The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillor Brock declared a personal, non-pecuniary interest in items 83 and 84 (181849/FUL and 182251/VAR – Former Car Park, East Street).  Nature of interest: Councillor Brock lived near the application site.

The Director of Environment 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 Head of Planning, Development and Regulatory Services might consider appropriate, be the subject of unaccompanied site visits:

(2)      That the under-mentioned applications, together with any additional applications which the Head of Planning, Development and Regulatory Services might consider appropriate, be the subject of accompanied site visits:

(i)      New Appeals

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a schedule giving details of notification received from the Planning Inspectorate regarding two 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 Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted details of three 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)    Reports on Appeal Decisions

There were no reports on appeal decisions.

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.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report giving details in Table 1 of seven pending prior approval applications, and in Table 2 of seven applications for prior approval decided between 25 January and 20 February 2019.

Resolved –    That the report be noted.

Amended description: Reconfiguration of the disused restaurant space to include a café (Class A1) with an external seating area, and creation of 3 (2x studio & 1x1-bed) residential units (Class C3) at lower ground floor level and associated works. 

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  An update report was tabled at the meeting which gave details of a consultation response from the Crime Prevention Design Advisor and an additional typical section plan provided by the applicant’s agent to demonstrate the relationship of the proposed flats to the canalside pedestrian area.  An additional condition and an amendment to Condition 12 were recommended in the update report as a result.

Comments were received and considered.

Resolved –

That planning permission for application 181421/FUL be granted, subject to the conditions and informatives recommended in the original report, with the additional condition and amendment to Condition 12 as recommended in the update report.

Erection of a basement and 4-storey building to provide 11 (1x studio, 8x1-bed & 2x2-bed) residential units (Class C3) and associated works following the demolition of the existing buildings (basement & 3-storey public house at No’s 34-36 Southampton Street and 2-storey residential building at No. 38). 

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  An update report was tabled at the meeting which gave details of additional visual material and physical samples of the proposed materials, as well as other documents submitted.  The update report recommended an additional condition and an amendment to condition 3.  Materials were displayed at the meeting.

A verbal update was provided regarding further comments received from Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee subsequent to the publication of the update report.  It was also reported at the meeting that the Environmental Protection Officer had confused the Red Lion and the Red Cow public houses when submitting comments on the application regarding air quality contained in the original report, but this did not change the conclusion within the report. 

It was suggested that a record of the 17^th Century timber building should be made and that the applicant should be asked to see if any of the old beams could be reused within the new building.

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Resolved –

(1)      That the Head of Planning, Development and Regulatory Services be authorised to grant planning permission, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement by 27 March 2019 (unless a later date be agreed by the Head of Planning, Development 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 Head of Planning, Development 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 amendment to Condition 3 and additional Condition 23 as set out in the update report, an amendment to the condition regarding the pre-commencement programme of archaeological work to specifically include reference to a scheme of archaeological building recording, and an additional informative seeking for the applicant to salvage original/historic features of the buildings and utilising these as part of the future hard and soft landscaping proposals.

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.

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

Comments and an objection were received and considered.

Resolved –    That consideration of the application be deferred for a site visit and more information.

(Councillor Brock declared a personal, non-pecuniary interest in this item.  Nature of interest: Councillor Brock lived near the application site.)

Erection of 4 storey building to provide 103 student accommodation units (Sui Generis), landscaping, access and ancillary works, following removal of a 49 space car park with a variation of condition no. 2 (approved plans) of planning permission ref. 170019 (allowed on appeal ref. APP/E0345/W/17/3190317) for minor internal and external alterations to provide 5 additional student accommodation rooms at ground floor level.

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

Comments and an objection were received and considered.

Resolved –    That planning permission for application 182251/VAR be granted subject to the conditions and informatives as recommended in the report.

(Councillor Brock declared a personal, non-pecuniary interest in this item.  Nature of interest: Councillor Brock lived near the application site.)

Demolition of existing chapel and church hall.  Redevelopment of the site to provide a three storey mixed use development comprising of community halls and ancillary accommodation at ground floor level, 2 x one bedroom flats, 6 x two bedroom flats and 2 x three bedroom flats at the upper floor levels, all with associated external amenity space, car parking and cycle storage.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above application.  An update report was tabled at the meeting which contained: additional information on questions asked and answered on the site visit; the applicant’s response to comments regarding local listing; additional emails and a petition of support and objections which had been received; and the applicant’s response to comments and officer comments on these.  The update report had appended comments of support (Appendix 1), objections (Appendix 2) and updated drawings (Appendix 3).

Comments and objections were received and considered.

Resolved – That the application be refused for the following reasons:

1.            The proposal has failed to demonstrate that the loss of the Non-Designated Heritage Asset has been sufficiently outweighed/mitigated by a replacement development of a high quality design.  The design is not considered to provide a positive response to the local context as it fails to maintain and enhance the character and appearance of this part of Reading.  The proposal would therefore have an adverse impact on the historic environment and the Oxford Road streetscape, contrary to policies CS7 (Design and the Public Realm) and CS33 (Protection and Enhancement of the Historic Environment) of the Reading Borough LDF Core Strategy (2008, as amended 2015) and paragraphs 189, 190, 192 and 197 of the NPPF (2019).

3

2.            In the absence of a completed legal agreement to secure:

·         affordable housing of an appropriate tenure - the proposal fails to contribute adequately to the housing needs of Reading Borough and the need to provide sustainable, inclusive mixed and balanced communities, contrary to policies CS15, DM6 and NPPF;

·         contributions towards employment, skills and training - the proposal fails to adequately contribute to the employment, skills or training needs of local people with associated socioeconomic harm, contrary to policies CS3, CS9, DM3 and the Employment, Skills and Training SPD (2013); and

·         6 no. car parking spaces from the site at land between 2-4 Wilson Road - the proposal fails to provide adequate parking provision contrary to policies CS20, CS24 and DM12.

Demolition of existing rear garages and erection of 2 x two bedroom and 1 x one bedroom two storey terraced houses (with rooms in the roof space), associated amenity space and under croft vehicular access from Eldon Terrace to a parking area. 

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the above applications. 

Resolved –    That consideration of the applications be deferred for a site visit.