being met, the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to refuse permission;

(3)      That planning permission be subject to the conditions and informatives recommended in the original report, with the additional conditions and amendments recommended in the update report.

Change of use of unit from retail (Class A1) to gym (Class D2) and insertion of 1,105sqm GIA mezzanine floor.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.

The Chair reported that consideration of the application would be deferred to a future meeting.

Resolved –

          That consideration of application 190890/FUL be deferred to a future meeting.

At this point, the following motion will be moved by the Chair: “That, pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following Item on the agenda, as it is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act.”

Resolved –

That, pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of item 73 as it was likely that there would be a disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Act.

The Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the current status of all outstanding enforcement notices/prosecutions, including cases where formal enforcement action and/or prosecutions had been undertaken but where the action taken had not yet resolved the breach of planning control.  An overview of all outstanding cases involving formal action was attached at Appendix 1.

Resolved –    That the report be noted.

(Exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 & 7).