Agenda and minutes

The Chair reminded Councillors to declare any known interests in any of the matters to be considered by the Committee. No such declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th October 2020.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th October 2020, be confirmed and signed.

There were no public questions

In respect of application numbered S/19/1221 - Erection of a three-storey building to provide 9 no. flats and associated works including revised parking layout for the dental practice, Mayhew Dental, 19 Covingham Square, Covingham the Committee considered: -

            Name                                      Address/Organisation

            Dr. Rupal Gupta                     Applicant

Councillors Nick-Burns Howell, Nick Martin and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

The application can be broadly summarised as:

·        The application was for the erection of a three storey building comprising of nine flats and associated works including revised parking layout for the dental practice.

·        The site was located to the rear of Covingham Shopping Centre and currently comprised two buildings. The larger building to the east of the side was in use as a dental surgery and was to be retained, with the smaller building to the west side currently vacant and previously in use as a physiotherapy clinic and was to be demolished pave way for the proposed residential flatted block.

·        The application had been brought before the Committee at the request of Councillor Dale Heenan (Ward Councillor).

·        A number of issues had been raised including overdevelopment of the site, design, parking, loss of light, highway safety.

·        Following negotiations with the applicant a revised plan had been submitted responding to overdevelopment, design and flooding concerns raised by officers. The revisions involved reduction in number of units from 12 to 9, reduction in footprint of the proposed building to create adequate separation with the existing dental building, accommodate onsite parking, refuse collection and opportunity to retain existing trees and additional planting.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·        The applicant and her husband jointly owned the Mayhew Dental, a family business that not only serves the local and wider community.

·        The family took over the dental practice and bought the site nearly seven years previously.  

·        Although it was felt that the site was clearly underused it was decided to focus on providing the best dental care service possible.  

·        With the practice continuing to run successfully it was a good time to look at developing the site in a manner that would add to the quality of Covingham.  

·        The development had been given careful consideration as the dental practice would remain on site and the design and quality of what to be provided would not compromise our successful dental business. 

·        At all stages through the process, the design has been developed in consultation with Council officers and their recommendations have been taken on board with the project being adapted accordingly.

·        There will be a direct route now through the site which will also make the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

In respect of application numbered S/20/0851 - Change of use from light industrial workshops (Use Class B1(c)) to 3no. residential dwellings (Use Class C3), Workshops, Manor Farm, Manor Farm Lane the Committee considered: -

            Name                                      Address/Organisation

            Hilary Evans                           Agent

Councillors Junab Ali and Stan Pajak spoke in respect of this application.

The application can be broadly summarised as:

·        The application has been brought before the Planning Committee at the request of the Parish Council who raised water capacity and drainage issues with the proposed development.

·        The concerns of the Parish Council had been addressed with proposed conditions tabled at the meeting who had agreed additional conditions and had withdrawn their objection.

·        The application was the change of use from light industrial workshops to 3no. dwellings and had recently refused permission due to noise and ecology reasons.

·        The current application was a resubmission of the same proposal with an attempt to overcome the noise and ecology reasons for refusal and subject to appropriate conditions, officers were now satisfied the reasons for refusal for the previous scheme have now been adequately addressed.

Submissions supporting the application can be broadly summarised as:

·        The applicants had operated a gardening company from the workshops for over twenty years.

·        The business was now winding down and the future use of the buildings was being considered.

·        Whilst a change of use to residential development would normally be permitted development the wording of the original consent meant that planning permission was required.

·        An application was submitted in 2019 was refused due to a lack of information relating to ecology and noise.

·        Following this a number of issues raised during the earlier application had been diligently addressed with a bat survey and undertaking an approved acoustic assessment.  Officers were content with these outcomes.

·        Parish Councils regarding drainage and fresh water had been addressed through conditions; in addition a water pressure test had been undertaken which confirmed that water pressure on site was excellent.

·        There had never been issues of flooding or standing water on site which would be further helped by the removal of a large area of concrete and 20% of the building footprint which will further improve drainage on-site.

·        The completion of the Bellway homes site and new sewerage pump on the hotel site would also improve the sewerage infrastructure once it was adopted by Thames Water.

·        The applicant agreed to the proposed condition pertaining to the application.

Resolved – That the application be granted subject to the conditions set out in the agenda papers and the additional conditions tabled.

The Director of Strategic Development submitted a report seeking for a Development Brief for the Groundwell Park & Ride Site, Cricklade Road, Swindon.

Resolved – (1) That, subject to a minor change to the document to (a) provide equal prominence to the current use of the park and ride site as a potential future use, and (b) a change of paragraph 4.1 of the Directors report to read “Any redevelopment scheme coming forward for the Site would still be subject to the statutory planning application process, with the exception of Park and Ride usage which currently has planning permission” the Development Brief attached as Appendix 1 of the report for the Groundwell Park and Ride Site, Cricklade Road, Swindon for development control purposes be approved; and

(2) That the Director of Strategic Development be authorised to make minor typographical and presentational changes to the content of the document before publication, including updating the report to reflect the expectations detailed in paragraph 2.20 of the report.