Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 September 2019 (to be laid on the table half an hour before the meeting).

The minutes of the meeting which took place on 25 September 2019 were confirmed and signed.

To receive apologies for absence.

Where a Member of the Committee is unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Area Planning Committee may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.

Members are advised that in order for a substitute to be arranged, a Member must give four clear working days notice of their apologies. For this meeting, the latest date apologies can be given for a substitute to be arranged is Wednesday 23 October 2019.

There were apologies for absence from Councillors Brian Adams, Sally Dickson, George Hesse, Daniel Hunt and Penny Rivers.

To receive from Members declarations of interests in relation to any items included on the Agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

All Councillors declared a non-pecuniary interest in the applications on the agenda as they had visited the site on a number of occasions.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from members of the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

The deadline for receipt of questions is 5pm on Wednesday 23 October 2019.

There were no questions from members of the public.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from Members in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.

The deadline for receipt of questions is 5pm on Wednesday 23 October 2019.

There were no questions from Councillors.

Officers to update the Committee on any changes to the planning environment of which they should be aware when making decisions.

There were no relevant updates to Government guidance or legislation since the last meeting.

Proposal

Hybrid application consisting of a Full Application for the erection of Buildings C, D and Energy Centre to provide approximately 6,400 sq. m. of floor space for Design and Engineering use (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) together with car parking, landscaping and associated works. Outline application for the erection of 4 additional buildings (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) including Design Headquarters; Layout and Scale to be determined at Outline. This application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement Addendum which is supplementary to the original Dunsfold Park ES submitted under WA/2015/2395

Recommendations

.

Proposal

WA/2018/2032 - Hybrid application consisting of a Full Application for the erection of Buildings C, D and Energy Centre to provide approximately 6,400 sq. m. of floor space for Design and Engineering use (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) together with car parking, landscaping and associated works. Outline application for the erection of 4 additional buildings (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) including Design Headquarters; Layout and Scale to be determined at Outline. This application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement Addendum which is supplementary to the original Dunsfold Park ES submitted under WA/2015/2395 at  Land North Of The Runway Extension, Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill,  Cranleigh

Decisions

Decision A                   RESOLVED that permission be APPROVED subject to completion of a legal agreement by 30/01/2020 to secure a cap on vehicular movements, highway sustainability improvements and travel plan auditing fee, and subject to conditions 1-3 and 5 – 38 as set out on the agenda report.

Decision B                   RESOLVED that permission be REFUSED if the requirements of decision A are not met.

Proposal

WA/2018/2032 - Hybrid application consisting of a Full Application for the erection of Buildings C, D and Energy Centre to provide approximately 6,400 sq. m. of floor space for Design and Engineering use (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) together with car parking, landscaping and associated works. Outline application for the erection of 4 additional buildings (Mix of B use Classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution) including Design Headquarters; Layout and Scale to be determined at Outline. This application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement Addendum which is supplementary to the original Dunsfold Park ES submitted under WA/2015/2395 at  Land North Of The Runway Extension, Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill,  Cranleigh

With reference to the report circulated with the agenda, Officers presented a summary of the planning context for making a decision on the application, and then outlined the proposed development including site plans and the layout. Officers outlined the determining issues and those matters of a more subjective nature.

The Committee was advised that since the agenda papers had been published there had been no comments to the amendments from Dunsfold Parish Council. Furthermore, condition 4 was deleted as the condition relating to a cap on vehicular movements within the wider Aerodrome site would be addressed through a legal agreement rather than condition. This was because the applicant was not the landowner for the site.

The Committee noted that the application was originally reported to the Joint Planning Committee on the 23^rd April 2019. The committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to the completion of a legal agreement to secure highway sustainability improvements and travel plan auditing fee.

The original proposal, submitted by Gordon Murray Design Limited, related to the construction of a new headquarters building providing a mix of B use classes to comprise Use Classes B1 Business and B8 Storage and distribution.

