Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

 

 

The Service Lead, City Development, presented the planning application for demolishing an existing building to provide a new Sports Pavilion and All-Weather 3G Pitch.

 

The Service Lead City Development described the location of the site through the site location plan, an aerial view and photos, floor plans and elevations, explaining that site was located west of Exeter city centre and the River Exe on land owned by the City Council, which was leased to Exeter College. The application site and wider landholding were bisected by the main railway line that runs through Exeter, with a pedestrian underpass providing access via a public footpath.

 

The report also set out the following key elements:-

 

·         the principle of development;

·         community facility and sports pitch provision;

·         green infrastructure and valley parks;

·         landscape and ecology;

·         pedestrian and cyclist accessibility;

·         flood risk and drainage;

·         noise; and

·         sustainability.

 

The Service Lead City Development provided the following additional detail:-

 

·     the application proposed the demolition of the existing Exwick Changing Room building and the erection of a new Sports Pavilion, together with the surfacing of an existing rugby pitch to provide an ‘all-weather’ 3G Pitch;

·         the contemporary pavilion building would offer replacement changing facilities, a classroom, a sports laboratory and a gym;

·         the previously proposed pavilion had been located on the top and directly in front of the Exeter Flood Defence Scheme. The proposed building was now to be offset from the Exeter Flood Defence Scheme embankment, and

·         the location of the proposed all-weather, floodlit 3G rugby pitch has been moved northwards. Instead of proposing development on existing playing fields, the application proposed to install a 3G rugby pitch on an existing rugby pitch at Flowerpots Fields, allowing the existing playing fields to the south to be retained and unaltered and would be enclosed with security fencing and floodlighting;

 

The following responses were given to Members’ queries:-

 

·         given the size of the application site in the context of the much larger Riverside Valley Park, it was not felt that the fence would harm the character of the Valley Park and formal recreation was permitted in the Valley Park;

·         the proposed cycle parking provision met the standards set out in the Supplementary Planning Document;

·         the materials within the 3G pitch were to the highest current standards for a facility of this nature but could be replenished at a future date;

·         detailed information had been provided on lighting to include integral solar time control to reduce the impact on neighbouring properties; and

·         the pavilion had been sited so as not to interfere with the flood prevention measures.

 

Mr Strang, speaking in support of the application, raised the following points:-

 

·         Exeter College had been again rated as Outstanding by Ofsted, with Inspectors praising strong links with partners across the city, an example being Exwick Community Sports Hub, providing facilities for football and tennis both for the college and for local clubs;

·         hundreds of members of sports clubs and organisations would benefit; for example, Exwick Cricket Club and the Exeter Saracens and Exeter Athletic rugby clubs;

·         the existing changing rooms were at the end of their useful life. Improved facilities would be provided for the college, the community and the city, with a new gym, changing rooms, and other facilities. The all-weather 3G rugby pitch would enhance on-site facilities close to the new pavilion and the existing Exwick sports hub.

·         the proposal responds to the feedback from the City Council, the Environment Agency, Sport England, the Rugby Football Union and neighbours;

·         the footprint of the Pavilion has been reduced and moved away from the Exeter Flood Defence Scheme. The 3G pitch now covers an existing rugby pitch instead of the playing fields to the south, so the current cycle and walking routes are maintained, and

·         it is only because the College was an Outstanding college that it was able to secure Government support to help meet the growing need for new facilities in the city.

 

Mr Strang responded as follows to Members’ queries:-

 

·         the Exwick Community Sports Hub had taken over the former Civil Service Club. Like the existing Exwick hub, use would be shared by the College and community sports clubs and overseen by the Sports Hub Advisory Board. The Advisory Board was established so that all constituent Members would have a say in the running of the facilities with not one organisation dominating;

·         Exeter City Community Trust, who were members of the Sports Hub Advisory Board, would help ensure the facilities were available out of hours for the wider community, and a very broad range of people across the community were involved, from youngsters the age of three to four to the over 60’s;

·         consideration would be given to increasing the number of Sheffield steel cycle parking hoops above the ten currently proposed, and

·         regarding the 3G pitch, rubber crumb infill was no longer viable because of escaping pollutants. The infill material, carpet material and base were to the highest current standards with a life expectancy of 20-25 years. The College was committed to sustainable measures in all areas.

 

Members expressed the following views:-

 

·         the response of the College to initial issues raised during the consultation period had been very reassuring, reflecting the positive relationship the College had with the City Council and the local community;

·         there had been a smooth transition from the role of the old Civil Service Club, and, whilst there had been social media comments regarding parking, this was more associated with neighbouring roads;

·         the sizeable surrounding area already facilitated walking and cycling, and the lighting associated with the facilities would help mitigate anti-social behaviour; and

·         conditions are suggested for increasing the number of cycle parking hoops and possibly providing an equivalent or more environmentally sustainable 3G pitch for the future.

