Agenda item

PROPOSAL:  addition of third and fourth floor to the front and four storey rear extensions comprising of offices (Class E(g)(i); bin and cycle stores; landscaping; external alterations.

The Committee resolved to accept officer recommendations.

RECOMMENDATION A

The Committee was asked to:

1)              agree the reasons for approval as set out in the report; and

2)              grant planning permission subject to authority being delegated to the Interim Chief Planning Officer in consultation with the Director of Legal and Governance Services for the completion of the Section 106 legal agreement and other enabling legislation and issue of the planning permission and subject to minor amendments to the conditions (set out in Appendix 1 of this report as amended in the Addendum) or the legal agreement.  The Section 106 Agreement draft Heads of Terms would cover the following matters:

Travel Plan

i.         a revised travel plan shall be submitted to the Council prior to the first occupation of the building), to be implemented as approved unless otherwise agreed in writing;

ii.       a travel plan bond of £10,000 will be required to secure the implementation of all measures specified in the revised Travel Plan.  In addition, a £5,000 monitoring fee is required to cover the cost of monitoring the travel plan.  The developer to ensure the effective implementation, monitoring, and management of the travel plan for the site; and

iii.      should the travel plan not fulfil its agreed targets by year 5, the life of the travel plan may be extended, the cost of which will be met by the developer.

Employment and Training

a.       The developer to submit to the Council for approval, prior to commencement of the development, a Training and Recruitment Plan.  The developer to implement the agreed Plan. The training and Employment plan will include:

i.         employment initiatives opportunities relating to the construction of the Development and details of sector delivery;

ii.       the provision of appropriate training with the objectives of ensuring effective transition into work and sustainable job outcomes;

iii.      the timings and arrangements for implementation of such initiatives and

iv.     suitable mechanisms for the monitoring of the effectiveness of such initiatives.

b.       a financial contribution towards the management and delivery of the construction training programme based on the construction value of the development.  This is usually calculated using the formula: £2,500 per £1,000,000 build cost.

c.       The developer to use all reasonable endeavours to secure the use of local suppliers and apprentices during the construction of the development.

Sustainability

i.         a revised Energy & Sustainability Statement to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority and agreed in writing prior to the commencement of the development.

ii.       A provision of carbon reduction on-site and payment of any off-set if zero carbon reduction is not achieved on-site, as determined by the final carbon reduction achieved on site as per Condition 13 of this permission; and based on the agreed Energy & Sustainability Statement.

Legal Costs and Monitoring Fees

i.         Legal Fees: Payment of Harrow Council’s reasonable costs in the preparation of the legal agreement.

ii.       Payment of section 106 monitoring fee upon completion of S106 agreement (amount TBC).

RECOMMENDATION B

That if the Section 106 Agreement is not completed by 26th January 2023, or as such extended period as may be agreed by the Interim Chief Planning Officer, then it is recommended to delegate the decision to REFUSE planning permission to the Interim Chief Planning Officer on the grounds that:  The proposed development, in the absence of a Legal Agreement to provide appropriate improvements, benefits and monitoring that directly relate to the development, would fail to adequately mitigate the impact of the development on the wider area and provide for necessary social, environmental and physical infrastructural improvements arising directly from the development, contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework (2021), policies E11, SI 2 and T6.1 of The London Plan (2021), Harrow Core Strategy (2012) policy CS1, policies AAP4 and AAP20 of the Harrow & Wealdstone Area Action Plan (2013) and policies DM1, DM12, DM13, DM14,DM42, DM43 and DM50 of the Harrow Development Management Polices Local Plan.

DECISION:  GRANT

The Committee wished it to be recorded that the decision to grant the application was unanimous.