Agenda and minutes

Venue: Rennes Room, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter

Contact: Howard Bassett, Democratic Services Officer (Committees)  01392 265107 or email  howard.bassett@exeter.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

68.

Howard Bassett

Minutes:

The Chair reported that this would be Howard Bassett’s last Planning Committee prior to his retirement. The Chair and Director City Development expressed their thanks and those of Members for his many years of service to the Council and wished him well on his retirement.

 

 

 

69.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 776 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2023.

 

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2023 were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as correct.

 

70.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item. Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made by Members.

 

 

71.

Planning Application No. 23/0875/VOC - Sandy Park Stadium, Sandy Park Way, Exeter pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To consider the report of the Director City Development

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) presented the application for redevelopment to increase capacity from 10750 to 20600 by three new grandstands, additional parking, bus/coach drop off and extension to west stand including conference centre to south stand.

 

Variation of condition 7 of 12/1030/FUL to allow up to six music concerts per year on weekends only for an attendance of up to 15,500 people per concert to take place between 1st May and 15th July inclusive, to avoid bank holiday weekends and any local school holidays, for an attendance of up to 15,500 people per concert.

 

The following key issues were set out:-

  

·         impact on residential amenity and heritage;

·         highway, access and parking; and

·         economy

 

As background, the Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) advised that the original consent to which this application pertains, ref. 12/1030/FUL, was for a permanent increase in capacity from the previous 10,744 to 20,600 in the form of an extension to the West stand and new permanent stands on the remaining three sides of the ground, additional parking and bus/coach drop off and a conference centre to the south stand and Courtyard by Marriott Sandy Park to south with footbridge from hotel to stadium. As confirmed by a site visit on 14 March 2023 and by an email received from the applicant dated 16 March 2023, consent had been partially implemented and was, therefore, extant.

 

The recent application, ref. 23/0151/VOC, had been granted by Planning Committee in June 2023 for the variation of Condition 7 of 12/1030/FUL to allow up to four music concerts on 17, 18, 24, 25 June 2023 only for an attendance of up to 15,000 people per concert.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) further informed Members of the following:-

 

·         the application now sought to vary Condition 7 of planning application 12/1030/FUL to allow up to six music concerts per year on weekends only, for an attendance of up to 15,500 people per concert to take place between 1 May and 15 July avoiding local school half term and summer holidays, Furthermore the originally proposed small events (not including concerts) of no more than 5,000 people per event had been removed from the proposed condition variation;

·         following comments received from National Highways, the dates set out in the proposed condition variation wording had been amended to cover school half term summer holidays after 15 July;

·         the concerns of the statutory consultees - the local highways authority, National Highways and Environmental Health - had been overcome following the submission of additional information, and the omission of the originally proposed small events, and recommended conditions;

·         the statutory consultees’ objections were withdrawn and the amended conditions were set out in the update sheet; and

·         advice was issued to the applicants during the course of planning application, 23/0151/VOC, by technical consultees regarding data to be collected at the above events relating to noise and highways impacts. This data would be used to inform any future application for similar events. A Post Event  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

72.

Planning Application No. 23/0232/FUL - Apparelmaster, Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Project Manager (Development Manager) (HS) presented the planning application for the construction of new buildings for Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (Sui Generis use) with associated landscaping, servicing and infrastructure works (Revised Plans).

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (HS) described the layout and location of the site through the site location plans, aerial views and photos of the site, 3D visualisation, site layout, elevations, site sections, cycle parking and CGI, the report also presenting the following key issues:-

 

·         the principle of development involving loss of employment land and PBSA;

·         scale, design and appearance;

·         contamination and flood risk;

·         impact on residential amenity;

·         access; and

·         wildlife, ecology and biodiversity.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management (HS) provided the following additional detail:-

 

·        the proposal was for the construction of four new buildings of up to six storeys for purpose-built student accommodation (Sui Generis use) with associated landscaping, servicing (from Cowley Bridge Road) and infrastructure works, with two disabled parking spaces to be provided on site;

·         the development would provide 350 student bed spaces, arranged in four blocks as 154 studio bed spaces (of which 17 would be accessible studios) and 196 beds in 35 cluster flats;

·         Block A at the southern end would be five storey, the top floor being recessed. Blocks B and C were six storey with the top storey being recessed. Block C had an additional five storey wing on the Cowley Bridge Road frontage. Block D would be an articulated open L shape, with a three-storey wing fronting Cowley Bridge Road and a five-storey wing running back towards the railway line;

·         the blocks would be set back from the rear of the pavement. Spaces between the buildings provide landscaped amenity space and glimpsed views to the Exe Valley. A minor part of the site, which ran behind dwellings on Cowley Bridge Road, was identified as a wildlife enhancement area; and

·         ground floor communal internal amenity space would be provided in Block C, which had a direct entrance onto Cowley Bridge Road to facilitate potential community use. 

 

The recommendation was for approval, subject to the completion of a legal agreement and conditions.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management (HS) provided the following responses to Members’ queries:-

 

·         the Design Review Panel had not been involved with the proposal but there had been extensive liaison with the Council’s Urban Design Officer;

·         condition 18 covered external materials with an appropriate regard can be made to embodied carbon;

·         the local community had been consulted on the use etc. of the community room which would be 150 square metres;

·         the use of the rooms out of term would be secured by the management plan with a restriction on the length of letting which was common to such student schemes;

·         cycle parking would meet Sustainable Transport SPD guidance and there would be no car parking other than for two disabled spaces;

·         the design was compatible with existing student accommodation in the area with use of red brick and cladding elements on the roof; and

·         the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

73.

Planning Application No. 23/0880/FUL - Former Exeter Royal Academy for the Deaf, 50 Topsham Road, Exeter pdf icon PDF 3 MB

To consider the report of the Director City Development

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) presented the application for the development of 65no. units of Use Class C2 Residential Accommodation with Care for the elderly along with associated landscaping, access roads, car parking and services. The applicants were Gladman Retirement Living Ltd.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) described the development through a site location plan, comparative site layout of the current proposal and extant consent together with comparative elevations, impact on neighbouring amenity, setting out also the following key issues:-

 

·         character and appearance;

·         residential amenity; and 

·         economy.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) provided the following additional detail:-

 

·         the proposed main vehicular access would be off Weirfield Road to the south-west of the site, which would lead to a parking area for 33 cars, of which two. would be accessible, one would be for car club use, and four would be for Weirfield Road residents;

·         there would be a secondary vehicular access to the north of the site off Topsham Road for dropping off;

·         the main building access would be on the southern elevation of the south-west element at lower ground level;

·         there would be two additional entrances on the northern elevation at ground level and some cycle parking;

·         the site had extant consent, ref. 21/1864/FUL, for the erection of a building containing 85no. retirement apartments, together with communal facilities, access, car parking and landscaping. The current scheme was virtually identical to the extant consent;

·         the site also has extant consent, ref. 19/1436/VOC, for the erection of a building containing 63no. C2 assisted living apartments, together with communal facilities, access, car parking and landscaping. This consent had been partially implemented and was very similar to current and subsequent schemes; and

·         there had been no objections from any statutory consultees, including the Highway Authority with only one objection from the Civic Society, a non-statutory consultee.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) advised that the application had resulted in 123 objections including the St Leonard’s Neighbourhood Association, the main concerns being:-

 

·         overbearing impact, overshadowing to Weirfield Road;

·         out of character as it would be too tall with the wrong colouring and an  overdevelopment of the site;

·         increased traffic, causing light and air pollution; and

·         access should be on Topsham Road not Weirfield Road for pedestrian safety.

 

Detail was provided on the impact on neighbouring amenity and it was concluded that the proposal was acceptable regarding the impact on privacy as well as in terms of any harm to outlook. Similarly, it was concluded that the proposal was acceptable in terms of access and parking.

 

The Principal Project Manager (Development Management) (CMB) acknowledged that 123 letters of objection had been received but that the application was virtually identical to previously approved schemes including extant consents. The concerns raised were considered under the previous scheme and found acceptable, namely the impact on the character of the area, the residential amenity and highways safety. The following concluding points were set out, all providing substantial positive weight cumulatively:-

 

·         contribution  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

74.

List of Decisions Made and Withdrawn Applications pdf icon PDF 124 KB

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Director City Development was submitted.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

 

75.

Appeals Report pdf icon PDF 387 KB

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

 

Minutes:

The schedule of appeal decisions and appeals lodged was submitted.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.