MEMORANDUM11 May 2007

To:Members of the DevelopmentFromCOUNTY SECRETARY’S

Control CommitteeDEPARTMENT

Chief OfficersAsk forAdrian Service

Ext25564

Minicom6611

My RefAS/

Your Ref______

DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE

24 APRIL 2007

MINUTES

ATTENDANCE

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

N K Brook (Chairman), G R Churchard, D W Cullen, D S Drury, M D R Muir, D A A Peek,

E T Roach, E N Singam, W A Storey, J W A Usher (Vice - Chairman).

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE

M Cowan.

Upon consideration of the agenda for the Development Control Committee meeting on

24April 2007, as circulated, copy annexed, action was taken or decisions were

reached on individual items as recorded below.

MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 March2007were approved as a correct record.

PUBLIC PETITIONS

No petitions to be presented to this meeting had been received.

NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS

None notified.

MOTIONS

None notified.

  1. BROXBOURNE BOROUGH – APPLICATION FOR A CYCLE SHELTER COMPOUND AT TURNFORDSCHOOL, MILL LANE, CHESHUNT

[Officer contact :Debbie TaylorTel : 01992 556220]

Mr L Saunders on behalf of Cheshunt residents made apresentation opposing

the planning application [a typed copy of his presentation plus 7 photographs of

the site were circulated at the meeting].

Copies of a letter signed by three residents [Mr L Saunders, Mrs W Lambert &

Mrs V Hewitt] dated 6 March 2007 stating the reasons why they opposed the planning applicationwere circulated within the Order of Business at the meeting.

The Development Control Manager, County Development Unit, Environment Department advised that since the dispatch of the agenda papers, a further letter of objection had been received from an adjoining resident drawing attention to an act of vandalism which had resulted in damage to a boundary hedgerow and requested that the privet hedge should be reinforced and a secure boundary fence should be provided.

In response to points raised by Mr L Saunders in his presentation concerning development works that had already been undertaken on site, the Development Control Manager stated that some of the works referred to related to planning consent given 3 years ago and officers of the County Development Unit in handling the current application had not agreed to works start prior to planning consent being granted.

In response to questions, the Development Control Manager stated that the cycle compound proposed management arrangements would involve the cycle shelter being kept locked outside of school start and finish times and that planting around the shelter would mean it would not become an accessible meeting place for children.

RESOLVED

That for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorisedto grant planning permission subject to conditions relating to:

a)implementation time limit;

b)the landscaping plan 1079/010/L/DRW/A/00/905 to be implemented in full; to include replacement of failed or diseased plants within 5 years;

c)on-site car parking shall be provided for the use of all contractors, sub-contractors, visitors and delivery vehicles engaged;

d)hours of delivery between 9.30am to 3pm on Mondays to Fridays (excluding bank/public holidays) and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays;

e)vehicles shall not deposit mud or debris on the public highway;

f)updating of the School Travel Plan to include the use of the cycle shelter, which is to be submitted for approval to the County Planning Authority and implemented in full,

g)the cycle shelter be kept locked outside of school hours, unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing with the CountyPlanning Authority.

  1. WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH–APPLICATION FOR A SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO PROVIDE A CHILDREN’S CENTRE AT SQUIRRELS / LUDWICK NURSERY, HOLWELL ROAD, WELWYN GARDEN CITY

[Officer contact : Catherine LinfordTel : 01992 556249]

Ms C Swindells, ICS Strategy Manager [Children’s Centres], Children, Schools & Families Department made a presentation supporting the planning application.

She stated that the requirements of the Childcare Act 2006 would lead to the provisionof 82Sure Start Children’s Centres, one for every Hertfordshire community by 2010. Each Sure Start Children’s Centre would provide all families with young children aged upto 5 years old access to integrated early years education, childcare, health services, parenting and employment support for defined communities having 800 children aged under 5 years old. She stated that two types of Children‘s Centres were required to be provided with Type 1 centres serving communities identified as disadvantaged areas of which there were 14 in Hertfordshire and Type 2 serving all remaining communities of which there were 68 in Hertfordshire.

