Agenda, decisions and minutes

Planning Board - Tuesday, 16th April, 2024 6.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich SE18 6PW. View directions

Contact: Jean Riddler 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies from Members of the Board.

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Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Peter Baker, Clare Burke-McDonald, and Danny Thorpe.

2.

Urgent Business

The Chair to announce any items of urgent business circulated separately from the main agenda.

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Minutes:

The Planning Board accepted the Planning Officers’ Addendum Report and public submissions, circulated in advance of the meeting, in relation to Item 4 – 1-18 Shepherds Leas, 135 Riefield Road, Eltham, London, SE9 2RD – Ref: 23/0984/F

3.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Members to declare any personal and financial interests in items on the agenda. Attention is drawn to the Council’s Constitution; the Council’s Code of Conduct and associated advice.

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Minutes:

Councillor Pat Greenwell made a declaration in relation to Item 4: 1- 18 Shepherds Leas, 135 Riefield Road, Eltham, London. SE9 2RD – Ref: 21/4467/F, in that she had made a pr-determined decision and would be addressing the Planning Board in objection to the application.

 

Resolved –

 

·        That the list of Councillors’ memberships, as Council appointed representatives on outside bodies, joint committees and school governing bodies be noted.

 

·        That Councillor Pat Greenwell’s declaration be noted.

4.

1-18 Shepherds Leas, 135 Riefield Road, Eltham,London, SE9 2RD – Ref: 23/0984/F pdf icon PDF 6 MB

Ward: Eltham Town & Avery Hill

The Planning Board is requested to grant full planning permission be granted for the demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide residential units with associated blue-badge parking and soft landscaping.

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Decision:

Resolved that Planning Permission be granted for the demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide residential units with associated blue-badge parking and soft landscaping.

 

That consent is subject to:

(i)      The satisfactory completion of an Agreement made under Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972 between the Council local planning authority (LPA) and Meridian Home Start, requiring that company and any other relevant interest holders upon obtaining relevant interests to enter an agreement or a confirmatory deed under S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 containing the planning obligations summarised in the heads of terms at Section 25 in this report and

(ii)    Conditions set out in Appendix 2 and any addendums.

(iii)  An additional Informative that the external tiling forming part of the external facing materials submitted under Condition 11 of planning permission ref: 23/0984/F consist of a colour which is considered to be harmonious to the natural environment surrounding the application site.

 

That the Assistant Director (Planning & Building Control) be authorised to:

(i)      Make any minor changes to the detailed wording of the recommended conditions as set out in the report (Appendix 2), its addendums and the minutes of this Planning Board meeting, where the Assistant Director (Planning & Building Control) considers it appropriate, before issuing the final decision notice

(ii)      Finalise the detailed terms of the Section 111 agreement (including appended documents) and form of the planning obligations as set out in this report (Section 25), its addendums and the minutes of this Planning Board meeting

 

(iii)     Consider, in the event that the Section 111 Agreement is not completed within three (3) months of the date of this Planning Board resolution, whether consent should be refused on the grounds that the agreement has not been completed within the appropriate timescale, and that the proposals are unacceptable in the absence of the recommended planning obligations; and if the Assistant Director (Planning & Building Control) considers it appropriate, to determine the application with reasons for refusal which will include the following:

 

·    In the absence of a legal agreement to secure the necessary obligations regarding affordable housing, health and education infrastructure, transport and highway works, public transport enhancements, public realm improvements, employment and training, the development would fail to mitigate its impact on local services, amenities and infrastructure, environmental sustainability and open space contrary to policies H1, H4, H5, H7, H8, S2, SI 2, SI 3, T2, T4, T9 and DF1 of the London Plan (2021) and H3, H5, H(e), EA4, EA(c), OS1, E1, CH(a), IM1, IM4, IM(a) and IM(b) of the Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies (Adopted July 2014), and the Planning Obligations (s106) Guidance SPD (July 2015).

 

Minutes:

Councillor Pat Greenwell declared an interest in the application and removed herself from the Members table, taking no part in the determination of the application and stating that she would be addressing the Planning Board in objection to the proposal.

 

Planning Board noted the public submissions, in relation to the application, and accepted an illustrative presentation from the Planning Officer who advised that the play and open green area would be accessible to all residents of the development. The application would provide a degree of biodiversity net gain but as it was submitted prior to legislation requiring 10%. The locations of the new controlled crossing on Rochester Way would be agreed with the Highways Department. The number of objections received had reduced by, approx. 70% from the previous application ref: 21/4467/F.

 

The Planning Officer further confirmed that all the external cladding materials would be of non-combustible materials including terracotta tiles and would comply with post Grenfell fire regulations. The colour of the tiles could be amended, if required and submission of samples would be secured by planning condition.

 

Planning Board accepted an address from Councillor Pat Greenwell, Ward Councillor who, in objection to the proposal stated she believed that a lot of objections to the original proposal were signed by the Friends of Oxleas Woods due to the impact on the view from the Oxleas Woods café, which had been addressed.

 

Councillor Greenwell quoted the Planning Inspector, who rejected the appeal against refusal of consent for the 9-story proposal as “an alien urban feature, contrasting starkly with the surrounding character of the area”.

That at 7 stories it would still breach the Council’s tall buildings policy; would adversely affect the local character; and did not respect its setting in an area of special landscape character and green belt, the character of which would be adversely affected. The proposal was not sympathetic to the predominantly 1930s, architectural surroundings and would dominate the environment and adversely impact the amenities of residents of Riefield Road. There were a lot of public parks and woodlands in close proximity and used by children and adults and she felt that the on-site play provision of 671 m², in addition to the doorstep play, was excessive and could be utilised to design a lower building.

 

Councillor Greenwell stated that both she and residents supported the redevelopment of the site to provide affordable housing, but not a development of the current scale, which was excessive.

 

In response to Members comment that the Planning Inspector considered 7 storeys acceptable Councillor Greenwell expressed that, as it was not an urban area where 7 storeys would be acceptable. In respect of the play area, she felt there was sufficient existing green areas to use the on-site play area to reduce the development height.

 

At the request of the Chair, the Planning Officer explained a larger, lower development was considered but due to the proximity of flats to the A2 and railway line, as well as other limitations on the site, it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Minutes 16 April 2024 Planning Board pdf icon PDF 88 KB

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