07
The Committee received and considered the report from the Principal Planning Officer.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the application before the Committee was for the provision of a temporary car park for staff and pupils of East Coast College, a temporary construction compound on land to the north of East Coast College Western Campus and the provision of temporary storage container within the grounds of East Coast College Western Campus. This was a departure from Development Plan with a recommendation for the approval of the application.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the application is part of wider redevelopment proposals to upgrade the Eastern Campus of East Coast College, submitted in association with a full planning application ref 06/23/0928/F for redevelopment of East Coast College - Eastern Campus - including demolition of existing buildings and provision of a new three storey building, extension to existing sports hall, new and amended access arrangements, car parking, landscaping and other associated works.
This application is being reported to the Committee because it represents a departure from the policies of the adopted development plan, whereas the East Coast Collage redevelopment application is not a departure from policy.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the proposals contained within this application are enabling works, which will allow some of the existing facilities to be relocated on a temporary basis during the construction period associated with the East Campus. It is intended that an area of land (0.55ha) to the north of the Western Campus is used as a temporary car park for staff and pupils comprising 132 spaces and, beyond this, a construction compound to house double stacked portacabins and an area for construction workers parking comprising 68 spaces.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that vehicular access will be provided via an existing access point off Thamesfield Way. This is a private road, which the College has rights of access over. A pedestrian gate will be provided in the south-east corner of the site, which will allow pedestrians to leave this facility and enter into the College Campus to the south, utilising existing pedestrian routes.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that a temporary storage container is proposed within the curtilage of the Western Campus, along the western boundary, adjacent to some existing storage containers. This container will be single storey. This storage container is required for the life of the construction period, to be utilised by the College Estates Department, who will be decanted from their existing facility, but will be provided with a new facility as part of the redevelopment works. Access to this unit will be through the existing Western Campus and no changes to the access will be required.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the development will include a new separate surface water and foul drainage network. Surface water will be attenuated on site and outfall into the adjacent watercourse at a restricted rate under a temporary consent with the Internal Drainage Board and foul water into the main Anglian Water sewer network.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that this application seeks permission for these uses on a temporary basis, for the life of the construction works. The applicants consider that temporary permission for a period of 5 years would be necessary.
The main planning issues for consideration include:-
- Principal of development
- Sequential Test and Flood Risk
- Impact on character of area
- Amenity.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the majority of the site area is proposed for pupil, staff and contractor’s vehicle parking set within proposed and existing 1.8 m high fenced boundaries and given the existing nature of the site and the surroundings this is not considered to raise harm in relation to the character and appearance of the area.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the site cabins will be stacked two high to a height of 5.4m and incorporates a footprint of 12 linked cabins stacked two high - 24 cabins - and a standalone pair stacked two high. These are located at the western side of the site approximately 100m away from the nearest residential property and will be viewed more in context with the nearby 3 storey West Campus College building and nearby commercial premises.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the temporary storage container proposed within the West Campus site is a similar modular building to that of the cabins and will be located alongside a line of shipping containers used for storage and again viewed within the context of the Campus building and adjoining commercial premises.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the appearance of the buildings is not out of character with the area and represents no material harm and given the temporary nature of the proposals, albeit for a period of 3 to 5 years, the proposals is not considered contrary to Policy CS9.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the nearest residential and community uses are to the east and north. Here, the proposed use of the site is for car parking. In this regard and given the existing employment designation of the land it is not considered that there will be harmful impacts on the amenities of existing properties. Also, the lighting to be installed at this point is low level at 1.8m high and being down-lit. Environmental Services have raised no amenity issues in their consultation replies. The proposal is therefore considered to comply with Policies A1 and E6.