Agenda item

The Principal Project Manager (Development) presented the application for the demolition of two storey car park, relocation of western power substation, relocation of O2 substation and erection of new residential development containing 26 flats including new adjacent car parking facilities and landscaped areas.

Members were circulated with an update sheet - attached to minutes.

Mr Bolton spoke against the application. He raised the following points:-

• the design and colouring scheme are alien to the area;
• the proposed car park is inadequate for the existing number of residents;
• adequate parking spaces and garages are required to ensure that there is no parking congestion in the area;
• the Police have reported anti social behaviour in the area which is continuing and, consequently, a gated area is required to improve security;
• the proposed garden area is in the wrong location and will suffer from excess shading and is likely to be windy;
• refusal of the application on the previous occasion was because of the loss of open space and this remains a problem with the new plans; and
• is the £1.9 million allocated for the upgrade of Rennes House dependent on the new build?.

He responded as follows to Members’ queries:-

• there were no disabled parking spaces currently marked on site;
• parking is likely to be a growing problem as, although the flats are designated for over 55’s, many of the occupants will possess cars. It is likely that there will be increased parking in Whipton Village.

Ms Osmundsen spoke in support of the application. She raised the following points:-

• a new high quality development of 26 flats for the over 55’s was proposed to be rented to households in housing need in Exeter;
• the scheme would deliver new healthy design for older people using building biology principles, a modern landmark design offering long term savings in maintenance and repair costs, it would meet the Lifetime Homes standard and exceed minimum national space standards and it would possess low energy Passivhaus design aiding fuel poverty by reducing heating bills significantly;
• following the approval of the 2010 scheme, there has been a need to drive down costs and get better value for the public purse, hence the removal of the undercroft car parking. The number of new homes had been increased from 19 to 26 by increasing the proportion of one bedroom houses. This, along with other design changes, had reduced build costs by 40% between the old scheme and this current scheme;
• would possess 24 parking spaces to be shared between the new build and Rennes House retaining the same number of parking spaces used by Rennes House residents with 9 spaces for the new development;
• a new high quality, landscape architect designed scheme for the residents of Rennes House, with design input from the tenants;

• improved security of the entire site with the introduction of boundary treatments to prevent pedestrians from crossing the site and gaining access to the upgraded private amenity space;
• after the February Planning Committee, further consultation had been undertaken with local residents particularly focussing on the car parking arrangements, communal landscaping and site security, on site car parking had been reduced, a high quality landscaped area wrapping around the north and east of Rennes House, for the use of the Rennes House residents had been introduced and the private balcony sizes on the new build had been increased to allow for greater amenity space; and

• the upgraded communal garden for Rennes House will get morning sun until noon, even in winter and will benefit from evening sun in late spring, through the summer and in early autumn.

She responded as follows to Members’ queries:-

• £1.9 million remains set aside for the upgrade of Rennes House;
• the Police Architecture Liaison Officer was consulted on design and further consultation could take place with residents to improve lighting/security levels;
• disabled parking spaces will be marked out;
• there is a significant demand for one bed properties partly as a result of the allocation policy and downsizing;
• the parking area will be monitored by the community patrol service as with other Council developments to ensure parking permits are shown;
• the new amenity space will be landscaped although tree provision would be limited because of the effects of shading and root growth

The recommendation was for approval subject to the conditions as set out in the report and the additional condition on the update sheet.

RESOLVED that, subject to prior consultation with the Chair and Ward Councillors on:-

• the potential location of a drop off point;
• design of parking area;
• security and lighting issues; and
• design of the amenity space;

and subject also to the completion of a legal agreement (in the form of a Unilateral Undertaking) to secure provision of 35% of the units as affordable in perpetuity, and limitation on occupation to age 55 and over, the Assistant Director City Development be authorised to APPROVE planning permission for the demolition of two storey car park, relocation of western power substation, relocation of O2 substation and erection of new residential development containing 26 flats including new adjacent car parking facilities and landscaped areas subject to the following conditions:-

In the event that the Section 106 agreement is not completed within a reasonable period, authority be delegated to the Assistant Director City Development to REFUSE permission for the reason that inadequate provision has been made for the matters which were intended to be dealt with in the section 106 agreement.