COMMITTEE REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES READING BOROUGH COUNCIL ITEM NO. 19 PLANNING APPLICATIONS COMMITTEE: 6th December 2017 Ward: Whitley App No.: 171568 Address: Worton Grange, Imperial Way. Proposal: Erection of a car showroom building and a car valet building (sui-generis), with associated car parking and landscaping works. Applicant: Kier Reading LLP. Date valid: 13th September 2017 Major Application: 13-week target decision date: 13th December 2017 26-Week date: 14th March 2018 Case Officer: Ralph Chakadya RECOMMENDATION Grant subject to conditions CONDITIONS TO INCLUDE: 1. Time limit 2. Approved Plans 3. Materials 4. Employment Skills and Training Plan – Construction Phase 5. Access prior to occupation (roundabout and signalised junction). 6. Roads provision before occupation 7. Visibility splays before occupation 8. Access closure with reinstatement 9. Footway provision before occupation 10. Pedestrian crossing before occupation 11. Construction Management Statement 12. Parking provision before occupation 13. Car Park/Delivery Management Plan 14. Bicycle storage 15. Commercial Travel Plan 16. Commercial Travel Plan Annual Review 17. Pre-commencement submission of implementation, maintenance and management plans for SUDs 18. Development in accordance with approved SUDs. 19. Pre-commencement submission of Control of noise and dust details 20. Noise assessment mechanical equipment– to be submitted 21. Hard and soft Landscaping – prior to completion 22. Hard and soft landscaping implementation 23. Landscaping replacement for 5 years. 24. External lighting plan 25. Hours of working – construction and demolition phase (08:00hrs – 18:00hrs Mon-Fri and 09:00hrs – 13:00hrs Sat – No working on Sundays and Bank Holidays). 26. Opening hours 27. Bone fires 28. No piling without the written consent of the LPA. 29. Waste Management Plan INFORMATIVES TO INCLUDE 1. Terms and conditions. 2. Damage to highway – Section 59 of the Highways Act 1980. 3. Works affecting the highway. 4. Thames Water main crosses the site. 5. Thames Water pressure. 6. All sewage or trade effluent disposal requires separate approval of Thames Water. 7. Best practices measures to keep noise levels down; including ‘white noise’ reversing alarms and the turning off of HGV engines when not in use. 8. Positive and pro-active. 1 SITE DESCRIPTION 1.1 The application site outlined in red below is part of the wider Worton Grange site previously occupied by Hewlett Packard that was recently granted planning permission (151944) for a new commercial development as a part of a mixed use scheme that includes residential development. Location plan (not to scale) 1.2 The application site is located in the northern corner of the commercial part of the original consent, adjacent to Imperial Way. 2 PROPOSAL 2.1 Permission is sought for the erection of a 1,271.11 sqm (GIA) building (including a mezzanine with ancillary office space and staffroom area) for use as a car showroom (sui- generis), a 125 sqm (GIA) single storey car valet building, associated car parking (107 spaces) and landscaping. 2.2 As highlighted in the introduction above, permission was granted for a mixed use scheme on the wider site to establish three large format retail units, a hotel, a pub/restaurant, coffee shop, bank, 12 trade counter units and two car showrooms. The applicant now wants to build the car showroom 1 with a different layout so has chosen to submit a standalone application rather than apply for a variation to the larger planning permission. Procedurally, this is acceptable. 2.3 Car showroom building: • Building with a rectangular plan form 7.40m in height (to parapet); and • External elevations comprising of a mixture of vertically laid composite insulated metal cladding panels (Silver - RAL 9006), white render, and powder coated aluminium framed curtain wall system (Silver - RAL 9006. 2.4 Car valet building: • Three bay building (with open valet area) 4.5m in height located to the south-east of the site; and • External elevations comprising of a mixture of vertically laid composite insulated metal cladding panels (Silver - RAL 9006), outward opening solid metal doors (Silver – RAL 9006) and vertically opening metal doors (Silver – RAL 9006). 2.5 The main changes are to the site layout include: • Service yard area included to the north east of the building; • 107 car parking spaces consisting of a mixture of staff, customer and display (internal and external) spaces • Cycle parking relocated to the north of the car showroom building; • Bin store added to the north east of the car showroom building; and • 3.2m high x 15m long ‘feature wall’ to the north east side car showroom building. 