 

The recommendation was for approval, subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

 

Subject to an additional condition requiring an increased number of Sheffield steel cycle parking hoops, the recommendation was moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED that, subject to a modified condition requiring an increased number of Sheffield steel cycle parking hoops, planning permission be GRANTED for the demolition of an existing building to provide a new Sports Pavilion and All-Weather 3G Pitch, subject also to the following conditions:-

 

1) The development to which this permission relates must be begun not later than the expiration of three years starting with the date on which this permission is granted.

 

Reason:  To ensure compliance with sections 91 and 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

 

2) The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out otherwise than in strict accordance with the submitted details received by the Local Planning Authority on  9 November 2022 (including drawings numbers 1643-PL02G, 03H, 04E, 05F, 06F & 10A) as modified by other conditions of this consent.

 

Reason: To ensure compliance with the approved drawings.

 

3) Pre-commencement condition: Before commencement of any part of the site, the Planning Authority shall have received and approved a Construction Management Plan (CMP) including:

(a) the timetable of the works;

(b) daily hours of construction;

(c) any road closure;

(d) hours during which delivery and construction traffic will travel to and from the site, with such vehicular movements being restricted to between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm Mondays to Fridays inc.; 9.00 am to 1.00 pm Saturdays, and no such vehicular movements taking place on Sundays and Bank/Public Holidays unless agreed by the local planning authority in advance;

(e) the number and size of vehicles visiting the site in connection with the development and the frequency of visits;

(f) the compound/location where all building materials, finished or unfinished products, parts, crates, packing materials and waste will be stored during the demolition and construction phases;

(g) areas on-site where delivery vehicles and construction traffic will load or unload building materials, finished or unfinished products, parts, crates, packing materials and waste with confirmation that no construction traffic or delivery vehicles will park on the County highway for loading or unloading purposes unless the local planning authority has given prior written agreement;

(h) hours during which no construction traffic will be present at the site;

(i) the means of enclosure of the site during construction works;

(j) details of proposals to promote car sharing amongst construction staff to limit construction staff vehicles parking off-site;

(k) details of wheel washing facilities and obligations;

(l) The proposed route of all construction traffic exceeding 7.5 tonnes;

(m) Details of the amount and location of construction worker parking; and,

(n) Photographic evidence of the condition of adjacent public highways before the commencement of any work.

o) The erection and maintenance of securing hoarding, if appropriate.

p) Measures to monitor and control the emission of dust and dirt during construction.

q) No burning on-site during construction or site preparation works.

r) Measures to monitor and minimise noise/vibration nuisance to neighbours from plant and machinery.

s) No driven piling without prior consent from the local planning authority.

 

The approved Statement shall be strictly adhered to throughout the construction period of the development.

 

Reason for the pre-commencement condition: In the interests of local amenities and safety.

 

4) Pre-commencement condition: No development hereby permitted shall commence until the following information has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:

(a) A detailed drainage design based upon the approved Flowerpots Sports Pitch Drainage Strategy (Report Ref. E06079 - TN001, Rev. P2, dated 4 November 2022).

(b) Detailed proposals for the management of surface water and silt run-off from the site during construction of the development hereby permitted.

(c) Proposals for adopting and maintaining the permanent surface water drainage system.

(d) A plan indicating how exceedance flows will be safely managed at the site.

 

No building hereby permitted shall be occupied until the works have been approved and implemented in accordance with the details under (a) - (d) above.

 

Reason for the pre-commencement condition:  to ensure the proposed surface water drainage system will operate effectively and will not cause an increase in flood risk on the site, adjacent land or downstream in line with SuDS for Devon Guidance (2017) and national policies, including NPPF and PPG. The condition is pre-commencement since the proposed surface water drainage system must be shown to be feasible before works begin to avoid redesign / unnecessary delays during construction when the site layout is fixed.

 

5) Pre-commencement condition: No development shall take place on site until a full investigation of the site has taken place to determine the extent of, and risk posed by, any contamination of the land and the results, together with any remedial works necessary, have been agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The buildings shall not be occupied until the approved remedial works have been implemented and a remediation statement submitted to the Local Planning Authority detailing what contamination has been found and how it has been dealt with, together with confirmation that no unacceptable risks remain.

 

Reason for the pre-commencement condition: In the interests of health. This information is required before development commences to ensure that any remedial works are appropriately considered and addressed at the appropriate stage.

