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PLANNING & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SUB-COMMITTEE - 5 JUNE 2002

Planning & Traffic Management Sub-Committee
Wednesday 5 June 2002 at 3.00 pm
Present: Councillors Blair, Calvert, Campbell, McCormick, McGhee, Morrison (M) and Robertson (Y).
Chair: Councillor McGhee presided.
In attendance: Depute Chief Executive, Miss M McKnight (for Director of Legal & Support Services), Head of Planning Services and Mr A Bruce (for Head of Transportation & Roads Service).
With the exception of the decision marked "C", which is open for confirmation or otherwise, the following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Sub-Committee.
505 / PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTED FOR CONTINUED CONSIDERATION
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There was submitted a report dated 27 May 2002 by the Head of Planning Services regarding an application by St Columba's School for the erection of 15 metre high columns with floodlights (non-compliance with Condition 6 of Planning Application (IC/00/121)) at St Columba's Playing Field, Gryffe Road, Kilmacolm (IC/02/034), consideration of which had been continued from the meeting held on 1 May 2002 to allow the Head of Planning Services to examine additional information submitted by the applicant's agent relative to ground levels, floodlight overspill and painting of the columns.
(Councillor Campbell entered the meeting during consideration of this item of business).
Decided: that planning permission be refused as the floodlights and columns, by way of their height, unacceptably detract from the established residential amenity of the Kilmacolm Area of Policy Control.
506 / PLANNING APPLICATIONS
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There were submitted reports by the Head of Planning Services on the following applications which were submitted, together with letters of objection and support where submitted, and dealt with as follows:-
(a) / Erection of Dwellinghouse:
Plot 14, Burns Drive, Wemyss Bay (IC/02/88)
506 / Decided: that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:-(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within 5 years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997; and
(2) that any future development within the curtilage of the house shall be carried out in accordance with the attached Design Brief in the interests of visual amenity.
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(b) / New Sloping Foreshore to Existing Corroded Sheet Piled Sea Wall:
Gourock Pool, Albert Road, Gourock (N1/02/02)
Decided: that it be remitted to the Head of Planning Services to forward the proposal to the Scottish Ministers for consideration, in accordance with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Development by Planning Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 1981, with a recommendation that planning permission be granted.
(c) / Alterations and Extension to Dwelling to Form Utility Room and Bedroom over Garage:
22 Oxford Avenue, Gourock (IC/02/114)
Decided: that planning permission be granted.
(d) / Erection of Dwellinghouse:
34 Carnoustie Avenue, Gourock (IC/02/076 & IC/02/077)
The Head of Planning Services advised the Sub-Committee of a request from the applicant's agent that planning application IC/02/076 be continued for further discussion with a view to addressing design concerns and he indicated that, if these concerns were satisfactorily resolved, the application could be dealt with under delegated powers subject to no objections being received. He further advised that the applicant's agent had requested that planning application IC/02/077 be determined.
Councillor Blair declared an interest in this matter and took no part in its consideration or decision.
Decided:
(a)that consideration of planning application IC/02/076 be continued for further discussion with the applicant with a view to addressing design concerns and that, if these concerns are satisfactorily resolved, the application be dealt with under delegated powers subject to no objections being received; and
(b) that planning application IC/02/077 be refused for the following reasons:-
(1) as the proposed house is of a poor quality design, harmful to the quality of visual amenity established by the built form of this part of Gourock and contrary to the advice in the Scottish Executive’s Policy Statement For Scotland ‘Designing Places’;
(2) as the proposed balcony would impact upon neighbours' privacy to the detriment of the quality of residential amenity that is currently enjoyed; and
506 / (3) as the proposed driveway gradient of 23% would be injurious to road safety on Carnoustie Avenue, presenting a situation where there may be difficulty controlling a vehicle, particularly in poor weather and where visibility at the point of access to £Carnoustie Avenue would be hazardous to the detriment of road users.
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(e) / Conversion of School to 24 Flatted Dwellings, Refurbishment of Janitor's Dwellinghouse and Construction of 2 Blocks of Flats Containing 6 and 18 Flatted Dwellings:
Former Gourock Primary School, Binnie Street, Gourock (IC/02/013RLB/02/002R)
The report recommended that planning application IC/02/013R be referred to the Scottish Ministers in Terms of the Town & Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 intimating the Council's intention to grant planning permission subject to a number of conditions and that listed building application LB/02/002R be referred to the Scottish Ministers in terms of the Town & Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 and Section 12 of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 intimating the Council's intention to grant listed building consent subject to a number of conditions.