2.6 The site will be accessed from the new spine road (connecting Basingstoke Road and Imperial Way) which is currently being constructed in accordance with the Section 278 works agreed under the original consent. 3 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 162257 - Application for the Erection of a 557 sq. m Building for use within Class A1/ A2/ A3/A5 and Associated Parking and Landscaping Works. Granted 03/03/2017 3.2 151944 - A Hybrid application seeking outline planning permission for the development of up to 175 new homes, including affordable housing(with all matters reserved apart from access), and full planning permission for the development of 12 commercial units in flexible use within Classes B1(c),B2 and B8,two car showrooms with MOT and servicing(Sui Generis), three retail warehouse units (Class A1),120 bed hotel (Class C1),pub with restaurant facility (Class A4),coffee shop (Class A1), restaurant (Class A3), and bank (Class A2). New vehicular access from Basingstoke Road and Imperial Way. Bus stop facilities, hard and soft landscaping and other ancillary development. Granted 14/04/2017 3.3 06/00999/CLE- Certificate of Lawfulness for Existing Use as B1 offices with ancillary storage, distribution and vehicular parking. APPROVED 12/10/06. 3.4 07/01227/SCR and 07/01264/SCO - Request for a Screening and Scoping Opinions on a mixed use redevelopment comprising office and retail uses in towers (up to 40 storeys) and blocks (up to 7 storeys) with 140,000 sq m floorspace, housing with up to 90,000 sq m floorspace, community uses, mixed use buildings (including a hotel), new access arrangements from Basingstoke Road and Imperial Way, MRT and other public transport facilities, on-site energy generation and waste management facilities, open space and landscaping. ES required on any subsequent application (ES parameters defined in scoping opinion) 29/10/07 3.5 08/00699/SCR - Request for a Screening Opinion for the erection of two buildings (42,000m2) to be used for warehousing and distribution (B8) purposes together with 225 car parking spaces, 50 lorry parking spaces and associated landscaping.ES not required (07/10/08) 3.6 10/00264/SCR -Request for Screening Opinion mixed-use redevelopment including 150-300 homes, 7,000sq m retail, community uses, new access/egress, MRT/bus link, on-site energy generation, car parking and landscaping.ES not required (18/03/10) 3.7 10/01784/OUT-Outline application for redevelopment for two warehouse buildings (Class B8) with ancillary office, comprising 39,664m2 floorspace (GEA), car, lorry, motorcycle and cycle parking, landscaping and associated works (access, layout and scale only).Approved Subject To s106 (24/02/11) 3.8 131527/OUT -Outline application (with Landscaping and Appearance matters reserved) for the erection of two warehouse buildings (Use Class B8) with ancillary office accommodation, comprising a total of 39,664sqm floorspace (GEA), car, lorry, motorcycle and cycle parking, landscaping and associated works. Approved subject to s106 (24/02/2014) 3.9 151680 - Screening opinion for proposed redevelopment of Worton Grange, Imperial Way, for mixed use development comprising retail, a hotel, other commercial uses and residential. ES not required 4/11/2015 3.10 In addition to the above applications, there has been a number of applications for non- material changes and discharge of conditions in connection with permission 151944. 4 CONSULTATIONS 4.1 RBC Natural Environment – Following submission of revised plans showing more planting, no objection is raised subject to landscaping conditions. 4.2 RBC Environmental Health – no objection subject to conditions 4.3 RBC Transport – No objection subject to conditions. Public consultation 4.4 No letters were received from consulted neighbours 5 RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE 5.1 Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that proposals be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Material considerations include relevant policies in the National Planning Policy framework (NPPF) - among them the 'presumption in favour of sustainable development'. Accordingly this application has been assessed against the following policies: • National planning policy guidance • National Planning Policy Framework Reading Borough Local Development Framework Core Strategy Document, (adopted 2008 revised 2015) • Policy CS1 (Sustainable Construction and Design) • Policy CS2 (Waste Minimisation) • Policy CS4 (Accessibility and the Intensity of Development) • Policy CS5 (Inclusive Access) • Policy CS7 (Design and the Public Realm) • Policy CS9 (Infrastructure, Services, Resources and Amenities) • Policy CS20 (Implementation of the Reading Transport Strategy) • Policy CS22 (Transport Assessments) • Policy CS24 (Car/Cycle Parking)