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that the site will utilise an existing vehicular access via Thamesfield Way to the A1243 Pasteur Road roundabout junction. There is no vehicular access from Suffolk Road to the east with only a pedestrian link between the proposed car park and the East Campus. The car park is intended for use by staff and students to compensate for the loss of parking during the construction period on the Eastern Campus. The development will provide suitable car parking provision for staff, pupils and construction workers, ensuring that this does not spill onto the neighbouring streets and ensuring that adequate highway safety is maintained during this period.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that there is no objection to the proposal on highway grounds from Norfolk County Council as local Highway Authority or from National Highways in terms of the strategic road network (A47). The proposal therefore complies with Policy CS16. A condition is proposed restricting vehicular access to be taken to and from Thamesfield Way only.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that, in respect to Foul Drainage, the discharge points from the contractor’s site cabins will be connected to a new below ground foul drainage system designed to direct the flows towards an appropriate Anglian Water combined sewer manhole. Anglian Water has raised no objections to the proposal. A condition will be imposed that the development shall connect to the main foul sewer and as such will be in accordance with Policy I3.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that for this scheme, a new dedicated surface water drainage network is proposed for the temporary car park. The formation of the general collection areas will be graded and directed towards centralised filter drains that will convey the surface water towards an outfall manhole. The pass forward flows from the site, into the open watercourse in the concrete channel, will be restricted to 2 l/s using an orifice plate fitted with a protection mesh. The drainage scheme will also mitigate surface water pollution.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that it was considered necessary for the applicant to agree the surface water discharge flow rate with the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) prior to determination of the planning application given concerns with the capacity of the receiving watercourse. This has now been done and the scheme revised to include below ground attenuation with a maximum 2 litres per second discharge rate to the adjacent water course which has been reduced from a proposed discharge rate of 15 litres per second. The IDB have been re-consulted on the revised strategy and Members were updated at the meeting. The final details of the drainage scheme will be subject to conditions.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that this is essentially an enabling proposal related to the proposed redevelopment of part of the East Coast College East Campus. Having considered the details provided, the application fails to comply with Policy CS6 but is outweighed by the benefits of the development in the planning balance exercise, and furthermore complies with the following Policies in the adopted development plan: CS9, CS11, CS13, CS16, A1, E6 and I3.
The Principal Planning Officer highlighted that one minor point in the third informative paragraph, point 2, was awaiting clarification.
Councillor Boyd referred to paragraphs 5.3 (i) & (ii) on page 28 of the agenda report. In the previous few weeks there had been press coverage of Anglian Water discharging untreated sewerage into the sea/watercourse and he wondered if the planning team had any concerns as a result.
The Principal Planning Officer reported that Anglian Water was a statutory body and that they had been consulted and assured that they could accommodate the foul water drainage from the site on a temporary basis. The Development Manager reported that Anglian Water had an obligation to accept and treat sewerage prior to discharge where there was an existing network available and there would be no net increase in foul sewage flows into the catchment as a result of this development, and the capacity of the local treatment works had been established through the Local Plan process which ensured the anticipated growth could be accommodated within the broad parameters to address windfall developments within statutory obligations
The Principal Planning Officer reported that this application is recommended for approval and the recommendation were presented as follows:-
It is recommended that the Committee delegate authority to the Head of Planning to subsequently approve the full application and grant planning permission subject to:
(i) The resolution of outstanding details in respect of surface water drainage; and
(ii) The imposition of appropriate conditions and informatives to include:
- those listed (including any amendments as deemed necessary and the revised Condition 1 Parts A & B in the Addendum Report), and
- any additional conditions identified to be required to secure the details related to the resolution of outstanding matters referenced in (i) above.
Proposer: Councillor Annison
Seconder: Councillor Williamson
Following a unanimous vote, it was RESOLVED:-
That in regard to application 06/23/0929/F; the Committee delegate authority to the Head of Planning to subsequently approve the full application and grant planning permission subject to:-
(i) The resolution of outstanding details in respect of surface water drainage; and
(ii) The imposition of appropriate conditions and informatives to include:-
Those listed (including any amendments as deemed necessary and the revised Condition 1 Parts A & B in the Addendum Report); and
Any additional conditions identified to be required to secure the details related to the resolution of outstanding matters referenced in (i) above.