Application Number: 18/P4361      Ward: Wimbledon Park

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions.

PAC Resolved that application 18/P4361 is:

Granted Planning Permission subject to Conditions.

Proposal: Single storey side extension to existing building to provide additional workshop space.

The Committee noted the officers report and presentation and additional information in the Supplementary Agenda-Modifications

The Committee received  verbal representations from one objector to the application, the Applicant’s Agent and the Ward Councillor Ed Gretton.

The Objector made points including:

·         Currently all access to the site is via Wellington Road, there is no history of access via Dawlish Avenue, which is a residential road

·         Dawlish Avenue,  is a residential cul-de-sac, commercial traffic would be dangerous for the children who play on the road and also for the families who use the road for access to the primary schools and recreation ground

·         The Council have already identified risk in this area, and access to this site was deemed dangerous in the 2018 application

The Applicant’s agent made points including:

·         A similar application on the Wellington Road Industrial Estate last year received no objections

·         This development is acceptable under the policies for scattered employment.

·         No harm will be caused by the proposal, and there will be no impact on residential amenity

·         Highways officers raised no objections as the proposal will generate only one additional movement per hour.

The Planning Team Leader North, reminded the Committee of the following points:

·         The 2017 application for this site included 24 residential units. Officers refused this scheme and successfully defended their decision at Appeal

·         However the current application does not include any residential units.

·         The application site has a lawful industrial use class, and this application is for an extension to this lawful use.

·         The current lawful usage includes both accesses – Wellington Road and Dawlish Avenue

·         This application would only generate one additional journey per hour

The Ward Councillor, Ed Gretton, made comments including:

·         Referring to the 2018 application, the Inspector found that an increase in capacity was difficult and that one of the accesses is very narrow and busy

·         Dawlish Avenue has not been used as an access for several decades. It is too narrow, and a risk to children who play on the road

·         All residents say this proposal will not work.

·         There is an ongoing concern about the hours of use, omitted from this application

In reply to Member’s questions, the Planning Team Leader North made comments including:

·         The access to Dawlish Avenue varies in width but it is clearly narrow and single vehicle width, but a truck could access.

·         The existing site is currently vacant, but its use class still stands.

·         Highways engineers have calculated that the additional space created by this proposal would generate one additional journey per hour for eight hours. This calculation is established practice and is based on the current lawful use of the site

·         Hours of use are currently unrestricted and Officers think it would be unreasonable to add these.

·         Highways Officers did not raise any safety issues with regard to this specific application.

·         The 2018 application for residential units is yet to be determined

·         The use of both access road is currently allowed and lawful, it would be very difficult to defend a refusal based on dangerous access. The 2017 application was not refused on these grounds

Members commented that they were unhappy with the application and felt that it would affect traffic and Highway Safety in the area, particularly for vehicles accessing and exiting the site.

A motion to refuse was proposed and seconded for the reason of Highway Safety, but this was not carried by the vote.

The Committee voted on the Officer recommendation to Approve but this was not carried by the vote.

The Chair reminded members that they could not refuse an application  without valid reason for the refusal.

However Members did not propose further reasons for refusal, but indicated that they would vote again on the previously proposed motion to refuse

Members voted again on the motion to refuse for reasons of Highway Safety and again this was not carried. The Chair returned to the vote on the Officer Recommendation to Approve and this was then carried by the vote.

RESOLVED

The Committee voted to GRANT Planning Permission subject to conditions and S106 agreement