Planning Applications Committee 13 December 2018

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Marsie Skeete. Councillor Dennis Pearce attended as a substitute

2.

Declarations of Pecuniary Interest

Minutes:

No Declarations of Pecuniary interest were made

3.

Minutes of the previous meeting  PDF 89 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2018 were agreed as an accurate record.

4.

Town Planning Applications

The Chair will announce the order of Items at the

beginning of the Meeting.

A Supplementary Agenda with any modifications will be

published on the day of the meeting.

Note: there is no written report for this item

Minutes:

Supplementary Agenda: Amendments and modifications to the Officer’s report were published in a Supplementary Agenda. This applied to items 5, 9 and 10.

Order of the meeting – The Chair announced that the items would be taken in the following order  5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11

5.

Deacon House, 10 Atherton Drive, Wimbledon, SW19 5LB  PDF 96 KB

Application Number: 18/P2844        Ward: Village

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions

Additional documents:

• Site Plan , item 5. PDF 95 KB

Decision:

Granted Planning Permission subject to conditions

Minutes:

Proposal: Erection of a single storey rear extension with rooms within roof space.

The Committee noted the officer’s report and presentation and information in the Supplementary Agenda – Modifications. Members noted that this application was for only a single storey extension, but that the previous application, that included a basement, had now been given its planning permission

Members noted  the legal and technical opposition by local residents to this application and asked Officers to confirm that given the points raised by the opposition and their legal advisors, they were confident in their recommendation to approve this application. The Planning Team Leader North said that Officers had taken legal advice on the previous scheme, which included a basement, and had now issued the planning permission for this previous application. This current application did not include a basement and Officers were happy to recommend approval. Members noted that this current application did not require a flood risk assessment as it did not include a basement. Members also noted that as the house is not listed a heritage statement is not required.

Members noted that the root protection zone for the trees at number 19 Calonne Road extends into the application site by 2m, but that the proposed extension is outside of this zone.

RESOLVED

The Committee voted to GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions

6.

5 Bewley Street, Colliers Wood, SW19 1XF  PDF 91 KB

Application number: 18/P3139      Ward: Trinity

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Planning Permission

subject to completion of a S106 and conditions

Decision:

Refused Planning Permission. The reasons for refusal will be detailed in the Minutes of the Meeting

Minutes:

Proposal: Erection of dormer windows to the roofs of blocks 3, 5 and 7 in connection with the formation of 7 self-contained flats (Class C3) within the existing roof space and erection of a single storey detached cycle store.

The Committee noted the officer’s report and presentation and information in the Supplementary Agenda – Modifications. Members noted the additional Conditions within the Supplementary Agenda that requested a landscaping scheme and that the proposal has been amended to provide additional bin storage and additional cycle storage.

The Committee received verbal representations from two objectors who raised points including:

• A recent, similar, application at 5B Bewley Street was refused
• The construction phase is going to be very disturbing for all current residents especially home workers
• The number of new properties proposed is not sustainable, there is already high parking stress on Bewley Road which is not in a CPZ
• This proposal is not aesthetically pleasing and the design does not provide enough ceiling height or floorspace. There will be noise issues from the new flats as there is currently no insulation.
• Adding flats in to the existing blocks will put pressure on the current management company.

The Committee received a verbal representation from the Applicant’s agent who made points including:

• Applicant has taken on board the comments made by residents and has reduced the size of the dormers
• The proposed units will have a new floor build up that will provide high performance noise insulation between the current top floor flats and the new flats
• Planning Permission cannot be withheld because of construction issues, but the applicant will adopt sensible working hours and attempt to control such issues
• The proposal is car free, and a legal agreement will be signed to keep it car free.
• The applicant has listened to current residents and has amended to provide additional bin and cycle storage, so that both are now in excess of that required by policy.
• This is a windfall development of high standard accommodation that is in excess of space standards.