This application for a Children’s Centre at Squirrels / LudwickNursery School was a Type 1 centre.

The Committee were advised of the development of a tree replacement protocol which was likely to be put forward for adoption shortly involving each tree that had to be removed as part of a development to be replaced by two trees on the development site, if feasible and where not feasible to be planted elsewhere on County Council land. The Head of the County Development Unit, Environment Department advised that in addition to this proposed tree replacement protocol, discussions were due to take place with Hertfordshire District / Borough Councils to secure similar policiesin their Local Development Frameworks.

In response to a suggestion that the Children’s Centre should be relocated elsewhere on this site, the Head of the County Development Unit advised that this was considered to be the most suitable location for this Centre and the idea of locating it on the adjoining Holwell Junior & Infants School Playing Field was less appropriate, involve greater land take and be more visually intrusive.

RESOLVED

That for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorisedto grant planning permission subject to conditions to include:

a)implementation time limit

b)contractor working

c)materials

d)travel plan

e)obscure glazing

f)hours of use for the outside play area

g)replacement planting of 14 trees to be provided either on site, or elsewhere on County Council land (ideally within the vicinity of the Centre).

  1. DACORUM BOROUGH - APPLICATION FOR A CHILDREN’S CENTRE AT KINGSLANGLEYPRIMARY SCHOOL, COMMON LANE, KINGS LANGLEY

[Officer contact :Kirsten WilliamsonTel : 01992 556267]

Ms C Swindells, ICS Strategy Manager [Children’s Centres],Children, Schools & Families Department made a presentation supporting the planning application.

She stated that the requirements of the Childcare Act 2006 would lead to the provisionof 82 Sure Start Children’s Centres, one for every Hertfordshire community, by 2010. Each Sure Start Children’s Centre would provide all families with young children aged upto 5 years old access to integrated early years education, childcare, health services, parenting and employment support for defined communities having 800 children aged under 5 years old. She stated that two types of Children‘s Centres were required to be provided having regard to the needs of each community and this application was for a Type 2 Children’s Centre as the specified community area did not contain a high level of disadvantaged families.

In response to a question,the Development Control Manager, County Development Unit, Environment Department advised that the construction of the Children’s Centre is in the form of an “Eco Canopy” which incorporated a number of sustainable features.

Concern was expressed at the current access arrangements for this school which it was felt the County Council as the local highway authority, should be urged to consider measures to improve. However it was expected that this proposed children’s centrewould mainly involve local residents walking to the site rather than driving to it,as a consequence, there would be a minimal number of additional vehicle movements.

The proposed provision of two additional parking spaces was considered adequate to accommodate the new children’s centre staff.

The issue of the number of trees that would be affected by the proposed development was raised and it was felt by some Committee members that the intentions of the proposed new tree replacement protocol should be imposed as part of this planning consent ahead of the adoption of the policy likely to be put forward.

Upon being put as a motion,an equality of votes occurred and the Committee Chairman exercised a second and casting vote in favour of not imposing a condition as part of planning consent to require 6 trees to be provided to replace the 3 trees to be removed [the number of trees to be provided would be determined by the findings of the tree survey to be undertaken].

RESOLVED

That for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorisedto grant planning permission subject to conditions relating to :-

a)implementation time limit;

b)tree survey and landscaping;

c)samples of materials;

d)construction access;

e)provision and maintenance of two parking spaces;

f)restriction of outdoor play areas.

CHAIRMAN’S THANKS

The Chairman announced that this was the last meeting of the Committee he was likely to be Chairman of the Committee and he thanked Committee Members and officers for their co operation in conducting the Committee’s business at Committee meetings and briefings over the last two years.

The Liberal Democrat Group Spokesman on behalf of the Committee thanked the Chairman for the manner in which he had chaired Committee meetings, in particular, enabling all Committee members to contribute fully to proceedings.

A L Laycock

CountySecretary

1