Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Obligation or Unilateral Undertaking, or making advance payment to secure the following:-

a.         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £11,728 in lieu of on-site recreation provision.  The contribution shall be paid upon 50% occupation or sale of the apartments hereby approved. 

b.         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £3,000 towards the cost of amending existing Traffic Regulation Order to amended existing street parking bays and provide ‘H markings’ across the site access.  Such sum to be paid prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved.  

If the obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as outlined above) is not completed within six months of the date of the committee resolution, the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) be given delegated authority to REFUSE the application. 

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) in respect of this application.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.

            The officer detailed the background to the report and explained that the main issues for consideration were the impact of the proposal on the highway and on the adjacent residential amenity.  The application would provide five parking spaces but the guidelines for the Council’s maximum car parking standards indicated that 24 were required.  However as the site was in a town centre location, was near to a public car park, had access to public transport services and there were on street parking facilities on Pierce Street, the proposal for five spaces was deemed acceptable.  The officer provided details of the Section 106 obligation.  The site was in a C1 flood risk area but Natural Resources Wales were satisfied that as the proposal did not include any living accommodation at ground floor level, this was not an issue and NRW had therefore not raised any objection to the application.  The applicant had proposed to reduce the number of windows which currently looked onto and over existing dwellings to six and these would have obscure glazing. 

            Mrs. S. Barnes spoke in support of the application.  She commented on the damage which had taken place on the site and an issue of a water tank which had flooded her family’s property next door.  She also commented on the mobile phone mast which was on top of the building. 

            Councillor Derek Butler proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.

            In response to a query from Councillor Mike Peers about whether the comment from the Police that the proposals should be Secured by Design should be conditioned, the Development Manager said that it was not appropriate to condition this. 

            Councillor Richard Jones spoke of the comments that the number of parking spaces had been reduced because the site was near to a public car park which the residents could use and raised concern as he felt that it had been assumed that the spaces would be available.  The officer responded that the Parking Management Officer had indicated that there was adequate capacity in the nearby public car park, which was owned by Flintshire County Council.  Councillor Richard Lloyd asked whether the mobile phone mast would remain on the building.  The officer said that the applicant and the phone operator would need to discuss this issue.      

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Obligation or Unilateral Undertaking, or making advance payment to secure the following:-

a.         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £11,728 in lieu of on-site recreation provision.  The contribution shall be paid upon 50% occupation or sale of the apartments hereby approved. 

b.         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £3,000 towards the cost of amending existing Traffic Regulation Order to amended existing street parking bays and provide ‘H markings’ across the site access.  Such sum to be paid prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved. 

If the obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as outlined above) is not completed within six months of the date of the committee resolution, the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) be given delegated authority to REFUSE the application.