 

6) Pre-commencement condition: No development approved by this permission shall be commenced until a scheme to minimise flood damage to the proposed development by utilising flood-resilient construction techniques to an appropriate level has been submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall be implemented and maintained in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason for the pre-commencement condition: To minimise the damage to the building from flood events.

 

7) Pre-commencement condition: Unless otherwise agreed in writing, no development approved by this planning permission shall take place until a remediation strategy that includes the following components to deal with the risks associated with contamination of the site shall each be submitted to and approved, in writing, by the local planning authority:

1. A preliminary risk assessment which has identified:

- all previous uses

- potential contaminants associated with those uses

- a conceptual model of the site indicating sources, pathways and receptors

- potentially unacceptable risks arising from contamination at the site.

2. A site investigation scheme, based on (1) to provide information for a detailed assessment of the risk to all receptors that may be affected, including those off-site.

3. The results of the site investigation and the detailed risk assessment referred to in (2) and, based on these, an options appraisal and remediation strategy giving full details of the remediation measures required and how they are to be undertaken.

4. A verification plan providing details of the data that will be collected to demonstrate that the works set out in the remediation strategy in (3) is complete and identifying any requirements for longer-term monitoring of pollutant linkages, maintenance and arrangements for contingency action.

Any changes to these components require the express written consent of the local planning authority. The scheme shall be implemented as approved.

 

Reasons for the pre-commencement condition: To ensure that the development does not contribute to, and is not put at unacceptable risk from or adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of water pollution from previously unidentified contamination sources at the development site. This is in line with paragraph 174 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

8) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority, the development hereby approved shall be constructed in accordance with the Bespoke Sustainability Framework dated November 2022 prepared by Eco Doodle. Reason: To ensure that the proposal complies with Policy CP15 of the Council’s adopted Core Strategy and in the interests of delivering sustainable development.

 

Reason: To ensure that the proposal complies with Policy CP15 of the Council’s Adopted Core Strategy and in the interests of delivering sustainable development.

 

9) Samples of the materials it is intended to use externally in the construction of the development shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority. No external finishing material shall be used until the Local Planning Authority has confirmed in writing that its use is acceptable. After that, the materials used in the development construction shall correspond with the approved samples in all respects.

 

Reason: To ensure that the materials conform with the visual amenity requirements of the area.

 

10) A detailed scheme for landscaping, including the planting of trees and or shrubs, the use of surface materials and boundary screen walls and fences shall be submitted to the local planning authority, and no building shall be occupied, or approved use commence until the local planning authority has approved a scheme;  such scheme shall specify materials, species, tree and plant sizes, numbers and planting densities, and any earthworks required together with the timing of the implementation of the scheme. The landscaping shall, after that, be implemented in accordance with the approved scheme in accordance with the agreed programme.

 

Reason: To safeguard the rights of control by the Local Planning Authority in these respects and the interests of amenity.

 

11) In the event of failure of any trees or shrubs planted in accordance with any scheme approved by the Local Planning Authority to become established and to prosper for five years from the date of the completion of the implementation of that scheme, such trees or shrubs shall be replaced with such live specimens of such species of such size and in such number as may be approved by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To safeguard the rights of control by the Local Planning Authority in these respects and the interests of amenity.

 

12) The Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Method Statement and plan submitted in support of the application shall be adhered to in full, subject to the pre-arranged tree protection monitoring and site supervision detailed in the Tree Protection Statement (ref: JG/B475/1022), by a suitably qualified tree specialist.

 

Reason: to protect retained trees within or near the site.

 

13) Details of all building services plant, including sound power levels and predicted sound pressure levels at a specified location outside the building envelope, to be submitted and approved in writing by the LPA. The predicted noise levels shall be submitted before the development’s commencement and demonstrated by measurement before the occupation of the development.

 

Reason: In the interests of residential amenity.

 

14) The use hereby approved shall not be carried on other than between the hours of 0830 to 2200 on any day and shall not be carried on at all on public or Bank Holidays unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: In the interests of residential amenity.

 

15) No part of the development hereby approved shall be brought into its intended use until secure cycle parking facilities have been provided in accordance with the approved details. After that, the said cycle parking facilities shall be retained for that purpose at all times.

 

Reason: To ensure that cycle parking is provided in accordance with Exeter Local Plan Policy T3.

 

16) The approved development shall not be brought into use until space has been laid out within the site in accordance with the approved drawings for cars to be parked for vehicles to turn so that they may enter and leave the site in forward gear.

 

Reason: To ensure adequate parking is available to accommodate the vehicles attracted to the site.

 

17) Before the occupation of any building now approved, details of the provision for nesting swifts shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Upon written approval of the details, the scheme shall be fully implemented as part of the development and retained.

 

Reason: In the interests of preserving and enhancing biodiversity in the locality.