Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that Councillor P Lloyd be elected Chair of the Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2014-2015.

RESOLVED that Councillor J Bayliss be elected Vice Chair of the Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2014-2015.

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors JE Burtonshaw, MC Child, EW Fitzgerald, YV Jardine, AJ Jones, J Newbury, RJ Stanton, M Theaker & M Thomas.

 

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

 

Councillor DW Cole – Personal – Planning Application No.2014/1235(Item 4) – I know the objector and Planning Application No.2014/0747(Item 5) – I know the applicant.

 

Councillor JP Curtice – Personal – Planning Application No.2014/1235(Item 4) – I know the objector and Planning Application No.2014/0747(Item 5) – I know the applicant.

 

Councillor L James – Personal – Planning Application No.2014/0747(Item 6) – Member of the Gower Society.

 

Councillor D J Leiws – Personal - Planning Application No.2014/1239(Item 3) – I know the applicant, Planning Application No.2014/1235(Item 4) – I know the objector and Planning Application No.2014/0747(Item 5) – I know the applicant.

 

Councillor C Richards – Personal - Planning Application No.2014/1235(Item 4) – Governor of Gower College Swansea.

 

Councillor RV Smith – Personal – Planning Application No.2014/0747(Item 5) – I know the applicant.

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RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Area 2 Development Control Committee held on 23 September 2014 be approved as a correct record.

 

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 2) Planning Application No.2014/0909 - Detached garage and incorporation of land into residential curtilage at Gerdinen, Llanrhidian, Swansea.

 

Report Updated as follows:

Page 22 – Plans : delete ‘site location plan’. Add “Amended site location plan dated 22^nd September 2014”

 

#(Item 4) Planning Application No.2014/1235 - Demolition of former Gower College Outreach Centre to be replaced by a new build 8 bed supported living facility incorporating public, private and communal spaces and associated works at Gower College Swansea 26 Alexandra Road Gorseinon Swansea

 

Mr Fuge (objector) and Mr P Baxter (agent) & Mrs Coffey (applicant) addressed the Committee.

 

A visual presentation was given.

 

Late Letter from Gorseinon Town Council as follows:

Members viewed all the plans and had received an extract of the planning report for scrutiny. No concerns were raised by any members of the public present at the meeting. Members discussed the internal layout of the accommodation, with Cllr M Curtice concerned about the small size of the bedrooms – He felt they were prison like in their layout. There was some concern about the high size frontage of the building to accommodate the lift shaft and the external materials used. Most concern was voiced about the few number of car parking spaces on site. There were 3 overall spaces on the forecourt, with only one space for the public. Members were advised that the previous occupiers (Gorseinon College) had an agreement with St Catherine’s church to utilise their car park at appropriate times, and there was also the adjoining church car park that could be considered by agreement. It was felt that some form of additional off site car parking should be arranged to meet the needs of the users of the building, particularly the public element, in order to minimise impact upon the on-street residential parking opposite the site in Alexandra Road. It was also noted that the usage of the public rooms at the front of the building had not yet been established.

 

Report Updated as follows:

Page 29 : 4^th para – Policy HC2 – 4^th line : add ‘significant’ in front of ‘loss of residential amenity’;

5^th line add ‘significant’ in front of ‘adverse effect on character and appearance of the area’; 6^th line add ‘significant’ in front of ‘harm to highway safety’; 6^th line add ‘significant’ in front of ‘adverse effect to landscape’

 

Page 29 : 6^th para – Policy HC15 – 3^rd line : add ‘significant’ in front of ‘impact on amenity’; and add ‘significant’ in front of ‘effect on natural heritage

 

Page 31 : 7^th Para – point 2 : replace ‘removal’ with ‘renewal’

 

Page 35 : 2^nd para – line 7: replace ‘if’ with ‘is’

 

Page 38 – amended wording for condition 2 :

“No development, other than demolition of the existing building, shall commence until the developer has prepared a scheme for the comprehensive and integrated drainage of the site showing how surface water and land drainage will be dealt with and this has been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. This scheme shall include details of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS) for surface water drainage and/or details of any connections to a surface water drainage network. The development shall not be brought into beneficial use until the works have been completed in accordance with the approved drainage scheme, and this scheme shall be retained and maintained as approved unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason : To ensure that a satisfactory comprehensive means of drainage is achieved and that no adverse impact occurs to the environment and to minimise surface water run off.”

 

Amended wording for condition 3 :

“No development, other than demolition of the existing building, shall take place until details of the provision of a minimum of three bird boxes within the scheme have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The agreed details shall be implemented before the development hereby approved is brought into beneficial use and shall be retained at all times unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason : In the interests of biodiversity and to ensure new provision is made for breeding birds”

 

Page 39 – Amended wording for condition 4 :

“No development, other than demolition of the existing building, shall take place without the prior written approval of the Local Planning Authority of a scheme for the landscaping of the site. The landscaping scheme shall be carried out within 12 months from the completion of the development. Any trees or shrubs planted in accordance with this condition which are removed, die, become seriously diseased within two years of planting shall be replaced by trees or shrubs of similar size and species to those originally required to be planted.

