At a Meeting of the PLANNING and HIGHWAYS COMMITTEE Held In
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PLANNING AND HIGHWAYS (WEST) COMMITTEE AGENDA Tuesday 1st September, 2020 at 5.30 p.m. This meeting will be held remotely. Joining details will be emailed to all participants. The meeting will be livestreamed for the public to view on the Council’s YouTube channel, ‘sunderlandgov’ at:- https://youtu.be/-FELCXlgLbI Membership Cllrs Armstrong, Blackett, Fagan, Lauchlan, F. Miller, Rowntree (Chair), Thornton (Vice Chair) G. Walker, P. Walker ITEM PAGE 1. Receipt of Declarations of Interest (if any) 2. Apologies for Absence - 3. Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 1 Tuesday 30th June, 2020 (copy attached) 4. Report of the meeting of the Development Control 4 (Hetton, Houghton and Washington) Sub Committee held on 3rd March 2020 (copy attached) For further information and assistance, please contact Paul Wood at [email protected] 5. Applications made under the Town and Country 14 Planning Acts and Regulations made thereunder Report of the Executive Director of City Development (copy herewith). Elaine Waugh, Assistant Director of Law and Governance, Civic Centre SUNDERLAND 21st August, 2020 At a meeting of the PLANNING AND HIGHWAYS (WEST) COMMITTEE held remotely on TUESDAY 30TH JUNE, 2020 at 5.30 p.m. Present:- Councillor Rowntree in the Chair. Councillors Armstrong, Blackett, Fagan, Lauchlan, F. Miller, Thornton, G. Walker and P. Walker. Chairman’s Welcome The Chairman advised that she wished to make a statement on behalf of the Planning and Highways West Committee and to take the opportunity to comment on the pandemic which had impacted greatly upon the world and our City of Sunderland. Over 300 people had sadly passed away in our city due to the COVID-19 virus and the family and friends of those affected had our deepest sympathies. The Chairman offered the Committee’s humble thanks to all of the key workers, fellow Councillors, partners and volunteers who had supported our residents and stepped up in our time of need. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest made. Apologies for Absence There were no apologies for absence. 19/02143/FUL – Demolition of existing buildings and erection of A1 foodstore, access and resurfacing works, car park, servicing and plant area and installation of ATM – Former Penshaw Motor Body Works, Penshaw Bank Top Station Road, Penshaw, Houghton-le-Spring. The Executive Director of City Development submitted a report (copy circulated) which requested the Committees determination of planning application 19/02143/FUL. The proposal sought to provide a modern Coop foodstore extending to 418 square metres, 13 customer parking spaces with access taken from Coxgreen Road over an area of unregistered hardstanding. (For copy report – see original minutes) Page 1 of 133 The Planning Officer representing the Executive Director of City Development outlined the proposal to Members of the Committee and the relevant material planning considerations against which the application had been assessed. The Chairman asked if members had any questions or comments on the report. Councillor G. Walker stated that he had visited the site when the plans for the proposal first became available and advised that the retaining wall between the existing site and the allotments was in a poor state of repair and in his view, the whole wall needed to be taken down and rebuilt. In relation to the other remedial works, Councillor G. Walker referred to the tarmacked area proposed and how this would leave an untarmacked area up to the gable end of Percy Terrace and it would be much more satisfactory to have the tarmac extended to this point. The Planning Officer advised that with regards to the retaining wall, it would be within the applicants best interests to have a retaining wall which was “sound” and whilst the Committee was restricted in just looking at land use in this instance, which was considered to be acceptable, the retaining wall was showing on the site plan and Officers could certainly mention this to the developers and pass on Councillor G. Walkers comments in that respect. With regards to the tarmacked area, the Highways Engineer advised that when the original application was submitted, they did raise concerns over the suitability of the access, which were improved after discussions. In terms of the area Councillor G. Walker referred to, this was outside of the area the application relates but he was sure Officers could speak with the applicant to request they resurface that area also as it would be in the interests of the retail operator to tidy up the area for its customers. The Development Control Manager read out a written statement received by the Applicant in which they stated their reasoning for bringing forward the proposal and the benefits they believed this would bring to the local area. The Chairman thanked Members and Officers for their comments and drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations as detailed in pages 14-17 of the report. Upon being put to the Committee the recommendation was approved unanimously and therefore it was:- 1. RESOLVED that the application be approved subject to the 12 conditions contained within the report Items for Information Members having fully considered the items for information contained within the matrix, it was:- Page 2 of 133 2. RESOLVED that the items for information as set out in the matrix be received and noted; The Chairman then thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting. (Signed) C. ROWNTREE, (Chairman) Page 3 of 133 At a meeting of the DEVELOPMENT CONTROL (HETTON, HOUGHTON AND WASHINGTON) SUB-COMMITTEE held in the CIVIC CENTRE on TUESDAY, 3rd MARCH, 2020 at 5.45 p.m. Present:- Councillor Thornton in the Chair Councillors Blackett, M. Dixon, Jenkins, Lauchlan, F. Miller, Speding, Turner and G. Walker Also in Attendance:- Councillors Heron, Johnston, N. MacKnight and Williams Declarations of Interest 19/00102/MAV – Biffa Waste Plc, Houghton Quarry, DH4 4AU Councillors Thornton and Turner made an open declaration in the above item as Members of Hetton Town Council but advised that they had not taken part in consideration of the application. Apologies for Absence Apologies for absence were given on behalf of Councillors Jackson, Potts, Scaplehorn and P. Walker Applications made under the Town and Country Planning Acts and Regulations made thereunder The Executive Director of City Development submitted a report (copy circulated), which related to Hetton, Houghton and Washington areas, copies of which had also been forwarded to each Member of the Council, upon applications made under the Town and Country Planning Acts and Regulations made thereunder. (for copy reports – see original minutes) Page 4 of 133 19/00102/MAV – Variation of conditions 2 (list of approved plans), 3 (time limit for restoration of site), 10 (noise and vibration migration measures) and 21 (plant and machinery details) of planning permission ref 12/03178/FUL, to allow for a revised restoration programme for the site, an extended programme and altered phasing of works, the construction and operation of an aggregate wash plant, the re-alignment of the access road within the quarry and amendments to on-site landscaping scheme at Biffa Waste PLC, Houghton Quarry, Newbottle Street, Houghton le Spring, DH4 4AU The representative of the Executive Director of City Development presented the application advising the Committee of the key issues to consider in determining the application, advising that the application sought to allow for a continuance of Holystone’s recycling operations and the continued in-filling of the quarry void to create a revised development platform for the employment park. Members were advised that the applicant contended that current economic conditions were not conducive to the delivery of an employment park at this location at this time. Members were reminded that at its previous meeting of the Committee the application had been deferred to allow a site visit to be undertaken. The site visit had taken place on 21st February, 2020. The Chairman advised that there were a number of speakers for the application and invited Councillor Johnston to address the Committee. Councillor Johnston thanked the Committee for the opportunity and advised that since the previous meeting he had continued to receive even more concerns from residents about the effect the application would have on the local area and its regeneration which even the Council’s Strategic Property Manager had raised concerns that the continued operation of the facility would have a detrimental effect on the Council’s intended use of the Houghton Colliery site for retail. Councillor Johnston advised that he was strongly against the application and raised the following points in his objections:- - Paragraph 145 of the NPPF and Policy NE6 of the CSDP both refer to development in the Green Belt only being permitted where they preserve the openness of the Green Belt and are consistent with the exception list in national policy; - The application approved in 2013 was time limited and it is arrogant that the applicants request that operations continue and automatically assume that it would be approved; - It would be cruel to subject the residents of Houghton to another five to ten years operation on site when they have already suffered enough; - It shows a complete lack of ambition and aspiration to better the area; - There is no evidence to show that the employment park is not needed on site; - Development of the site should be moving forward as previously promised; - Are 2 jobs or 300 jobs more preferred for the area? and £2 million or £12million in investment which the Houghton Colliery development would bring; Page 5 of 133 - It is not in keeping with the dynamic, vibrant and healthy aspirations being promoted through the city plan; and - The development would only disrupt local transport links.