Epping Forest District Council NOTICE OF MEETING Committee: Development (Extraordinary Date: Tuesday 8 February 2000 Meeting) Place: Civic Offices, Time: 7.30 p.m. High Street, Epping Room: Council Chamber Committee Secretary: Mrs I Wright (Ext 4245) Members: Councillors R Heath (Chairman), L Martin (Vice-Chairman), S Barnes, Mrs M Boatman, P Bostock, Mrs J Davis, J Gilliham, Mrs A Haigh, M Heavens, D Kelly, Mrs M McEwen, R Morgan, Mrs D Paddon, J Padfield, P Pennell, J Pledge, H Taylor, M Wardle, M Welch, M Woollard, K Wright Background papers for an item or report are those documents relating to the subject matter of the report which disclose any facts or matters on which (in the proper officer's decision) the report or an important part of the report is based and have in his opinion been relied upon to a material extent in preparing the report. These are listed at the conclusion of each relevant agenda item and do not include any published work. Inspection of background papers may be arranged by contacting the officer responsible for the item . THE CHAIRMAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE GROUP REPRESENTATIVES ARE REMINDED THAT A BRIEFING FOR THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM 1 AT 6.30 P.M. ON THE DAY OF THE COMMITTEE BUSINESS Part A - Planning Applications and Major Items for Debate 3 . Debden Park High School: Proposed Routing of Construction traffic (see also Appendices 1-4). 4. Grange Farm, Chigwell - Planning Application EPF/1842/99 (see also Appendices 5-15). Part B - Routine Items for Debate Nil Part C - Exclusion of Public and Press 5. Exclusion of Public and Press Civic Offices, High Street, Fpping, Essex. CM16 4BZ Development Committee 8 February 2000 (Extraordinary Meeting) Part D - Consideration in Private Session Nil. Development Committee 8 February 2000 (Extraordinary Meeting) PART A - APOLOGIES, PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND MAJOR POLICY ITEMS FOR DEBATE 1 . APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST 2.1 (Chief Executive) To declare interests in any item on the agenda. 3. DEBDEN PARK HIGH SCHOOL: PROPOSED ROUTING OF CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC (Minute 89 -11 .1 .2000) Recommendations : (1) That Westall Road/Etheridge Road/Willingale Road be agreed as the route for construction traffic visiting the site of the proposed Debden Park High School, Willingale Road, Loughton ; and (2) That, following commencement of construction work, a further report be submitted to the Committee in June 2000 assessing the operation of the system of routing construction traffic and suggesting any alterations considered necessary. 3.1 (Head of Planning Services) At the last meeting of this Committee, the details of the proposed Debden Park High School were approved and members were advised that a further report would be submitted on the possible options for the routing of construction traffic . 3.2 A report commissioned by the developers is attached at Appendix 1 (a coloured copy of the report has been placed in the Members' Room). The report considers three route options: (1) The Broadway/Willingale Road ; (2) Westall Road/Etheridge Road/Willingale Road; and (3) Hillyfields/Chester Road/Willingale Road. (See Appendices 2, 3 and 4 respectively). 3.3 The report identifies a range of criteria against which each of the routes is assessed and concludes that Option (2) (i .e. Westall Road/Etheridge Road/Willingale,Road) is the preferred option. Officers consider the nature and conclusion of the assessment to be reasonable and therefore recommend that the preferred option is agreed. 3 .4 It is, however, considered desirable to monitor the system when in operation to ensure its effectiveness. This could warrant a review to introduce amendments. Development Committee 8 February 2000 (Extraordinary Meeting) Resource Implications : Finance: Nil . Land: Nil. Personnel : From existing resources. Environmental: Intended to ensure minimum noise disturbance and risk to residents and businesses of Debden Estate. 4. GRANGE FARM, CHIGWELL-PLANNING APPLICATION EPF/1842/99 Recommendation: That outline planning permission be granted for 28 dwellings on the "core area", subject to: (a) conditions as listed in Appendix 5 hereto; (b) completion of an Obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and a Management Scheme dealing fully with Green Belt community benefits, including: (i) the rehabilitation, conservation and management of the open land (including public access to and through the site); (ii) provision of two fields for formal recreational use and a car park for visitors with a financial contribution towards a sports pavilion and public toilets ; (iii) provision of other fields for informal recreation, open space and nature conservation to include a surfaced footpath suitable for wheelchair users; (iv) the refurbishment of the access track to the MI 1 bridge with public use as a footpath during daylight hours; (v) the funding of bridge works and other matters associated