MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

HELD AT EPPING HALL ON TUESDAY 19TH JUNE 2007

 

PRESENT       Councillors: K. Avey (Chairman), Miss O D Dunseath (Vice Chairman); Miss M. Starling, J.A. Smith and B. Murphy

 

IN ATTENDANCE     Councillor Mrs. J. Hedges

 

 

OFFICER        Bob Whittome (Town Clerk)

 

Fourteen members of the public were present.

 

 

59.       APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

            Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs R. Macrae and N. Hines

 

60.       CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 5th June 2007, were confirmed.

 

61.       DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 

            Cllr Miss M. Starling declared a prejudicial interest in application EPF/0677/07.

 

62.       PLANNING APPLICATIONS

 

Eight applications for planning permission were considered and the plans inspected. 

 

EPF/0677/07

 

19-23 High Street

Alcyone Developments Ltd

Outline application for the erection of 14 one and two bedroom apartments.

 

Cllr Miss Starling, having declared a prejudicial interest, left the chamber.

 

Prior to its consideration of this application, Members RESOLVED to allow Mr. Bob Church, speaking for the many local residents present, to outline the objections of local residents and to present a paper summarising these objections.  Committee also took account of several letters of objection to the application.

 

Committee object to this application.  The proposal is very similar to previous proposals by McCarthy & Stone.  The removal of the lower rear element from the previous 28 unit application gives the current proposal a very much more ridged form presenting it as an incongruous mass. The rear elevation will be some three to four metres higher than the adjacent properties in Beech Place and approximately one and a half metres higher than the ridge of 15 High Road. Recent national planning guidance suggests that care should be given to retaining a sense of place which arises from the traditional built environment, particularly in key areas of settlements which determine the character of the settlement.  National Planning Policy Statement 3,  (pp53),  para 49, page 17 suggests that more intensive development will not always be appropriate and that in conservation areas, and other local areas of special character, new development opportunities will only be justified if there is no adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area.  Committee feel that the proposal will have an adverse impact,  out of keeping with this part of the High Road.  Therefore, the proposal  amounts to over-development of the site and is harmful to the character and amenity of the area contrary to Policy CP2, CP7and DBE1 of the adopted Local Plan and Local Plan Alterations.  The proposal has excessive bulk and its visual impact will be oppressive and over-bearing resulting in excessive loss of amenity to adjacent properties contrary to Policies DBE2 and DBE9 of the adopted Plan and Local Plan Alterations. Noise and disturbance will arise from the 17 car parking spaces being placed in what are essentially garden areas.  The placing of the rear entrance to the block close to the patio and below the bedroom patio windows of 15 High Road would create noise and disturbance and the development will result in excessive levels of over-looking of adjacent properties and their amenity spaces and,  therefore, have an overbearing impact resulting in loss of amenity contrary to Policy DBE2.

 

The proposals are likely to result in the loss of a preserved tree to the detriment of the visual amenity of the area, contrary to LL7 of the adopted Local Plan.  The proposals may result in young families taking up the accommodation and therefore, in accord with Policy BE5 of the Essex and Southend on Sea Replacement Structure Plan, a contribution towards school provision should be a feature of this development. However, the fact that younger people with families may take up occupancy of this development underscores the issue of loss of amenity for adjacent properties.

 

 

Cllr Miss Starling returned to the chamber.

 

 

EPF/0994/07

Langley

31 Lindsey Street

Mrs A Price

Single storey side extension, first floor side and rear extensions, re-roof garage, loft conversion with front and rear dormers and roof alterations.

Committee had no objection to this application, however, Committee did request that the District Council Planning Officers should look at the potential for the new development overlooking No. 27 Lindsey Street amenity space.

 

 

EPF/1069/07

3 Nicholl Road

Mr R Wain

First floor side extension

Committee had no objection to this application.

 

 

EPF/1149/07

Land adjacent to Broadbents, South of No.4 Buttercross Lane

A J Poulton (Epping) Ltd

Erection of one, two storey house.

Committee had no objection to this application.

 

 

EPF/1163/07

Coopersale House

Houblons Hill

Mr & Mrs P Margetson-Rushmore

Retention of replacement gates and entrance pillars.

