Agenda item

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Councillor Toleman had declared a personal prejudicial interest in this application as a member of the Llanthony Secunda Priory Trust.

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report which detailed an application for the renewal of Gloucester Quays outline planning permission. Mixed use regeneration, comprising re-use of buildings and new build to accommodate residential, employment, retail and leisure uses and an education centre for Gloscat including enhancement works to listed buildings and Llanthony Priory together with public transport facilities, improvements to the road network including a new bridge over the canal and associated landscaping, car parking and servicing. 

He advised that the application was in effect a renewal of the 2004 scheme granted by the Secretary of State with several legal agreements and 73 conditions.

He also advised that having taken legal advice it was no longer considered necessary to refer the application to the National Planning Casework Unit and amended his recommendation accordingly.

Sarah Hawkins of Gloucester Quays LLP addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Ms Hawkins noted that it had always been intended to progress the development in phases and that renewal of the planning permission granted by the Government would mean that the later phases could be implemented.

She believed that the development made an important contribution to the City and advised that there was currently interest being expressed in some of the later phases.

The Environmental Statement had been updated with an additional section on ecology and the planning obligations remained relevant.

Councillor McLellan noted that there would be advantages in bringing the development forward as soon as possible although he believed that the hotel would be more involved and he expressed concerns regarding land in the ownership of the Bishop family which was currently an eyesore. The Principal Planning Officer advised that he had been informed by a prospective purchaser of that site that a contract had been signed and would be exchanged shortly, pending the clarification of one piece of information.

Councillor Hilton welcomed the application and hoped that the area would be regenerated within the five years of the permission sought. He expressed concerns that some Listed Buildings could be at risk and referred to the recent fire at a warehouse on Baker’s Quay. He hoped that the damaged building could be covered to prevent further deterioration.

The Principal Planning Officer referred to proposed conditions 3 and 4 which required the development to be started within five years from the date of this permission or within two years of the last of the reserved matters to be approved, whichever should be later and that an application for reserved matters should be made within eight years of the date of this permission.

Councillor Hobbs believed that the development would significantly tidy up land at Monk Meadow and around Sainsbury’s store and he hoped that Baker’s Quay would be resolved.

Councillor Noakes supported the application and believed that what had been achieved to date was an asset for the City and she noted that Peel Investments had invested in the City and were set to invest a great deal more in the future.

RESOLVED that the Development Control Manager be authorised to grant outline planning permission subject to the satisfactory completion of deeds of variation and/or additional legal agreements or undertakings in accordance with the terms set out in Paragraphs 6.70 to 6.74 of the report (subject to further negotiation on the necessity of the ‘College’ undertaking) and the conditions set out in the report.