with a public right of way, including signposting and statutory advertising; (vi) the construction of an Information Centre for the Roiling Valley Meadows; (vii) adequate ongoing maintenance for all these factors; (viii) a financial contribution towards additional bus services to suit recreational users (in accordance with Local Plan policies TI and I1); (ix) transfer of the management/control of the open land (including the areas of formal and informal recreation/nature conservation) to public bodies to be specified on terms to be agreed; and Development Committee 8 February 2000 (Extraordinary Meeting) (x) provision of a site access road and a ghosted double right turn lane on the Al 13. Background 4.1 The previous application (EPF/950/98) was considered by Development Committee on 15 July 1999 (Minute 26). Members resolved that planning permission should be refused for the following reason. "The site is within the Metropolitan Green Belt. The proposals are inappropriate development and therefore harmful to the Green Belt and are contrary to national and local policies of restraint within the Green Belt. In the view of the Local Planning Authority there are insufficient special circumstances to outweigh the harm of the proposals, which amount to over-development, notwithstanding Adopted Local Plan Policy GB 19". 4.2 Under Standing Order E6 the item was referred to the Full Council meeting of 20 July. Members again resolved to refuse planning permission for the same reason. An appeal has been lodged and a Public Inquiry has been scheduled from 29-31 March. 4.3 The current application is for the same level of development (i.e. 28 houses o6 the core area) but (a) the financial contribution towards the pavilion has been significantly increased (from £200,000 to £300,000); (b) two fields are being,set aside for formal recreation; and (c) the applicants have indicated that the open land will be transferred, to appropriate public bodies and have offered 25 year renewable leases. 4 .4 The applicants believe that the improved benefits package addresses Member`s' concerns about the balance between very special circumstances and harm to the Green Belt. The application has therefore been resubmitted in the hope that a positive decision will avoid the need for, and expense of the Public Inquiry. This Special Development Committee has been called so that its decision can be considered by Full Council on 22 February to meet the deadline for the Public Inquiry. 4 .5 This report deals with the improved benefits package but is otherwise essentially the same as that considered by Development Committee and Full Council in July 1999. Unlike the previous reports, however, new Appendices (6 and 7) are included which outline the history and purpose of the Grange Farm Centre Trust and this Council's limited role with the Trust. Members' attention is drawn particularly to the facts that: (a) the area of benefit of the Trust is the whole of the Metropolitan Police area; and (b) it is not incumbent upon the Trust to retain the application site as open space. 4.6 This report shows that officers believe that this application represents the only practical means of achieving all the aims of Local Plan Policy GB 19 and ensuring that the open land is used as public open space and satisfactorily managed and maintained. The crux of the decision on this application is therefore whether the new benefits package amounts to 'very special circumstances' which are sufficient to outweigh the harm to the Green Belt from residential development of the core area. Development Committee 8 February 2000 (Extraordinary Meeting) 4.7 If planning permission is granted, the Section 106 Obligation and Management Agreement associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses' scheme will need to be amended and extended to take full account of the new benefits package. Planning History 4.8 The site is at the northern end of Chigwell Village, between the High Road and the Mi l motorway (see Appendix 8). When Grange Farm operated as a holiday caravan, camping and leisure centre, the 3 .75 hectare "core area" was developed with residential blocks and other buildings associated with recreational activities. (See Appendix 9 which shows the layout of buildings during Grange Farm's heyday). 4 .9 The cessation of the main use of Grange Farm, accompanied by the gradual deterioration and dereliction of the buildings, means that the core area should rightly now be seen as a "brownfield" site. Most of the existing buildings were cleared in 1998 at the Council's request in the interests of public safety, on the understanding that Policy GB 19 and the brownfield status of the core area were unaffected. The continuing non-use of the other 11 .4 hectares of open land, problems of fly-tipping, and the increasing dereliction are causing concern for local residents and, particularly, neighbouring landowners 4.10 In 1995 planning permission was granted (on appeal) for a Jehovah's Witnesses meeting hall with car park on the core area.