Reason : To ensure that the site is satisfactorily landscaped having regard to its location and the nature of the proposed development, and to accord with Section 197 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990”

 

Amended wording for condition 6 :

“The materials used for the external surfaces of the development shall be in accordance with details submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before the development, other than demolition of the existing building, is commenced.

Reason : In the interests of visual amenity.”

 

Page 40 – Plans :

·       add ‘rev A’ to HG.13.19.02 (proposed block plan);

·       add ‘rev C’ to HG.13.09.20 (proposed floor plans);

·       add ‘rev C’ to HG.13.09.24 (proposed elevations);

·       add ‘rev C’ to HG.13.09.26 (proposed sections);

·       add ‘rev C’ to HG.13.09.26 (proposed sections);

·       add ‘rev C’ to HG.13.09.28 (perspectives);

·      add ‘rev A’ to HG.13.19.29 (proposed impressions);

 

 

#(Item 5) Planning Application No.2014/1179 - First floor rear extension at 33 Cecil Road, Gorseinon, Swansea.

 

Mr R Bowen (agent) addressed the Committee.

 

A visual presentation was given.

 

Report Updated as follows:

Page 42 – 2^nd para - Policy HC7 – 3^rd line : replace ‘effect’ with ‘affect’

 

Page 43 : Para 2 – line 1: replace ‘2012’ with ‘2014’

 

Regarding other extensions in Cecil Road,

 

No 39 was granted in May 2008 (before SPG on Householder Development was adopted) (2008/0675)

No 40 was granted in 1988 (LV/88/0306/03)

No 41 was granted in 1994 (LV/94/0177/03)

 

Application approved contrary to officer recommendation. It was considered by the Committee that the proposal would not have an adverse effect on neighbouring occupiers and planning permission was granted subject to the conditions outlined below:

1. The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than five years from the date of this decision.

Reason: To comply with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1990.

 

2. The external materials used in the development hereby approved shall match those of the existing building.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Item 6) Planning Application No.2014/0747 - Demolition of existing cottage and replacement with single-storey, two bed cottage at Beach View Stone's Field, Three Cliffs, Swansea.

 

2) The undermentioned planning applications BE REFUSED for the reasons indicated in the report and/or below:

#(Item 1) Planning Application No.2014/1184 - Retention and completion of front patio at 49 Higher Lane, Langland, Swansea.

 

Dr Roberts (objector) addressed the Committee.

 

A visual presentation was given.

 

Late letter from Mumbles Community Council response – No Objection

 

One additional late letter of objection received.

Concerns raised:

• I wish to first note that one working day for consultation is inadequate and wish to ask for deferment of this agenda item until the next committee allowing  time for consultation and proper governance procedure.
• The appraisal carried out is not consistent, it mentions a reduction in height of 50% of the patio from 1.4 m to 0.7m. the plans show a max height of 0.95 m from an initial height of 1.4 m this is less than a 30% reduction. This is a material error in the evidence provided to the councillors and would result in a boundary fence nearly 3m high which would result in loss of amenity. The plans do not show the relief of the ground and slope involved particularly from our property. The box hedging has failed once and this likely to recur particularly in view of the exposed conditions.
• These are some very amateurish and rushed  observations regarding this retrospective application and even in this amended form  the structure results in loss of amenity to our property  ( see initial letters of objection  which still stand).
• In short, please defer for adequate consultation to be recorded.

 

Report updated as follows:-

Page 11 – 2^nd para - Policy HC7 – 3^rd line  : replace ‘effect’ with ‘affect’

 

Page 14 – 2^nd para – delete entire paragraph and replace with the following paragraph;

“Following a site visit with the agent/applicant/builder, amended plans have been received showing that the finished floor level of the patio area is to be reduced by 0.38m (by introducing steps down from the front extension onto the patio) from the 1.4m previously proposed, to a maximum height of approximately 1m. The steps to the front of the patio are to be constructed in the manner originally proposed, to a height of 0.95m.”

 

Application refused contrary to officer recommendation for the following reason:

1. The front patio, by reason of its elevated ground level and close proximity to the common boundary with 51 Higher Lane, will give rise to users of the patio overlooking this neighbouring property, resulting in a loss of privacy to the neighbouring occupiers, contrary to Policies EV1 and HC7 of the City and County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan and the Council’s Design Guide for Householder Development.

 

#(Item 3) Planning Application No.2014/1239 - Increase in ridge height/rear roof extension and side dormer to provide accommodation in roof space, rear windows with Juliet balcony at second floor level and attached side garage at Y Lletty Pengry Road, Loughor, Swansea.

 

Mrs R Smith (applicant) addressed the Committee.

 

A visual presentation was given.

 

Report updated as follows:-

Page 24 – 2^nd para - Policy HC7 – 3^rd line: replace ‘effect’ with ‘affect’

 

(Item 7) Planning Application No. 2014/1048 - Conversion and extension of barn to provide holiday accommodation (amendment to planning permission 2012/1667 granted 20th March 2013) at Hardingsdown Farm, Llangennith, Swansea.