The Planning Team Leader North made points in reply to objectors comments including:

• The scheme refused at 5B was a different case as it was one unit by itself and therefore the dormers could be regarded as unacceptable
• There will be some construction noise but it will be controlled by the additional condition 9 in the Supplementary Agenda
• Insulation will be covered by Building Control
• The size of the dormers has been reduced
• Parking is deemed sufficient

In response to Members questions Officers made comments including:

• The properties meet minimum space standards but acknowledge that they are small flats, however the Dormers provide a good outlook from each flat.
• Fire safety measure, such as sprinkler systems, will be captured by Building Controls
• There is a lift to the current top flor but there is no plan to extend this to the new floor

In response to Members questions the Transport Planning Officer explained that Bewley Street was not in a CPZ and was unlikely to be in the future as there was no demand. There were currently restrictions on parking between 7am and 10am to stop commuter parking in the surrounding CPZ areas.

Members made comments about the ceiling heights of the proposed flats and expressed their concerns regarding the proportion of the floorspace that did not meet the required ceiling height standards. They noted that even though space standards were met, 25% of this floor space did not provide adequate ceiling height. Members expressed the view that this was unacceptable. A member expressed the view that this resulted in very small flats and that too many compromises had been made in the design of the flats.

One member felt that the flats were acceptable as they were small flats aimed at single people and would help to reduce the housing pressures across the borough.

A motion to refuse was proposed on the grounds that the application did not ensure the provision of quality living conditions, as required by Merton Policy DM D2 a) iv, because of the proportion of floorspace that did not provide full height ceilings.

This motion was put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED

The Committee agreed to:

1. REFUSE the application for the following reasons:

• Owing to the reduced ceiling heights above a significant proportion of the floorspace, the proposed accommodation would not ensure the provision of quality living conditions as required by Merton Policy DM D2 a)iv

2. DELEGATE to the Director of Environment & Regeneration the authority to

make any appropriate amendments in the context of the above to the wording

of the grounds of refusal including references to appropriate policies

Supporting documents:

• Report – 5 Bewley Street, item 6.  PDF 91 KB
• Site Plan, item 6.  PDF 131 KB

7.

1-5 Carnegie Place, Wimbledon SW19 5NG  PDF 87 KB

Application number: 17/P4298       Ward: Village

Officer Recommendation: GRANT variation of Condition

Additional documents:

• Site Plan , item 7. PDF 115 KB

Decision:

Granted Variation to Conditions

Minutes:

Proposal: Application for variation of condition 2 (approved plans) attached to LBM ref 16/P2810 (6 houses).  Changes relate to enlarged basement level (no changes above ground level)

The Committee noted the officer’s report and presentation.

In response to Members questions the Planning Team Leader explained that this application related only to the basement and sought to ‘square off’ the design of the basements to form a rectangle. This would result in basements that were still less than 50% of the garden area for each residential plot. Technical reports have been updated to take account of this change.

RESOLVED

The Committee voted to GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions

8.

42 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4EQ  PDF 100 KB

Application number: 18/P1490      Ward: Hillside

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Planning Permission

subject to conditions

Additional documents:

• Site Plan , item 8. PDF 130 KB

Decision:

Granted Planning Permission subject to Conditions

Minutes:

Proposal: Erection of three-storey rear/side infill extension

The Committee noted the officer’s report and presentation.

A members asked Officers if they knew who would be using the extra space requested by this application. Officers replied that they were not sure but the application would provide a bit more space on each floor rather than a new separate area.

A Member commented that the application site was on a residential road and the application was not sympathetic or acceptable to residents.

Another member commented that the application was close to Wimbledon Town Centre and that it was in an area that was mostly retail or office sites and that it was good to allow more employment space.

RESOLVED

The Committee voted to GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions

9.

TPO: 7 Oakway, Raynes Park,SW20  PDF 67 KB

Ward: West Barnes

Officer Recommendation: That the Merton (No.735) Tree Preservation Order 2018 be confirmed without modification.

Additional documents:

• Site Plan , item 9. PDF 929 KB

Decision:

Confirmed without modification Merton (No. 735) Tree Preservation Order 2018

Minutes:

The Committee noted the Officer’s report and recommendation to confirm the Tree Preservation Order (No.735).

RESOLVED

The Committee confirmed without modification Merton (No. 735) Tree Preservation Order 2018

10.

Planning Appeal Decisions  PDF 57 KB

Officer Recommendation:

That Members note the contents of the report.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

The Committee noted the Planning Appeal Decisions report

11.

Planning Enforcement – Summary of Current Cases  PDF 106 KB

Officer Recommendation:

That Members note the contents of the report.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

The Committee noted the Planning Enforcement report