Agenda item

Report of Head of Planning

(copy herewith)

Ward: Headlands

The Head of Planning submitted a report in respect of application no N/2011/0481 and noted that the word “not” should be deleted from the fourth line of paragraph 7.13.

Councillor Subbarayan, as Ward Councillor, commented that he did not object to the application per see. He stated that the site notice had been difficult to find and had been obscured by vegetation. The issue of concern was the status of the existing car park that was believed to belong to the Community Centre. On Sundays in particular the Community Centre was well used and cars parked all along Wheatfield Road South. He asked that reconsideration be given to that part of the application proposing four dwellings that would be built largely over the current car park. He believed that taking away the car park could jeopardise the future of the Community Centre. In answer to questions Councillor Subbarayan stated that at least 12 cars could use the car park and that the proposal would remove all of the off street parking for the Community Centre.

Mr Skinner, on behalf of Abington Community Association, challenged the statement that part of the existing car park was unused. Up to 230 people might attend an event and even with car sharing would mean over 50 vehicles trying to park nearby. The car park in its current form had existed since 1990 for residents, users of the Community Centre and users of the former Dallington Centre. Mr Skinner queried the sense of the proposal given that, at the request of another part of the Council, the Community Association were considering taking over the management of it which was a Council policy. He noted that the whole area including the Community Centre site had been purchased by the predecessor Council in 1900 and that part of the land given over to the Dallington Centre had transferred to the County Council upon local government reorganisation in 1974, hence the confusing picture of land ownership. In answer to questions Mr Skinner commented that there was no public off street parking in the vicinity with only some private parking available at the Beech Avenue Medical Centre and that the Community Association had previously asked about acquiring the car parking but had been refused. 

The Head of Planning commented that no legal agreements or covenants had been found relating to the Community Centre’s use or rights in respect of the car parking. He confirmed that all adjoining landowners had been consulted, a site notice displayed and advertised in the press. He reminded the Committee that the Highway Authority had raised no objections. In answer to a question the Head of Planning confirmed that the Council owned the Community Centre.   

The Committee discussed the application.

Councillor Meredith proposed and Councillor N. Choudary seconded “That consideration of the application be deferred so as to allow reconsideration of the car parking associated with the Community Centre by the Council and the Head of Planning”

Upon a tied vote the Chair used her casting vote to defeat the motion.

RESOLVED:  That the application be approved in principle subject to the prior completion of a S106 legal agreement and the conditions set out in the report as the principle of a residential development in an existing residential area was acceptable and in accordance with Policy H6 of the Local Plan Policies. The siting, design and appearance of the development would enhance the surrounding residential area and would not be detrimental to visual or residential amenity or highway safety in accordance with Policies H6 and E20 of the Local Plan Policies and the guidelines contained within PPS3 and PPG13.