Agenda item

Application for determination.

Contact: Development Control Tel: (01452) 396783

Councillor McLellan had declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in agenda item 6, application 15/00836/FUL as he knew the applicant.

The Principal Planning Officer presented her report which detailed an application for the variation of conditions 2, 16 and 17 of planning permission ref. 14/00288/FUL to introduce opaque windows (openable in emergencies only) in the rear and side elevation and to revise the permitted working hours (office/admin working 07.00 -22.00 Monday to Sunday including Bank Holidays, workshop/stores 07.00 – 18.00 Monday to Saturday and servicing hours 07.00 – 18.30 Monday to Saturday at Unit G1, The Aquarius Centre, Edison Close. 

She advised that planning permission had been granted for a revised layout of Unit G in October 2014. This had contained a number of restrictive conditions as the identity of the potential tenant was not known. The proposed tenant was Hewer FM Ltd who currently occupied premises in Hatherley Road.

This application sought variations of conditions 2, 16 and 17 of that permission. It was intended to incorporate an office area within the unit and to introduce windows in the rear and side elevations of the building to provide natural light for the offices. The proposed windows would be obscure-glazed for three-quarters of their height with a clear top section and they would only be opened in an emergency.

She displayed a section drawing showing the relationship between a person 5’ 9” in height and the obscure glazing and she indicated that a person would have to be approximately 6’ 7” tall to see out through the clear section of the windows.

The application also sought to vary the permitted hours of operation as the general intended hours would be from 07.00 – 18.30 but a small number of office staff would be able to work to 22.00 in order to support a team of service engineers. These engineers worked from home and were not despatched from the premises.

She noted that the nearest residence was approximately 27.915 metres from the unit and 20 metres to the garden boundary.

She advised Members that an additional condition was proposed to ensure that the roller doors were to remain closed unless to provide ingress and egress.

The Chair believed that in view of the obscure glazing, screening and distance, there would be no problems and he was comfortable with the proposed variation in working hours.

Councillor Dee expressed concern about restricting the use of roller doors particularly in summer. The Chair stated that air-conditioning could be deployed.

The Environmental Health section had received no recent complaints regarding the Company’s present premises in Hatherley Road which was an historic employment site with no restrictions.

Councillor Smith advised that she had grown up near those premises and the only issue had been the parking of vans in nearby streets.

RESOLVED that permission be granted subject to the conditions contained in the report and the following:-

Condition

The up and over doors as indicated on drawing no. 7410/PL04b  shall remain closed at all times unless ingress or egress is required to the units.

Reason

To protect the amenity of local residents in accordance with Policy BE.21 of the Second Deposit City of Gloucester Local Plan (2002).