Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 1^st November, 2022.

RESOLVED that: - the minutes of the meeting held on the 1st of November 2022 were confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Please note that any late material in respect of the applications detailed below will be published as a supplement on the Council’s website in the late afternoon of the day before the meeting. Additional late material will be uploaded as a supplement on the Council’s website on the day of the meeting, should further relevant representations be received thereafter.

Late material had been circulated in relation to agenda item 5 – Great Western Road Yard/Sidings (22/00770/FUL) and agenda item 6 – Gloucester Royal Hospital, Great Western Road (22/01141/FUL).

Application for determination:

Residential development of 315 dwellings (comprised of apartment blocks and houses) and formation of new accesses, with associated landscaping, parking, open space and ancillary works including demolition of existing buildings.

He stated that the application should be granted on the following grounds:

-       The applicant had worked constructively with officers and consultees.

-       The scheme had been amended when required.

-       The application was before committee a couple of weeks after the adoption of the updated City Plan.

-       Only two parties had objected to the application, which was rare for an application as large as the one before Committee. This showed the support the local community had for the scheme.

-    It is a sustainable edge centre location.

-    There significant abnormal costs which impacts on the delivery of affordable housing.

-       A decision to grant the application would support the plan led system and would deliver 315 needed properties for Gloucester.

-       The capacity was increased from 200 to 300 at the City Plan Examination. 

-       Granting of the scheme would provide a third of the housing laid out in the recently adopted City Plan.

-    The Officer report explained how it met key requirements for dwellings.

-       26 affordable housing units would be provided.

-       The application would allow for the long-awaited redevelopment of a derelict site.

Members’ Questions 

The Principal Planning Officer responded to Members’ questions concerning issues raised about pedestrian crossing on Horton Road and Great Western Road, whether a condition to install a pedestrian refuge on Great Western Road could be included as part of the application, gull mitigation measures, use of the sidings, maintenance of boundary treatments, educational contributions to a local primary school, knotweed, how many electric charging points there were, disabled access , tree maintenance, noise at the site, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the nature of the notification process, bin storage, tree maintenance and the public open space as follows:

-       Gloucestershire Highways had assessed the site in detail and did not deem a pedestrian crossing on Great Western Road or Horton Road necessary.

-       Pedestrians would cross Great Western Road to get to the hospital. There is an existing crossing further up Great Western Road.

-       Condition 30 of the report stipulated that Gull Mitigation Measures needed to be put in place prior to the first occupation within the individual flat blocks.

-       Regarding the use of the sidings, the applicant had liaised with Network Rail and had stated that they had quite a low use, by tamper vehicles. The Council’s environmental health consultant was satisfied with the impact.

-       Concerning the boundary treatments, there was a condition that required approval of Boundary treatments or means of enclosure.

-       The County Council had made a request for £1,507,940 to St Peters Primary School and/or Barton/Tredworth Primary planning area and/or other schools within the statutory walking distance. Widden Primary School likely would have fallen under one of these categories. However, contributions were linked with the viability of being able to provide said contributions and the applicant was not offering any contributions in relation to education. This said, the applicant had made the offer of providing 26 affordable housing units.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

Application for determination:

Proposal to carry out facade works, including replacing windows, to the elevations of the tower at Gloucester Royal Hospital.

The Planning Officer presented the report detailing an application to carry out facade works, including replacing windows, to the elevations of the tower at Gloucester Royal Hospital.

A senior project officer for GMS addressed the committee in favour of the application on behalf of the application.

She stated that the application should be granted on the following grounds:

-          The Façade works would improve energy performance and improve the appearance of the building

-       The glazing of the windows would trap heat and lead to better patient comfort.

-       There CO2 emissions reduction for the proposed development would be up to 70%.

-       All materials for the build during construction would be hoisted from a platform above ground level.

-       The provider was a well

-       The windows would be triple glazed and high performance.

-       The cladding was non-combustible

-       The panels would protect from weather deterioration.

-       The cladding was independently certified by a fire engineer.

-       The system would have a 100 year life span, the first major maintenance would not required for 60 years.

-       The colour scheme had a neutral pallet which designed to blend in with the skyline to allow for clearer views of landmarks, such as Gloucester Cathedral.

-       The current building was tired and the granting of the application would combat this.

Members’ Questions

-       The public were not consulted about the colour scheme specifically. However, 213 properties were notified of the application in full and there was no mention of the colour scheme by any member of the public nor any objection generally.

-       The matt aluminium panels 7046 (Grey) to the vertical faces and matt aluminium panels in RAL 9006 (Silver) to projecting faces over the existing external concrete elevations. In addition, the current windows which consists of a mix of brown aluminium and white metals would be replaces with composite windows with aluminium faces in RAL 7016 (Dark Grey).

-       There were no solar panels proposed as part of the application.

Members’ Debate

Councillor Melvin stated that she was excited about the application.

Councillor Tracey said that she believed that the proposed colour of the building would blend in well with the backdrop and that she supported the application.

Councillor Conder noted that other projects in the area had a brighter colour scheme and that she believed that the pale grey finish was a tasteful one.

The Chair stated that he liked the colour of the scheme.

The Chair moved and the Vice-Chair seconded the officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED that: - planning permission is GRANTED subject to the conditions outlined in the report.

To consider a schedule of applications determined under delegated powers during the months of November and December 2022.

Councillor J.Brown pointed out an administrative error in a delegated decision. The Planning Development Manager stated that he would follow this up.

The schedule of applications determined under delegated powers during the months of November and December 2022 was noted.

RESOLVED that: - the schedule be noted.  

Tuesday 7^th March, 2023 at 6pm at Civic Suite, North Warehouse.

Tuesday 7th March, 2023 at 6pm at Civic Suite, North Warehouse.