Minutes - Environment committee - 20 September 2021
Minutes of a meeting of the Environment committee held at the Bracebridge Heath Library on 20th September 2021 at 19:00
Present: Cllrs Broad, Manders, Smith, Trought
In attendance: Mr Pete Tuckerman – Deputy Clerk to Council.
No members of public were present.
1. To consider apologies and accept valid reasons for absence – It was Resolved: That apologies from Cllr Walker be accepted.
2. To receive members’ declarations of disclosable pecuniary, non-disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests in relation to any agenda item – It was Resolved: That Cllr Trought declared a non-registerable interest in Planning Application 21 1234 HOUS as the location is very near to a family member. Cllr Manders declared an other-registerable interest in agenda item 6 – Remembrance Sunday.
3. To confirm the minutes of the Environment committee held on 16th August 2021 - It was Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 16th August 2021 be approved and signed as a true copy by the chairman.
4. To consider planning applications –
21 1117 HOUSE – 2 Red Hall Farm Lane - No comments or objection from Bracebridge Heath Parish Council
21 1151 FUL – Red Hall Farm - It was Resolved: That no further objections be submitted from Bracebridge Heath Parish Council however the following condition should be retained.:
The garage with the gymnasium above it is not to be used as a dwelling or a business
21 1194 FUL - The Old Brickyard – It was Resolved: That no objections be raised from Bracebridge Heath Parish Council however the following condition should be note:
This application is to be labelled as temporary and a date is set for the removal of the hut.
21 1383 HOUS - 4 Kennedy Road - No comments or objection from Bracebridge Heath Parish Council
21 1234 HOUS - 4 Lancia Crescent - No comments or objection from Bracebridge Heath Parish Council
21 1261 PNND - Cross O’Cliff Court – It was Resolved: That the council objects to the application and asks that NKDC refuse this application at the present time. The Parish Council also requests that the developer thinks again about the small size of the flats and seriously considers the issue of providing personal outside space to the flats and easy access to that space. The following questions and comments were made.
Overdevelopment of the buildings (Layout and density of buildings)
The very small square meterage of the proposed flats especially the studio flats and those in Block A
Lack of personal open space. Each ground floor flat could open onto its own courtyard in Block B and the same for the one storey section of Block A
The fact that to exit, residents will have to walk along long narrow corridors
The distance to the refuse bins appears to be a long way and the storage of these bins is contained within the building. This raises safety questions regarding ventilation and fire protection.
There is no accessibility for less mobile occupants.
What are the large storage areas for? What will be stored in them?
Will these storage areas continue to be used by the NHS?
Highway issues
Parking. Although there are car parks there is no evidence that residents will be able to use them, and the major car park is only accessible via the EMAS road.
The entrance to this site close to main traffic lights is not suitable for the amount of traffic which will be generated by this development potentially leading got accidents, what is in place to mitigate this?
Is parking available as EMAS?
Will parking be allocated? And where are the facilities for charging electric cars?
Deficiencies in social facilities
School places
Doctor facilities
Community buildings
It would be expected that 2 and 3 bedroomed flats occupants will have children. There are no play facilities within the required distances e.g. young children play facilities (LEAP) and indeed there are no outside play facilities for any of the proposed properties.
Noise disturbance from surrounding business
EMAS is used 24/7 and is worked on shift patterns. The flats to the North and East will have continual disturbance through the night from people coming to and going from work including car noise. The northern flats will have continual noise from traffic accessing the car park behind the building.
No evidence of how the noise from the internal corridors will be mitigated from other residents.
Landscaping
There is no evidence of how the areas involved will be landscaped.
Will the site have a permanent fence around the flats, or will it be left totally open so that non-residents can enter.
How will the site be managed and maintained?
Climate change.
No evidence of features to do with improving the insulation of the buildings especially the flat roofed buildings
Additional Questions.
Council would also like to know with this amount of flats, how many will fall under the ‘affordable housing’ umbrella?
The house and attached small garden are non-designated heritage buildings of some significance to Bracebridge Heath and council wishes to see a sympathetic development of that building (part of Block B) to conserve as many of the original features left inside and outside of that that building as possible to ensure it retains that importance.
Council stated that they are saddened by the loss of employment opportunity from this site and the fact that no attempt appears to have been made to replace like with like, i.e., offices.
5. To receive a report on planning decisions received – A written report was received and accepted.
6. To receive an update on Remembrance Day Planning and consider any action – A written report was received.
It was Resolved: That officers would agree the 2021 Remembrance Sunday arrangements with Rev’d Bell in the coming weeks.
The decision and arrangements would be confirmed at the next meeting of the Environment committee on 18th October 2021.
7. To review the training requirements for the Environment Committee. –- It was agreed that officers would investigate availability of training for environmental matters.
8. To consider tree planting locations by the Events Group. – It was noted that NKDC had given permission for the Events Group and the Parish Council to plant trees on land owned by NKDC.
It was Resolved: That the Events group be given permission to begin work to establish a community garden on land between the Homestead and the Hospital Cottages.
The Events Group had requested volunteers for tree planting and the community garden project. Officers would look at feasibility of removing spikes from the iron railings as part of this project.
9. To consider requests for new street furniture – The committee discussed areas of land that might benefit from additionalseating. No decisions were made.
10. To consider the reduction of the stump in Woodland Walk – It was agreed that a quote would be obtained for stump grinding in the woodland walk.
11. To consider the upkeep of bus shelters – It was agreed that officers would investigate the possibility of painting murals on the bus shelters through Arts NK. Officers would also contact the local primary school and preschool to discuss their involvement in such a project.
12. Items for the agenda of the next committee meeting – Planning applications.
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 20:24
Signed_______________________________Chairman 18th October 2021