Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors NJ Davies, CR Doyle, FM Gordon, B Hopkins, JW Jones, KE Marsh, BG Owen, PB Smith and TM White.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

Councillor RD Lewis – Personal – Planning Application No.2014/1483(Item 2) – I know the applicant.

Councillor LV Walton – Personal - Planning Application No.2014/1334(Item1) – I know some of the residents in and around Russell Street.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Area 1 Development Control Committee held on 11 November 2014.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Area 1 Development Control Committee held on 11 November 2014 be approved as a correct record subject to the first line of Minute No.33 being amended to read Area 1.

None.

The Head of Economic Regeneration and Planning submitted a series of Planning Applications. 

Amendments to this schedule were reported and are indicated below by (#).

RESOLVED that:

(1) the undermentioned planning applications BE APPROVED subject to the conditions in the report and/or indicated below

(Item 1) Application No.2014/1334 - Demolition of existing office building and replacement with 18 no. flats with associated parking and works – amendment to planning permission 2011/1310 granted 29/02/2012 involving alternative treatment to the rear gallery access balustrading, individual apartment treatments to the rear gallery access balustrading, individual apartment entry doors, stair enclosure and the car park perimeter wall at Russell House, 31 Russell Street, Swansea.

#(Item 2) Application No. 2014/1483 – To fell 2 Yew trees covered by TPO No.228 at 56 Glanmor Road, Uplands, Swansea.

Late correspondence from applicant querying whether sufficient consideration is being to the structural to the structural engineer’s report and indicating that the application has been submitted to enable the wall to be rebuilt.

The site was inspected by a Building Inspector during consideration of a previous application on the site. Advice was given that whilst the wall needed to be rebuilt, it was considered that an opportunity engineered retaining wall could be designed so that the trees did not need to be felled. The applicant has not submitted any evidence to demonstrate that such a wall could not be built.

Mr Jones(on behalf of the applicant) addressed the Committee.

Application approved contrary to officer recommendation as Committee considered the felling of the trees was necessary to allow the re-construction of the existing wall on the site and subject to the following condition.

Condition:

Following the tree works authorised by this consent, it is a requirement to plant 4 replacement yew trees, the trees to be of advanced nursery stock size, container grown or root balled.  Details of the size and precise planting position shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to their planting. They shall be planted in the approved positions.

The replacement trees must be planted during the first planting season (October-March) immediately following the felling of the trees authorised by this consent.  The planting shall be carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice for General Landscape Operations BS4428:1989 Section 7.

Should any of the replacement trees be removed, die or become severely damaged or seriously diseased all within 5 years of planting, it shall be replaced by a tree of similar size and the same species to that originally planted.

The Local Planning Authority shall be notified a minimum of 7 days in advance of the date and time when the work authorised by this consent is to be carried out.

The work shall be carried out by a qualified tree surgeon to British Standard 3998 (2010) recommendations for tree work, the identity of whom shall be notified to the Local Planning Authority a minimum of 7 working days before the work is to be carried out.

Reason:

In the interests of visual amenity and biodiversity

The Head of Economic Regeneration and Planning submitted a report which outlined to Committee the change in Welsh Government Planning Policy which means that conditions previously approved are now covered by Building Regulations.

It is now therefore no longer necessary to apply Conditions 7.8 and 9 relating to the above application that were previously approved on 12 March 2013.

RESOLVED that the decision notice be issued without the minimum sustainability requirements set out in conditions 7, 8 and 9 of the original committee report.