Agenda item

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report for the erection of four affordable homes with nine parking spaces (DEV-014-2015/16).

The Assistant Director of Governance (Development Management) presented a report for the erection of four affordable homes with nine parking spaces at the Garages Court north of 52 Stewards Green Road in Epping.

The Assistant Director advised the Committee that this application had been deferred by Area Plans Sub-Committee East on 9 September 2015, with a request that additional information concerning parking displacement and parking surveys be provided. These surveys had now been carried out and the Highways Authority had been re-consulted. The additional information within the report was highlighted to the Committee.

The Assistant Director stated that the application site was currently occupied by a group of 14 garages arranged in two blocks across an entrance court with a grassed strip to the front. The garages were located to the north of Stewards Green Road and served residents in the local area. The proposal was for the construction of four terrace dwellings facing the road with private amenity space to the rear, and the provision of nine parking spaces. The buildings would be similar in design to the terrace of properties to the south and would be affordable rented units as the land was owned by the Council.

The Assistant Director reported that Officers had concluded the proposed scheme represented a small brownfield development at a sustainable location which would have no serious impact on the amenity of neighbours. Whilst the loss of the garages and some parking displacement was recognised as an issue, it was considered that this would not lead to serious parking issues in the immediate vicinity. Furthermore, this concern was outweighed by other positive attributes of the development, including the provision of much needed affordable housing. Therefore, it had been recommended to grant planning permission, subject to the conditions listed in the report and an extra standard condition to limit the hours of working at the site during construction.

The Committee noted the Summary of Representations received in relation to the application. There had been three letters of objection received from residents in Stewards Green Road, and the Town Council had offered no objection to the scheme. The Committee heard from an Objector and the Applicant’s Agent, who suggested the provision of a resident’s off-street parking scheme in Stewards Green Road be investigated, before proceeding to debate the application.

A local Member for Epping Hemnall informed the Committee that Area Plans Sub-Committee East had requested a parking survey to be undertaken during daylight hours, between 7.00am & 9.30am and 3.00pm & 7.00pm, to ascertain the problems with commuter parking in the area. The overnight surveys conducted by the Applicant did not meet the requirements of the Merton Parking Survey Methodology and the surveys should have been conducted between 7.00am & 8.00am and 6.00pm & 7.00pm as a minimum requirement, with further occasional surveys undertaken during the rest of the day. The Member had no objections to the design of the houses and welcomed the suggestion to investigate the possible provision of a resident’s off-street parking scheme in the area.

Other Members also felt that the timings of the survey did not give any indication of the commuter parking problem in the area. It was highlighted that the problem of commuter parking in this area was not unique within Epping; commuters would park a considerable distance from the Tube station and then walk to catch their trains. Anecdotal evidence was given concerning the inability to park in Stewards Green Road one Friday morning at approximately 10.30am about a year ago. In addition, there were possibly seven vehicles being displaced from the garages and that this area had a strong case for the implementation of a resident’s parking scheme. Some Members had also requested dropped kerbs and repairs to the pavements from damage caused by commuter parking.

The Assistant Director added that the consultants had chosen the timings of the survey to be those when the need for residents’ parking was greatest, i.e. during the night, and this was normal practice. The proposal was requesting permission for nine parking spaces to serve four dwellings; the Council could not ask for three parking spaces per dwelling. The implementation of dropped kerbs and repairs to damaged pavements were a highways issue that was beyond the remit of planning.

However, some Members felt that the Highways Authority had agreed the timings of the parking surveys, the results of which had removed parking as a planning issue in this instance, and it was not possible to condition the construction of a Residents Parking Scheme. There was no guarantee that the occupied garages were being used to store cars and the need for affordable housing was becoming desperate throughout the District. It was accepted that parking was a planning issue, and amenity issues were also of importance. However, the conclusion of the report that the amount of potential parking displacement was outweighed by the sustainable means to help meet housing need within the District was also highlighted.

As a result of the concern of the Committee with local parking issues, an extra condition was proposed to undertake an off street parking assessment of Stewards Green Road, once work had commenced, with its findings reported to the Director of Communities.

Resolved:

(1)        That planning application EPF/1531/15 for the Garages Court north of 52 Stewards Green Road in Epping be granted permission, subject to the following conditions:

1.         The development hereby permitted must be begun not later than the            expiration of three years beginning with the date of this notice.

2.         The development hereby permitted will be completed strictly in         accordance with the approved drawings nos: 612 040 Pl 01a, 02a,    03b, 04a, 05a, 06a, 07a, 08, 09, 10.

3.         No construction works above ground level shall take place until documentary and photographic details of the types and coloursof the external finishes have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority, in writing. The development shall be implemented in accordance with such approved details.

4.         No development shall take place until details of foul and surface water disposal have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be implemented in accordance with such agreed details.

5.         No development shall take place until wheel washing or other cleaning facilities for vehicles leaving the site during construction works have been installed in accordance with details which shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved installed cleaning facilities shall be used to clean vehicles immediately before leaving the site.

