Agenda item

Approved subject to conditions.

The Area Planning Officer (West) outlined the application for the reserved matters application for access, layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for two warehouse and distribution units including ancillary officers, landscaping, access, parking and associated infrastructure.  Outline planning permission for the site had been approved in 2019 with permission for 4 units.

This application would be for 2 units, situated within an established industrial estate consisting of large industrial B8 units.  Redevelopment of the site, associated parking and HGV and proposed new access.  The application included landscaping details, and the adjacent mature trees, assisted the mitigation of the visual impact on the landscape.

The units would be smaller than the original warehouses, under 18m in height, and were designed to maximise the use of natural light within the warehouse as the roof design included transparent panels thus reducing the reliance on electricity for lighting.

Provision of parking would include Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) spaces, accommodation of cycles, motors, and disabled spaces.

In response to Members’ enquiries, the Area Planning Officer (West) advised that the graduated cladding of the buildings would not be dissimilar to the neighbouring buildings and would be designed to break up the façade.  Members could include a condition that the building colours were matched.

As the application was for a previously developed site, there would be limited options for additional landscaping, other than that set out.  There would be a provision of Sustainable Drainage System and damp areas.  The site had an area of natural landscape within the site where there could be opportunity for improvement.

With regard to the absence of renewable technology, the Senior Manager, Development Management advised that a stipulation to include the provision of solar panels would require a change in planning policy.  Either nationally and/or at a local level, across all three adopted Local Plan 2’s.

Justin Gartland, the applicant addressed the Committee and advised that the application would generate economic development on a vacant brownfield site.  The application included a Travel Plan to deliver sustainable methods of travel.

Further to enquiries regarding the provision of solar panels the applicant advised that the occupants of the building may not want them.  There were additional loading costs associated with them as the roofs would need to be strengthened.  The transparent panels reduced energy costs associated with the building.

The cladding of the buildings would have a more graduated palette than the neighbouring building.  The colour palette on the drawing may have rendered 

darker in print than building specification.  The general principle for the tones, had been considered in relation to landscape with the aim reduce the visual impact.

In response to Members’ enquiries, the Area Planning Officer (West) advised that the comments from Members were taken on board with regard to the colour palette and undertook to ascertain what conditions for noise mitigation had been included in the outline planning application.

Councillor David James proposed that Officers’ advice to approve the application be accepted, the proposition was seconded by Councillor Ken Pritchard and on being put to the meeting was declared carried with 9 voting in favour and 1 abstention.

RESOLVED:

That the Assistant Director for Planning be given delegated powers to grant permission, subject to:

1.     Conditions set out in the report (and any amendments to those conditions as deemed necessary); and

2.     Receipt of satisfactory graduated colour palette for the buildings cladding.