The minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Committee considered a report setting out a schedule of applications to be considered at future meetings of the Committee to decide which sites, if any, they wished to visit prior to determining the relevant applications. The report also listed previously agreed site visits which were yet to take place.

It was reported at the meeting that the following previously agreed site visit had been missed off the report:

• 221345 - Curzon Club, 362 Oxford Road – unaccompanied site visit

Resolved -

(1)      That the following application be the subject of an accompanied site visit:

(2)      That the following application be the subject of an unaccompanied site visit:

The Committee received a report on notifications received from the Planning Inspectorate on planning appeals registered with them or decisions made and providing summary reports on appeal decisions of interest to the Committee. 

Appendix 1 to the report set out details of three new appeals lodged since the last Committee.  Appendix 2 to the report set out details of one appeal decided since the last Committee. There were no reports on appeal decisions 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 appeal, as set out in Appendix 2, be noted.

The Committee received a report on the types of development that could be submitted for Prior Approval and providing a summary of applications received and decisions taken in accordance with the prior approval process as set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (GPDO 2015) as amended. Table 1 set out eight prior approval applications received, and Table 2 set out five applications for prior approval decided, between 5 July and 23 August 2023.

Resolved –     That the report be noted.

The Committee considered a report on a proposal to add Reading Bridge to the list of Locally-Important Buildings and Structures.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·       Appendix 1: Location map

·       Appendix 2: Relevant photos and images

·       Appendix 3: Nomination Form & Evidence

·       Appendix 4: Proposed Local List text

The report set out the results of the consultation on the proposal and an assessment against the criteria in Appendix 2 of the Reading Borough Local Plan, concluding with reasons why the building qualified for addition to the Local List.

Resolved –

That Reading Bridge be added to the List of Locally-Important Buildings and Structures.

The Committee considered a report on a consultation by the Government on changes to permitted development rights which had been launched on 25 July 2023 with a deadline for responses of 25 September 2023.  The report had appended the questions in the consultation, which proposed changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended, and covered the following areas:

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow for some commercial buildings to change to dwellinghouses - Class MA – Use Class E to residential – also Class M & N

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow easier agricultural diversification and development on agricultural units – Class Q.& Class R

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow for non-domestic extensions and the erection of new industrial and warehouse buildings

·       changes to the permitted development right that allows for the temporary use of land to allow markets to operate for more days

·       changes to the existing permitted development right that allows for the erection, extension or alteration of schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and closed prisons to also apply to open prisons

·       the application of local design codes to certain permitted development rights

An update report was tabled at the meeting which contained proposed responses prepared by officers to the questions in the consultation on topics relevant to Reading.

Resolved –

That the responses to the consultation questions set out in the update report be agreed.

Change of use of 104-105 Friar Street from a vacant Class E unit to an Adult Gaming Centre (Sui Generis). 

The Committee considered a report on the above application.

It was reported at the meeting that the Licensing Sub-Committee had agreed to give a licence to the premises.  The licence had not yet been issued, but would include two conditions relating to CCTV and signage about CCTV.  The proposed planning condition 3 in the report relating to CCTV was therefore not appropriate and it was suggested that Condition 3 be removed and replaced with an informative regarding the CCTV requirements from the licensing conditions. 

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Resolved –

That consideration of application 230908/FUL be deferred for further information on matters including:

·       whether the development would result in clustering of too many similar uses within one area in the town centre in relation to the range and diversity of leisure uses required by Policy CR4 of the Local Plan (paragraphs 5.3.13 and 5.3.14 refer) and whether it would impact the requirement for active frontages in the town centre in Policy CR7 of the Local Plan;

·       whether there had been an active search for other uses for the premises since the closure of the café on the site in March 2023.

Removal of office carparking from site to allow the construction of one new dwelling in grounds of listed building and alterations to boundary wall.

The Committee considered a report on the above application.

Comments and an objection were received and considered.

Resolved –

(1)          That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services be authorised to grant planning permission for application 230319/FUL, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement by 13 November 2023 (unless a later date be agreed by the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection 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 Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services be authorised to refuse permission;

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

Application under Section 73 of Town and Country Planning Act (1990) to remove condition no. 62 of planning permission ref. 970419 to allow the sub-division of ‘department store’ floorspace.  Imposition of new planning condition(s) to restrict use of ‘department store’ floorspace within Use Class E(a)(b)(d)(e), with a minimum unit size of 1,000 sqm (GIA). 

The Committee considered a report on the above application. An update report was tabled at the meeting which provided additional information regarding proposed amendments to Condition 18, proposals for officers to assess and agree a series of plans relating to nine conditions, and a consultation response from the Environment Agency.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

(1)           That application 230682/VAR be approved;

(2)        That planning permission be subject to the new Conditions 76 to 81 and reviewed Conditions 1 to 75 as set out in the original report, with the amendments to Condition 18 as set out in the update report;

(3)        That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services be authorised to assess and agree specific plans in relation to Conditions 16, 24, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 49, as recommended in the update report;

(4)        That planning permission be subject to the informatives as set out in the original report.

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of one industrial building for flexible industrial processes (Use Class E (g)(iii)), general industrial (Class B2) or storage or distribution (Class B8) uses with ancillary offices, and all other ancillary and enabling works including altered access, on-site parking, landscaping, drainage, engineering and boundary treatment works. 

The Committee considered a report on the above application. An update report was tabled at the meeting giving information on a request from the applicant to alter the trigger point for Condition 9 and amending Condition 9 accordingly.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

(1)          That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services be authorised to grant planning permission subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement by 27 September 2023 (unless a later date be agreed by the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection 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 Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services be authorised to refuse permission;

(3)          That planning permission be subject to the conditions and informatives recommended in the original report, with the amendment to Condition 9 recommended in the update report.