6.         No development shall take place, including site clearance or other preparatory work, until full details of both hard and soft landscape works (including tree planting) and implementation programme (linked to the development schedule) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These works shall be carried out as approved. The hard landscaping details shall include, as appropriate, and in addition to details of existing features to be retained: proposed finished levels or contours; means of enclosure; car parking layouts; other minor artefacts and structures, including signs and lighting and functional services above and below ground. The details of soft landscape works shall include plans for planting or establishment by any means and full written specifications and schedules of plants, including species, plant sizes and proposed numbers /densities where appropriate. If within a period of five years from the date of the planting or establishment of any tree, or shrub or plant, that tree, shrub, or plant or any replacement is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies or becomes seriously damaged or defective another tree or shrub, or plant of the same species and size as that originally planted shall be planted at the same place, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation.

7.         No development, including works of demolition or site clearance, shall take place until a Tree Protection Plan, Arboricultural Method Statement and site monitoring schedule in accordance with BS:5837:2012 (Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction - recommendations) has been submitted to the Local Planning Authority and approved in writing. The development shall be carried out only in accordance with the approved documents unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation.

8.         Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended (or any other Order revoking, further amending or re-enacting that Order) no extensions generally permitted by virtue of Class A and B of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Order shall be undertaken without the prior written permission of the Local Planning Authority.

9.         No development shall take place until a Phase 1 Land Contamination investigation has been carried out. A protocol for the investigation shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before commencement of the Phase 1 investigation. The completed Phase 1 report shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of any necessary Phase 2 investigation. The report shall assess potential risks to present and proposed humans, property including buildings, crops, livestock, pets, woodland and service lines and pipes, adjoining land, groundwaters and surface waters, ecological systems, archaeological sites and ancient monuments and the investigation must be conducted in accordance with DEFRA and the Environment Agency's "Model Procedures for the Management of Land Contamination, CLR 11", or any subsequent version or additional regulatory guidance.

            [Note: This condition must be formally discharged by the Local Planning Authority before the submission of details pursuant to the Phase 2 site investigation condition that follows.]

10.       Should the Phase 1 Land Contamination preliminary risk assessment carried out under the above condition identify the presence of potentially unacceptable risks, no development shall take place until a Phase 2 site investigation has been carried out. A protocol for the investigation shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority before commencement of the Phase 2 investigation. The completed Phase 2 investigation report, together with any necessary outline remediation options, shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to any redevelopment or remediation works being carried out. The report shall assess potential risks to present and proposed humans, property including buildings, crops, livestock, pets, woodland and service lines and pipes, adjoining land, groundwaters and surface waters, ecological systems, archaeological sites and ancient monuments and the investigation must be conducted in accordance with DEFRA and the Environment Agency's "Model Procedures for the Management of Land Contamination, CLR 11", or any subsequent version or additional regulatory guidance.

            [Note: This condition must be formally discharged by the Local Planning Authority before the submission of details pursuant to the remediation scheme condition that follows.]

11.       Should Land Contamination Remediation Works be identified as necessary under the above condition, no development shall take place until a detailed remediation scheme to bring the site to a condition suitable for the intended use has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved remediation scheme unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The remediation scheme must include all works to be undertaken, proposed remediation objectives and remediation criteria, timetable of works and site management procedures and any necessary long term maintenance and monitoring programme. The scheme must ensure that the site will not qualify as contaminated land under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or any subsequent version, in relation to the intended use of the land after remediation.

            [Note: This condition must be formally discharged by the Local Planning Authority before the submission of details pursuant to the verification report condition that follows.]

12.       Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme and prior to the first use or occupation of the development, a verification report that demonstrates the effectiveness of the remediation carried out must be produced together with any necessary monitoring and maintenance programme and copies of any waste transfer notes relating to exported and imported soils shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval. The approved monitoring and maintenance programme shall be implemented.

13.       In the event that any evidence of potential contamination is found at any time when carrying out the approved development that was not previously identified in the approved Phase 2 report, it must be reported in writing immediately to the Local Planning Authority. An investigation and risk assessment must be undertaken in accordance with a methodology previously approved by the Local Planning Authority. Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme, a verification report must be prepared, which is subject to the approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority in accordance with the immediately above condition

14.       Prior to the first occupation of the development the access arrangements and vehicle parking areas as indicated on the approved plans shall be provided, hard surfaced, sealed and marked out. The access and parking areas shall be retained in perpetuity for their intended purpose.

15.       Prior to first occupation of the proposed development, the Developer shall be responsible for the provision and implementation of a Residential Travel Information Pack for sustainable transport, approved by Essex County Council.

16.       There shall be no discharge of surface water onto the Highway.

17.       No unbound material shall be used in the surface treatment of the vehicular access within 6 metres of the highway boundary.

            18.       All construction/demolition works and ancillary operations, including                         vehicle movement on site which are audible at the boundary of noise                 sensitive premises, shall only take place between the hours of 07.30                         to 18.30 Monday to Friday and 08.00 to 13.00 on Saturday, and at no                      time during Sunday and Public/Bank Holidays unless otherwise                           agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

[Reason: In the interests of the amenities of noise sensitive properties,        in accordance with the guidance contained within the National           Planning Policy Framework and policies RP5A and DBE9 of the   adopted Local Plan and Alterations.]

            19.       Once work commences, an off street parking assessment of Stewards                    Green Road, Epping shall be carried out and its findings reported to                      the Director of Communities.

                        [Reason: In the interest of highway safety and parking.]