Agenda item

Application for determination: -

 

Construction of Community and Recreation Centre, Adventure Playground building with associated external works, new play area, car park and associated vehicular access, and formation of vehicular access at Dickens Close.

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report detailing an application for the Construction of a Community and Recreation Centre, Adventure Playground building with associated external works, new play area, car park and associated vehicular access, and formation of vehicular access at Dickens Close.

 

Councillor Melvin briefly left the meeting during the Officer’s presentation, and therefore abstained from voting or discussing the item.

 

A local resident addressed the Committee in opposition to the application.

 

He objected to the application on the following grounds:

 

-        The existing play area already attracted a large amount of anti-social behaviour, which the application would add to;

-        The current site attracts a lot of criminal activity;

-        The Police had to deal with large amounts of anti-social behaviour, which was caused by the current use of the site, the granting of the application would add to this;

-        Littering concerns;

-        Vandalism of neighbouring properties;

-        Residents were not aware of the scale of the proposal until he told them;

-        Users of the site currently park on the driveways of the residents in the area;

-        There was loud music played from the site, which created noise pollution for residents.

 

 

The Chair of the White City Community Centre addressed the Committee in favour of the application.

 

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

 

-        The application from the start considered the health and wellbeing of the local residents and those who would be using the site;

-        There was a significant demand for indoor sports facilities in the area, that the application would help to provide;

-        It was a replacement for the St Aldates facility;

-        Sport England supported the application;

-        The proposal adopted would put the site far away from local houses, therefore mitigating potential noise pollution;

-        The creation of 40 parking spaces would help to alleviate parking issues in the area;

-        Gloucestershire Highways had no issues with the application;

-        The building proposed would be highly sustainable;

-        There has been a robust consultation with the Community, which had begun in 2015;

-        To prevent anti-social behaviour, security shutters would be installed;

-        The lighting would only operate in the dark when the building was in use.

-        CCTV would be used;

-        The building would be acoustically sealed all year round;

-        It would be complimentary to the Blackbridge scheme.

 

 

The Principal Planning Officer responded to members’ questions concerning whether the Police had been consulted as part of the application, whether there was neighbourhood representation on the Committee of the Community Centre, the number and location of properties that had been consulted on the application, the nature of the consultation, whether there were any objections by Gloucestershire Highways, the number of parking spaces, the surfacing materials which would be used in the car park, the type of trees which would be planted, the size of the building, whether there would be a lift on site, whether floodlights would be introduced and whether staff would stay overnight at the proposed build as follows:

 

-        The Police had not been contacted as part of the application.

-        The officer was unaware whether there was a neighbourhood representative on the Committee of the Community Centre.

-        99 Properties were notified, and press and site notices were published.

-        Gloucestershire Highways did not have any issues with the application, subject to the conditions outlined in the report.

-        There was not a condition to provide green surfacing for the car park currently. However, if the Committee requested it, the requirement for the applicant to obtain approval to surfacing materials for the car park could be introduced as an amendment on an existing condition. 

-        The trees that would be planted were ones requested by the Tree Officer who had looked at the application in depth.

-        The building would be two-storeys high.

-        There was a railing proposed to be installed. A larger fence to combat anti-social behaviour would likely not be in keeping with the character of the area.

-        The only column lights would be in the car park and road to the rear of the site. Should the applicant wish to introduce any additional floodlights, this would have to be a standalone application.

-        The installation of CCTV prior to first use of the building could be introduced as an additional condition if the Committee requested it.

-        There would be a lift.

-        The ‘staff accommodation in the upper floor’ referred to in paragraph 1.4 of the report meant was a catch all phrase for staff facilities, staff room etc. and staff would not sleep on the site.

 

Members’ Debate

 

Councillor Conder stated that she believed that the site could be used as a site for vandalism. She questioned whether grasscrete could be used in the car parking area.

 

Councillor Toleman stated that he agreed with the points raised during members questions by Councillor A.Chambers regarding the fact that there had only been a couple of objections during the consultation process.

 

Councillor Ackroyd noted that it may have been beneficial for the police to have been consulted with during the application process.

 

Councillor Tracey stated that she believed that a site visit may have been beneficial for this application.

 

Councillor A.Chambers stated that it was important to note that the application could only be judged on planning grounds. He stated that there were no issues regarding the street scene nor lighting in the area. He said that he would happily second Councillor Conders suggestion for grasscrete in the Car Park.

 

He added that three out of the five representations in response to the consultation process received had come from the same property and one of the five representations was a positive one. He stated that in relation to parking, 40 parking spaces were proposed, despite the car parking accumulation assessment that was undertaken using TRICS, showed that there was a requirement for 23. Therefore, it would potentially help with parking in the locality. He stated that he believed that it would not increase anti-social behaviour, and that it would potentially decrease it, as the increase of facilities would give children in the locality amenities to use, particularly during the school holidays. He stated that he believed that the application would be of great credit to the area.

 

The Vice-Chair stated that it was his belief that the introduction of CCTV would help to combat anti-social behaviour. He said that he believed that it was an excellent scheme.

 

Councillor D. Brown stated that he agreed with the Vice-Chair that the installation of CCTV would be beneficial, and he questioned whether it could be introduced before the site was used.

 

Councillor Conder stated that it may be a good idea if there was a graffiti wall on the site, so that local children could express themselves.

 

Councillor A.Chambers stated that the current site had previously operated a graffiti wall during the school holidays, which was highly successful.

 

The Chair moved, and the Vice-Chair seconded the Officer’s recommendation as set out in report, subject to an amendment to Condition 3 of it to require approval of surfacing materials for the car park, and the addition of a new condition requiring CCTV at the site prior to first use.

 

 

RESOLVED that: - planning permission is granted subject to the conditions in the report, including an amendment to Condition 3 of it to require approval of surfacing materials for the car park, and the addition of a new condition requiring CCTV at the site prior to first use.