Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Mr N Brown and Mr D Shakespeare.

To disclose any Personal, Disclosable or Prejudicial Pecuniary Interests.

There were none.

The minutes of the meeting of the Development Control Committee held on 2 December 2019 to be confirmed as a correct record.

RESOLVED: The minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2019 were AGREED as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

Mr J Suter, Planning Graduate, provided an overview of the report and highlighted the addendum (appended to the minutes) which contained an objection from Chiltern District Council.  The following site photos were presented to the committee to give an overview of the planned cycleway:

• Amersham School from above
• Site plan of the school
• Suggested route of cycleway required by condition 6
• Site access towards the school demonstrating a steep hill with access via stairs
• The intended cycleway route
• The current condition of the pavement
• The roundabout subject of the scheme required by condition 6

Mr Suter reminded committee members of the section 73 application which sought the demolition of an existing defunct dining hall in poor condition to be replaced with a single storey and two storey classroom extension.  The original application was submitted to accommodate an increased number of staff.  The terms of the permission granted included condition 6 which required the implementation of a new cycle way/ footpath. 

Members of the committee raised and discussed the following points:

• 60% of students either walked to school or travelled by bus.
• It was estimated that the cycleway would be used by 29 students.
• It would be difficult to predict the future level of usage of the cycleway based on past usage.  However previous data could be used for forecasting and to identify trends.  There was not a significant uptake of cycling due to the geography of the area. 
• The gradient of the hill was approximately 4%.
• Chiltern District Council was in favour of the implementation of the cycle way.  There was an emphasis on making routes to school sustainable and safe.  
• Committee members agreed that a priority should be given to sustainable modes of travelling to school. 

Committee members highlighted that in some places the report was difficult to understand and that it would be a lot easier to read if sentences were worded in a positive frame.  Clarification was given by officers that the recommendation was to approve the application to remove the condition.  Members of the committee voted on the recommendation.

RESOLVED:  The Development Control Committee APPROVED application no. CC/0056/19 for the demolition of an existing defunct single-storey Dining Hall and its replacement with a two-storey and a single-storey classroom extension of the existing Science Block as permitted by CC/0013/19 but with the removal of Condition 6,  subject to the provision of a financial contribution first being made towards an updated School Travel Plan encouraging the adoption of alternative means of transport to the private car for journeys to and from the school in order to support achieving the target in Condition 14  and to the other conditions set out in Appendix A and to any necessary amendment of the detailed wording of the conditions by the Head of Planning and Environment.

Monday 23 March 2020 at 10.00 am.

23 March 2020.

RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded for the following item which is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to an individual