After discussion, Councillor McGhee moved (1) that planning application IC/02/013R be referred to the Scottish Ministers in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 intimating the Council's intention to grant planning permission subject to the conditions detailed in the report, (2) that listed building application LB/02/002R be referred to the Scottish Ministers intimating the Council's intention to grant listed building consent subject to the conditions detailed in the report and (3) that it be remitted to the Head of Planning Services to advise the Scottish Executive of the Sub-Committee's serious concerns regarding the lack of open space within the proposed development.
As an amendment, Councillor Blair moved that consideration of the planning and listed building applications be continued to allow the Head of Planning Services to negotiate with the applicant in respect of the density of the development, in particular reduction of the proposed height of the blocks of flats from 5 to 3 storeys, and to seek to achieve open space within the development consistent with the Council's open space policy.
On a vote 3 Members voted for the amendment and 4 for the motion which was declared carried. Those Members who had voted for the amendment then requested in terms of the relevant Standing Order that the matter be referred to The Inverclyde Council for decision in terms of the amendment.
C / Decided:
(a) that planning application IC/02/013R be referred to the Scottish Ministers in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 intimating the Council’s intention to grant planning permission subject to the following conditions:- / C
(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;
506 / (2) that before the development hereby permitted begins, full details of a construction and repair programme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services and shall take the following matters into accounït:- / 506
(i) a schedule of repairs to be carried out to the exterior and interior of the school building, the janitor’s dwellinghouse and the boundary walls of the application site; and
(ii) a requirement that the school building and janitor’s dwellinghouse be converted and ready for occupation prior to any of the new build flats being ready for occupation;
to secure the early repair and retention of the listed building within the application site;
(3) that before the development hereby permitted begins samples of all external materials to be used in repair, construction and conversion, including walls, roofs, windows, doors, gutters and downpipes, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority, to ensure the external finish to the buildings within the application site complements adjoining residential properties and the original school building and janitor’s dwellinghouse;
(4) that before the development hereby permitted begins, a scheme of soft landscaping shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services and it shall include details of any grass seeding, turfing and shrub planting to be carried out;
(5) that notwithstanding the terms of condition (4) above, all soft landscaping approved in terms of condition (4) shall be completed within one year of the end of construction of the flatted dwellings hereby permitted and any areas of grass or shrubs which die, are removed, damaged or become diseased within five years of completion of construction shall be replaced within the following year with others of a similar size and species, conditions (4)
and (5) being imposed to ensure the provision of adequate soft landscaping within the application site as this has not been clearly identified on the approved plans;
(6) that before the first of the flatted dwellings hereby permitted is occupied, all the parking and manoeuvring areas shown on the approved plans shall be levelled, properly drained, surfaced to sealed base course level in a material which the Head of Planning Services has approved in writing before the start of surfacing work and shall be clearly marked out and thereafter maintained to a sealed base course as parking and manoeuvring areas;
(7) that before the last of the flatted dwellings hereby permitted is occupied all the parking and manoeuvring areas refer to in condition (6) above shall be levelled, properly drained, surfaced to final wearing course level in a material which the Head of Planning Services has approved in writing before the start of final surfacing work and shall be clearly marked out and thereafter maintained as parking and manoeuvring areas, conditions (6) and (7) being imposed to ensure the provision of adequate pedestrian and vehicular access and parking facilities within the site for each stage of the development;
(8) that before the development hereby permitted begins, a detailed drawing showing bin store location and boundary enclosures shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services, to ensure the provision of adequate refuse collection facilities;
(9) that before the development hereby permitted begins footway crossings shall be provided in accordance with the specifications of the Roads Development Guide, to ensure the provision of adequate pedestrian and vehicular access and parking facilities within the site for each stage of the development;
506 / (10) that where new or replacement windows are required on the school building and the jani^tor’s dwellinghouse these shall be sash and case units to match those currently on these buildings, in the interests of the visual appearance of the listed buildings; and / 506
(11) that notwithstanding the terms of condition (5) above, the screening of the electricity sub-station hereby permitted shall take place before the first of the flats in the 18 flat block development is occupied, in the interests of visual amenity;
(b) that listed building application LB/02/002R be referred to the Scottish Ministers in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 and Section 12 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 intimating the Council’s intention to grant listed building consent, subject to the following conditions:-
(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 16 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997;
(2) that before the development hereby permitted begins, full details of a construction and render programme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services and shall include a schedule of repairs to be carried out to the exterior and interior of the school building, the janitor’s dwellinghouse and boundary walls of the application site, to secure the early repair and retention of the listed buildings within the application site;
(3) that before the development hereby permitted begins, samples of all external and internal materials to be used in repair and conversion of the listed buildings shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority, to ensure the materials to be used on the listed buildings are appropriate to these buildings; and
(4) that where new or replacement windows are required on the school building and the janitor’s dwellinghouse, these shall be sash and case units to match those currently on these buildings, in the interests of the visual appearance of the listed buildings; and
(c) that it be remitted to the Head of Planning Services to advise the Scottish Executive of the Sub-Committee's serious concerns regarding the lack of open space within the proposed development.