Since that time, the wider masterplan for Dunsfold Park had evolved, including developing an alternative access road to the access approved (in outline form) under WA/2015/2395. There was a concurrent application on the agenda for the proposed road (WA/2019/1278). These developments had necessitated alterations to the siting of the buildings pursuant to the proposal. Rather than proceed to determination of the application in line with the previous recommendation, the applicant had submitted amended plans. The amendments involved re-positioning the proposed buildings up to 6m further north, together with alterations to the layout of the car park and associated landscaping.

Public speaking

There was no public speaking.

Debate

The Committee considered the application and raised concern about light spill into the woodland. Officers advised that they were seeking a lighting strategy to the north of the site.

Councillor Liz Townsend asked about the ecology of the site. She had abstained previously on the outline application as there was no information received on this. She was advised that Natural England had been consulted but no further comments had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

Proposal

Construction of a new access road including associated landscaping and infrastructure from the A281 (to serve existing commercial uses and new settlement permitted by WA/2015/2395).

Recommendation

That, subject to conditions, permission be GRANTED.

Proposal

WA/2019/1278 - Construction of a new access road including associated landscaping and infrastructure from the A281 (to serve existing commercial uses and new settlement permitted by WA/2015/2395) at  Runway Extension, Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill,  Cranleigh

Decision

RESOLVED that permission be APRROVED subject to amended conditions 5, 8 and 16 in the update sheet, and conditions 1-4, 6-7 and 9-15 on the agenda report.

Proposal

WA/2019/1278 - Construction of a new access road including associated landscaping and infrastructure from the A281 (to serve existing commercial uses and new settlement permitted by WA/2015/2395) at  Runway Extension, Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill,  Cranleigh

With reference to the report circulated with the agenda, Officers presented a summary of the planning context for making a decision on the application, and then outlined the proposed development including site plans and the layout. Officers outlined the determining issues and those matters of a more subjective nature.

The Committee was advised that since the agenda papers had been published there had been some minor amendments to conditions 5, 8 and 16.

The Committee was advised that permission was sought for the construction of a new access road including associated landscaping and infrastructure from the A281 to serve existing commercial uses and new settlement permitted by WA/2015/2395. The proposal would provide an alternative, improved access, to that shown to serve the new settlement previously.

There were design benefits to the scheme, through providing a clear legible entrance to the site (both as existing and as a future new settlement) and a landscape strategy which reflected the site’s history of the aerodrome. The proposal would deliver significant benefits in highway safety and capacity terms for existing and future site users,  improved connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists onto the A281, and better access for emergency vehicles. The proposal would benefit the delivery of a new mixed use settlement at Dunsfold Park (as allocated by Policy SS7) by providing a new access into the site which involveed significantly less physical landscape impacts, and avoided areas of constraint associated with the previous access for WA/2015/2395.

These benefits would significantly outweigh the landscape impacts associated with the introduction of a formal piece of infrastructure and landscaping, within an informal farmland landscape.

Public speaking

This was not a public speaking item.

Debate

The Committee considered the application and was pleased with the design and landscaping. There was concern that 12weeks until closure was too long and considered whether or not it should be less. It was accepted though that there would be a period of adjustment and it was considered a reasonable amount of time.

It was agreed that there were design benefits to the scheme, through providing a clear legible entrance to the site (both as existing and as a future new settlement) and a landscape strategy which reflected the site’s history of the aerodrome. The proposal would deliver significant benefits in highway safety and capacity terms for existing and future site users, improved connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists onto the A281, better access for emergency vehicles. The proposal would benefit the delivery of a new mixed use settlement at Dunsfold Park (as allocated by Policy SS7) by providing a new access into the site which involves significantly less physical landscape impacts, and avoided areas of constraint associated with the previous access for WA/2015/2395. These benefits would significantly outweigh the landscape impacts associated with the introduction of a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.