Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:-

To agree requests to speak from Councillors who are not Members of the Committee, in accordance with Committee Procedure 4.1.

RESOLVED:  That, in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 4.1, the following Councillors, who were not Members of the Committee, be allowed to speak on the agenda item indicated:

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee;

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 10 – Planning Applications Received – 3/01 – 35-39 Canning Road, Wealdstone, HA3 7SP

Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar declared a prejudicial interest in item 3/01 35-39 Canning Road, Wealdstone, HA3 7SPin that this was a Council owned property and he was involved in meetings related to it.  He would leave the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2012 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2012 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents/organisations under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 17 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put, or petitions or deputations received.

To receive references from Council and any other Committees or Panels (if any).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were none.

To confirm whether representations are to be received, under Committee Procedure Rule 30 (Part 4B of the Constitution), from objectors and applicants regarding planning applications on the agenda.

RESOLVED:  To note that no representations had been received.

Report of the Divisional Director, Planning - circulated separately.

Members are reminded that, in accordance with the Planning Protocol, where Councillors disagree with the advice of the Divisional Director, Planning, it will be the Members' responsibility to clearly set out the reasons for refusal where the Officer recommendation is for grant.  The planning reasons for rejecting the Officer's advice must be clearly stated, whatever the recommendation and recorded in the minutes.  The Officer must be given the opportunity to explain the implications of the contrary decision.

In accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the Addendum was admitted late to the agenda as it contained information relating to various items on the agenda and was based on information received after the despatch of the agenda.  It was admitted to the agenda in order to enable Members to consider all information relevant to the items before them for decision.

RESOLVED:  That authority be given to the Head of Planning to issue the decision notices in respect of the applications considered.

2-12 NORTHWICK PARK ROAD, HARROW, HA1 2NT (APPLICATION 1/01)

Reference: P/0291/12 – (Grangebrook Ltd).  Demolition Of Existing Buildings; Re-Development To Provide Part Single, Part Three Storey Building With Basement For Use As A Hotel Comprising 118 Guest Rooms, Restaurant And Bar, Meeting Rooms, Staff Facilities And Offices (Use Classes C1/A3/A4); Provision Of 38 Car Parking Spaces, Off-Street Servicing And Landscaping; Refuse And Cycle Storage; Erection Of 2.1m Palisade Metal Fence Along Boundary.

Members discussed the parking capacity of the site and the proposals with concern expressed that the draft travel plan was inadequate and that guests of the hotel could resort to parking on neighbouring streets, with the £10k allocated to extension or alteration of the controlled parking zone being insufficient.  The Committee was advised that there was no record of parking issues with the current capacity of the hotel and reminded that, were issues to arise, it would be within the power of the hotel’s owners to remove some of the landscaping and increase the number of spaces on site should they wish to do so.  The suggestion was made that when the travel plan was returned statistics should be sought on how guests travelled to the hotel.

A Member of the Committee proposed refusal on the grounds that:

1)                 the proposed development by reason of its excessive size, bulk and massing would be visually obtrusive and overbearing and would not respect the character and design of the adjacent properties contrary to Policy 7.4b of the London Plan and saved Policy D.4 of Harrow’s Unitary Development Plan;

2)                 the proposed additional bedrooms and associated additional hotel use would be detrimental to the residential amenities of the neighbouring properties, particularly No. 59 Gayton Road, contrary to saved Policy D.5 of Harrow’s Unitary Development Plan and Policy 7.2b of the London Plan;

3)                 the inadequate provision of parking arrangements for extra car use generated by the additional number of bedrooms and consequent parking on the surrounding roads would be detrimental to the amenities of the residents in the surrounding properties contrary to Policies 6.11 and 6.13E of the London Plan and to saved policy T.13 of Harrow’s Unitary Development Plan.

The motion for refusal was seconded, put to the vote and lost.

DECISION:

(1)               GRANTED planning permission, as amended by the addendum, subject to conditions and informatives reported and the completion of a Section 106 agreement by 02 May 2012;

(2)               authority be given to the Divisional Director of Planning in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 259.

Report of the Corporate Director, Place Shaping.

The Committee had before them a report outlining key changes to national guidance and legislation (from the Localism Act 2011, Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework) as applicable to the planning process in England. 

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

Report of the Divisional Director, Planning.

Members considered a report providing them with an overview of Planning appeal decisions and enforcement statistics for the second and third quarters of 2011/12.

Members expressed their appreciation of the officers carrying out the difficult work of enforcement and stated that regularly receiving this report was helpful.  Councillor Anthony Seymour enquired whether there were any trends visible in enforcement work.  He was advised that the number of complaints was stable at approximately 7-8000 per year over the past four years with cases allocated to the small team for prioritisation of action. 

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

To arrange dates for Member site visits that have been agreed during the course of the meeting (if any).

RESOLVED:  That 

(1)               to note that there would be a Special Planning Committee meeting on 10 May 2012 and the associated briefing would be on 2 May 2012 with the site visit on 9 May 2012;

(2)               to note that a site visit was now required for an application to be considered at the meeting on 16 May 2012; and

(3)               this site visit should be held on 1 May 2012 at 6.00 pm.