(f) / Erection of 7 Flats:
Bothyhill, Farm Road, Gourock (IC/02/113)
Decided: that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:-
(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;
(2) that development shall not begin until samples of materials to be used on external surfaces of the buildings and in construction of hard standings/walls/fences have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services and development shall thereafter be carried out using the approved materials or such alternatives as may be agreed in writing with the Head of Planning Services, to ensure that the finishing materials are sympathetic to the built form of the surrounding area;
506 / (3) that the approved scheme of landscaping shall be completed within the first planting season following completion of the flats and any specimens that in the subsequent 5 years die, become diseased or are damaged shall be replaced in the next planting season with a similar specimen unless the Head of Planning Services gives his prior written consent to any variation that may be sought;‰ / 506
(4) that no development shall commence until fully detailed tree protection measures have been submitted to and approved by the Head of Planning Services, the tree protection measures shall be maintained in place for the duration of the site works, conditions (3) and (4) being imposed to ensure that the development is maintained within a quality woodland setting that is covered by a Tree Preservation Order;
(5) that none of the flats shall be occupied until the access improvements and car park layout detailed in drawing 1294 PL103 have been completed, to ensure that the site is accessed/egressed safely and to prevent obstructive parking on Farm Road, Levanne Place and Levanne Gardens; and
(6) that all surface water run-off shall be intercepted within the site, to prevent residential properties downslope from the site being adversely affected by surface water run-off.
(g) / Extension to Nursing Home:
Bellaire Nursing Home, Newark Street, Greenock (IC/02/072)
The report recommended that planning permission be refused as the proposed 3 storey side extension would impact significantly upon the symmetry and architectural quality of Bellaire's frontage to the severe detriment of the quality of the visual amenity that is currently enjoyed.
Decided: that consideration of the application be continued for further discussion with the applicant relative to the scale and positioning of the extension.
(h) / Creation of Roof Garden on Existing Flat Roof:
16 Lylefoot Crescent, Greenock (IC/02/085)
The report recommended that planning permission be granted subject to a number of conditions.
After discussion Councillor Blair moved that planning permission be refused as the proposal would result in a loss of light to adjacent properties. As an amendment, Councillor McGhee moved that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report. On a vote, 2 Members voted for the motion and 5 for the amendment which was declared carried.
Decided: that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:-
(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;
(2) that full details of the colour and design of the trellis screen shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning Services before the start of the development hereby permitted, to ensure an appropriate design of trellis, in the interests of visual amenity; and
(3) that the trellis screen shall be erected before the roof garden hereby permitted is brought into use, in the interests of privacy of the adjacent property.
506
(i) / Change of Use from 1 Flat to 2 Flats and Installation of 2 Roof Lights:
75b Union Street, Greenock (IC/02/101)
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Decided: that planning permission be granted.
(j) / Change of Use from Store/Office to Baker's Shop:
126 Eldon Street, Greenock (IC/02/082)
Decided: that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:-
(1) that the development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission, to comply with Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;
(2) that the use hereby permitted shall not operate between the hours of 6.00pm and 8.00am Monday to Saturday and not on Sundays, to protect occupants of nearby housing from noise/disturbance late in the evening;
(3) that no deep fat fryers and/or oil fryers shall be installed within the premises; and
(4) that there shall be no cooking of food on the premises only reheating, conditions (3) and (4) being imposed to protect local residents from nuisance resulting due to the disposal of cooking odours.
(k) / Construction of Car Showroom and Associated Parking:
James Watt Way, James Watt Dock, Greenock (IC/02/001R)
The Head of Planning Services advised the Sub-Committee that amendments to the design were awaited from the applicant's agent and, accordingly, he recommended that delegated powers be granted to him to refer the application to the Scottish Ministers in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 recommending that subject to resolution of the design issues planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report together with the following additional conditions:-