Committee had no objection to this application.

 

 

EPF/1190/07

Land adj. J. Harness Cottage

Lower Bury Lane

Sylvia Tunstall

Erection of 4 semi-detached environmentally friendly homes.

Committee object to this application because this is an over development of the site.  The access to this site and general traffic in this area do not appear adequate for the scale of development proposed.  There appear to be tree preservation issues on the site which need careful examination by the District Council’s Arboriculturist.  It is also evident that the proposal would result in significant over-looking of adjacent property’s gardens.  Committee noted that, in the past two houses have achieved planning consent on this site.   Members were of the opinion that two houses would be a reasonable capacity for the site and would result in less problems with the access and allow the disturbance, tree preservation and over-looking issues to be more easily controlled.

 

 

EPF1209/07

81 Lindsey Street

Mr & Mrs Bull

Vehicle crossover

Committee had no objection to this application.

 

 

EPF/1218/07

24-26 Coopersale Street

Simon Beckley

Grade II listed building application for proposed chimney works

Committee had no objection to this application only provided the District Council’s Conservation Officer is convinced that the proposals will not damage the character of the listed building.

 

 

 

63.       TREE PRESERVATION ORDER EPF/05/07 – ST MARGARET’S HOSPITAL, THE PLAIN, EPPING

 

Committee NOTED the imposition of a Tree Preservation Order at the above address.

 

64.       REVIEW OF GYPSY & TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION NEEDS IN THE EAST OF ENGLAND

 

Committee considered the consultation document relating to this matter and commented on the following points.

 

Committee deplored the short period of consultation allowed on this matter.  It was felt that proper consultation could not take place in such a narrow timescale in which the consultation document did not reach Council until 3-4 days before the consultation event relating to Essex was to be staged.  Committee also commented on the difficulty of merely looking at numbers of provision when actually the issue is far more complex.  It is recognised that there may well be a need for transit accommodation and private site accommodation within Essex.  However, transit accommodation is exceedingly difficult to manage within current legislation and there appear to be few examples of good practice in this regard and many examples of failure.  Provision of local authority sites is also fraught with hazards, with many examples of expensive failures.  Therefore, considerable care must go into, not just the numbers of sites provided, but also ensuring that sensible management of the sites is factored into any provision.  There is also a history of local authorities providing sites that are poorly designed and located in accord with the needs of the settled population rather than in accord with the needs of the travelling population.  This is a situation which has led to expensive deterioration of site provision.  The provision of sites must be in areas where there is a demand by travelling families for sites.  Site location must also respect the boundaries between travelling families so as to avoid conflict.  It is notable that travelling families themselves have chosen to settle in large numbers in certain parts of the country (Doncaster, South Cambridgeshire, York etc) but there are many areas of Britain with few or no travellers, therefore, placing expensive accommodation provision  in these areas is unlikely to realistically provide for the real accommodation needs of travelling families.

 

The Clerk was requested to collate the above  views of Committee (and any other views expressed by Committee Members directly to the Clerk).  Committee RESOLVED to delegate authority to the Clerk to make a response on behalf of Committee in accord with the above comments.

 

65.       PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY – CONSULTATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO APPLY FOR ORDERS TO EXTINGUISH AND DIVERT AND RIGHTS OF APPEAL

 

Committee considered this large consultation document and AGREED to defer consideration of this consultation issue to the meeting of Planning & General Purposes Committee on 17th July.

 

66.       PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE - CONSULTATION

 

Committee considered this large consultation document and AGREED to defer consideration of this matter to its meeting of 3rd July.

 

67.       EFDC PLANNING DECISIONS

 

Committee NOTED the decisions of Epping Forest District Council Plans Sub-Committee East..

 

GRANTED:  

 

EPF/0867/07

 

TPO/EPF/0526/07

TPO/EPF/0379/07

EPF/0749/07

EPF/0794/07

(Revised Appl)

 

EPF/0843/07

(Revised Appl)

LB/EPF/0754/07

(Revised Appl)

EPF/0762/07

TPO/EPF/12/04

 

REFUSED:

 

EPF/0666/07

 

EPF/0468/07