Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment).

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) in respect of this application which had been the subject of a site visit on 21 July 2014.  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. 

                        Mrs. K. Wingate spoke against the application which she felt would increase local traffic as cars currently parked on both sides of the road, allowing only one additional vehicle to pass.  She felt that if two families moved into the flats, then this could result in four additional cars which would enter onto the road where children played.  She raised concern that children walked to school along the road and that it was already a dangerous area.  Mrs. Wingate felt that the ground floor flat would have a reduced amount of light into the property and that the bedroom window would look out onto the street which would be three feet away.  The upstairs flat would overlook the gardens of neighbouring properties.  She said that she would prefer it if the dwelling remained as a family home rather than being split into flats.  

            Councillor Richard Jones proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  He felt that the application should not have been submitted to the Committee to determine and that there were no planning reasons to refuse the application, as the small number of parking spaces proposed was acceptable in a sustainable location.  Councillor Gareth Roberts concurred with the comments made and said that a bus route nearby would reduce the need for residents in the properties to have cars. 

            Councillor Chris Bithell acknowledged the local opposition to the proposal but said that there were no external alterations to the property.  On the issue of parking, the applicant had provided three parking spaces within the curtilage of the property.  He felt that objections to the proposals on these grounds could not be sustained but suggested that the only improvement could be to provide the access for cars at the rear of the site. 

               Councillor Ian Dunbar spoke on behalf of the Local Members in congratulating Mrs. Wingate for addressing the Committee.  He commented on the problem of parking in the busy area in which cars parked on both sides of the narrow road and said that the siting of the flats on a busy section of the road constituted a highway problem for the children who played there.  He felt that approval of the application would set a precedent for other houses in the road to be turned into flats and raised concern that the upstairs flat would create an issue of overlooking into neighbouring properties. 

            In response to the comments made, the officer said that the plan had been amended to include three spaces and no objections had been received from Highways.  The issue of light referred to by Mrs. Wingate was not a planning matter.  It was reported that the existing separation distance between the building and the single storey properties to the rear at Green Park was approximately 20 metres but as the properties were not directly in line, the additional activity associated with changing a bedroom to a first floor living room for the upstairs flat would not have a material impact on residential amenity to the rear of the property.    

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment).