Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement, receipt of a Unilateral Undertaking, or issuing an advance voluntary payment of £20,000 with the use to be discussed with the applicant and local Members and subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning.

            The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning in respect of this application.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.  Additional comments received since the preparation of the report were circulated at the meeting. 

                        The Development Manager detailed the background to the report explaining that the application proposed five non food units with the existing car park being reconfigured and landscaped in addition to other landscape/highway works on/adjacent to the site. 

                        Miss C. Dickinson spoke in support of the application on behalf of the applicant.  She welcomed the support of officers in their recommendation and said that the proposal would encourage more shoppers to the town.  The proposed landscaping works would improve the visual amenity of the area and the development would also provide for the partial rebuilding of an existing footbridge within the site which linked the site into Bridge Street. 

            The local Member, Councillor R. Lloyd, proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  He said that the proposal would regenerate the riverside area and would create extra employment and bring new shoppers to the area.  He sought confirmation that the existing fuel tanks would be removed and queried whether the voluntary payment of £20,000 for provision of public art as part of the Section 106 Agreement could be better used to improve the riverside environment, such as benches along the river bank.  Councillor Lloyd also referred to paragraph 7.10 and queried whether the proposed units would be open on Saturdays as opening hours for Saturdays were not reported.  He welcomed the development which he felt would visually improve the site. 

            Councillor V. Gay queried condition 7 and the removal of the mezzanine floors.  She supported Councillor Lloyd’s suggestion on other use of the public art money, asking whether this could help fund a new library.  Councillor Gay raised concern about the pedestrian link under the bridge and asked if a rail could be provided under the bridge to keep pedestrians safe.  The Senior Engineer - Highways Development Control explained that different surfaces on the road would denote where vehicles and pedestrians should be as it would not be practical to put in a rail.  However an assessment could be undertaken to look at the issue and the findings reported back to the local Member.  It was proposed that heavy goods vehicles would not be directed along Bridge Street and the Senior Engineer - Highways Development Control said that larger vehicles would access the site from the signal controlled road on the Chester border.  Councillor Lloyd asked whether the pavement would be moved out to direct traffic away from pedestrians and the Senior Engineer - Highways Development Control responded that discussions were ongoing on options and that she would discuss these with the local Member if required. 

In response to the comments made, the Development Manager said that the pavement would be built out and that condition 22 addressed the issue of redundant fuel tanks.  He confirmed that the proposed units would be open on Saturdays.  On the issue of mezzanine flooring, he said that there was an element of mezzanine floors in the proposal but that condition 7 referred to the removal of the right to create any more mezzanine floors which would allow the amount of floorspace to be controlled.  He added that discussions could take place on the use of the proposed public art provision and the Head of Planning suggested that the recommendation could be amended to read that the Section 106 agreement for the use of the voluntary payment provision be discussed with the applicant and Local Members.  Councillor Lloyd proposed the suggested amendment and on being put to the vote, the proposal was CARRIED.    

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement, receipt of a Unilateral Undertaking, or issuing an advance voluntary payment of £20,000 with the use to be discussed with the applicant and local Members and subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning.