Agenda item

Proposal

Application under Section 73A to vary Condition 5 and remove Condition 11 of WA/2018/0544 (Condition 5 limits works that can be done prior to construction of access bridge and Condition 11 limits lane closure times on the A31) to allow for the demolition of Brightwell Cottage and the tennis pavilion and the provision and collection of welfare facilities prior to the completion of the temporary construction bridge and to allow for the temporary 24 hour closure of a lane of the A31, to enable the construction of the bridge

Recommendation

That, subject to the consideration of the views of the Council’s Environmental Health Team and the County Highway Authority and subject to conditions 1-14 and informative 1, permission be GRANTED

Proposal

Application under Section 73A to vary Condition 5 and remove Condition 11 of WA/2018/0544 (Condition 5 limits works that can be done prior to construction of access bridge and Condition 11 limits lane closure times on the A31) to allow for the demolition of Brightwell Cottage and the tennis pavillion and the provision and collection of welfare facilities prior to the completion of the temporary construction bridge and to allow for the temporary 24 hour closure of a lane of the A31, to enable the construction of the bridge at  Site B , East Street Regeneration, East Street,  Farnham

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.

Officers drew Members attention to the update sheets. Officers advised that  since the agenda report was published, additional information has been received from the applicant in the form of a Technical Note prepared by Abley Letchford Partnership regarding the highway impacts of a 24 hour lane closure. The analysis showed that by operating a 24 hour lane closure, the construction programme could be reduced by approximately three quarters which in turn, resulted in a reduction in total cumulative delay of approximately 3,000 hours across the construction programme compared to a restricted lane closure. The County Highway Authority also confirmed that the 24 hour lane closure would allow for 10 hours of construction working per day between 8am and 6pm.

A further update was a response from the Council’s Environmental Health Team who raised no objection. There had been additional representations from the Farnham Society and Farnham Liberal Democrats. Amendments were also proposed to condition 1 and, in a separate update sheet, to conditions 6 and 14. Condition 6 was amended further verbally at the meeting.

Officers advised that planning permission was granted for a temporary two way construction access bridge in connection with the East St redevelopment in June 2018 (ref. WA/2018/0544). This application related to two conditions that were attached to the dual lane bridge permission – Conditions 5 and 11.  

Under the current terms of Condition 5, no development can take place on the main scheme until the bridge is completed. The application was for a Non- Material Amendment to Condition 5 of planning permission WA/2018/0544 to enable the demolition of Brightwell Cottage to occur prior to the completion of the bridge and the provision of on-site welfare facilities. Condition 11 was attached to the permission to ensure that the lane closure did not take place during peak traffic hours to reduce the impact on the highway network. The applicants were seeking to remove this condition to enable a 24 hour lane closure to take place during the construction of the bridge.

Public Speaking

There was no public speaking.

Debate

The Committee considered the application and raised concern about the closure of the road and the implications of this particularly for local businesses. Members expressed the frustration of members of the public who travelled on this road which, at peak hours, was particularly busy. When lanes had been shut before for other reasons traffic backed up to the far end of the Farnham by-pass. Officers advised that a highways report was submitted with the recently approved dual lane bridge application and traffic surveys undertaken to establish the current traffic flows along the A31 corridor at the location of the temporary construction access and at the nearby Hickley’s Corner signal junction. The survey showed that the actual traffic flows that have materialised on the highway network were lower than the forecasts used in the transport documents accompanying the two previous single lane bridge applications. It was considered that the original traffic flows continued to represent a robust assessment of the impact of the redevelopment proposals during the construction and operational phases and hence the findings of the original Transport Assessment and Environmental Statement remained valid. The Surrey County Highway Authority has been consulted on the application and raises no objection to the proposals.

The Committee asked about the disruption of a 24hour closure for close-by residents. Officers advised that although there would be a 24 hour lane closure, it was not proposed to have any night working on site and on this basis, the proposal was not considered to have a harmful impact on neighbouring residential amenity by way of noise and disturbance.

Although Members acknowledged that the 24hour road closure would speed up the completion of the bridge, it would impact local businesses on the lead up to Christmas. Consequently, an amendment was raised that it be delayed until 7^th January in order to ensure that there was no harmful impact on the vitality and viability of Farnham Town Centre. There were 11 in favour and 10 against so it was carried.

Following the end of debate, the Chairman moved to the amended recommendation to Grant which 18 were in favour, 1 against and 2 extensions. The verbal change to condition 6 had not been noted and put to the Committee, all voted in favour.

Decision

RESOLVED to GRANT planning permission subject to conditions 1-14 with amended condition 6 agreed at the meeting (replaces that amended in the update) and two additional conditions noted below and informative 1:

6.         The proposed access road including its junction with the A31 Farnham by-pass shall be closed and all kerbing verges, replacement trees, landscaping and highway margins shall be fully reinstated by the applicant, in a manner to be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority, by 30^th November 2022 or an alternative date to be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

15.       The unrestricted lane closure hereby approved shall not commence until 7 January 2019. Prior to this date, any traffic management requiring lane closures on the A31 by-pass shall not be implemented or take place before the hours of 9am or after 5pm Monday to Friday.

16.       Following completion of the surface water drainage scheme, as approved within the Construction Environmental Management Plan Rev 01 (dated 16/07/18) prepared by Crest Nicholson Operations Ltd, submitted in order to discharge condition 14 of planning permission WA/2018/0544, a verification report shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority confirming that the surface water drainage scheme has been completed in accordance with the approved details.