Agenda item

Ward:  Southwater North

Applicant:  Francis Pulvermacher, Christ’s Hospital School

The Head of Development & Building Control reported that this application sought permission for various additional sports and recreation facilities, as detailed in the report, additional car parking and landscaping. 

Members were advised of two corrections to the report:  the time period sought for the commencement of the development set out in Condition 2 was to be five years, not three; and, at paragraph 1.18, the net increase of eight metres in hedgerows was between the initial proposal in 2018 and the current scheme.  The actual increase in hedgerow length would be some 553 metres.

The application was a re-submission of application DC/19/1149, which had been refused on landscape grounds by the Committee in September 2019 (Minute No PCN/34 (03.09.19) refers.).  The applicant had sought to address the reason for refusal by submitting a further Landscape and Visual Appraisal.  The re-submitted scheme was very similar to the refused one, with additional tree planting, as recommended in the LVA, and 47 electric vehicle charging points.

The applicants had also lodged an appeal.  This had been delayed until November and the current application sought a quicker less costly route to obtaining permission.

The application site was located outside and adjacent to the built-up area boundary of Christ’s Hospital. It was grassland used for sports pitches in the summer months in the northern part of the school campus. The sports centre was used by the school and members of the public.  Properties in Barnes Wallis Avenue and Bluecoat Ponds were close to the northwest boundary.  

The Parish Council objected to the application.  There had been 26 representations objecting to the application, one neutral, and two in support. Two of the objections had been received since publication of the report; these related to issues addressed in the report. Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application. The applicant, applicant’s agent and the applicant’s Transport Consultant all addressed the Committee in support of the proposal.  

Members noted the planning history of the site and considered the consultation responses and the officer’s planning assessment.  Key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development and assessment of the benefits; landscape impacts and trees; design, layout and specification of the proposed facilities; heritage; highways considerations; amenity impact including noise and lighting; drainage; and ecology. 

Members assessed the benefits of the scheme to both the school and wider community and weighed these against a number of concerns raised by Councillors and members of the public. 

Whilst it was acknowledged that the Highways Authority had not objected, Members were concerned at the impact of traffic generated by the scheme, including the impact of construction traffic and of large occasional events that may be arranged by the school.  The need to address drainage concerns was also discussed.

A number of amendments to the conditions attached to the report were proposed to address these concerns. The proposal was seconded.  Members concluded that with these amended and additional conditions the proposal was acceptable.

It was also agreed that an Informative would be added to the decision notice requesting that the applicant work positively with the Highways Authority and Horsham District Council to investigate cycle and pedestrian safety improvement solutions should evidence demonstrate that the development was impacting on users of the nearby roads.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/21/1524 be granted subject to the following amendments and additions to the conditions as set out in the report:

i)        Condition 2 to be amended to a 5-year commencement.

ii)       The details pursuant to Conditions 4 (Construction Environment Management Plan) and 13 (Event Management Plan) to be agreed in consultation with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Local Members

iii)      The addition of a surface water drainage condition, with the details to be agreed in consultation with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Local Members.

iv)      The addition of a condition to prevent the importation of spoil (soil and other fill materials) onto the site.

v)      The details pursuant to Condition 18 (cycle parking) to be agreed in consultation with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Local Members.