Meeting documents

WDC Planning Enviroment & Transport Committee
Wednesday, 9th December, 1998

Planning Enviroment & Transport Committee, Minutes 9 dec 1998

PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

 

Minutes of the special meeting of the Committee held on

 

9 December 1998

 

PRESENT

 

Cllr R J Nagle (in the Chair)

 

Cllr J M Blanksby

Cllr D E Done

Cllr Mrs K M Draper

Cllr A A Dunford

Cllr Mrs A E Hardy

Cllr M D Huddy

 

Cllr Mrs V A Letheren

Cllr Mrs C C Martens

Cllr P J Moore

Cllr C B Oliver

Cllr Mrs K M Peatey MBE JP

Cllr J W Preston*

 

(Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs A Dunn, S H Graham and Mrs J E Teesdale)

 

* Standing Deputy

 

1.

98/06558/OUT – REDEVELOPMENT/REFURBISHMENT FOR HOUSING AND OPEN SPACE AT THE FORMER AXA – EQUITY & LAW COMPLEX AT AMERSHAM ROAD, HAZLEMERE

 

98/07122/OUT – REDEVELOPMENT/REFURBISHMENT FOR HOUSING AND OPEN SPACE AT THE FORMER AXA – EQUITY & LAW COMPLEX AT AMERSHAM ROAD, HAZLEMERE

 

The Committee considered the recommendation of the Planning Applications Panel which had been held immediately prior to this meeting and in which Members of the Planning, Environment and Transportation Committee had attended to listen to the debate.  In considering both of these applications the Committee fully concurred with the recommendations of the Planning Applications Panel and it was:-

 

RESOLVED:  (i)  That if application 98/06558/OUT had not been the subject of a non-determination appeal and the Council had been in a position to determine it, application 98/06558/OUT would have been refused on the following grounds:-

 

1.

The proposal is contrary to the employment objectives of the approved Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011 which seeks to protect existing employment sites in Southern Buckinghamshire (Policy E5) and will frustrate the Plan’s objective of securing necessary economic restructuring within the local economy (Policy E1)

 

2.

The proposal is contrary to the employment objectives of the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998 in that it will frustrate the Plan’s ability to:-

 

(a)

provide an appropriate ongoing supply of employment land to meet the identified needs of the local economy.

 

(b)

make the best use of existing employment land to facilitate continued investment and upgrading of existing sites and premises for employment uses.

 

(c)

meet the qualitative need for modern campus style accommodation restricted to B1 use with the plan area.

 

(d)

reduce the opportunity for residents to work locally in accessible locations in order to reduce car dependency.  In particular the proposal would frustrate the sites identification as a Business Park (Policy E5).

 

3.

The proposal seeks to predetermine the future of a significant existing employment site within the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998 and seeks to prejudice the outcome of the sites proposed designation as a Business Park.  In so doing the proposal would prejudice the outcome of the plan process by predetermining decisions about the scale and location of employment development which ought properly to be taken in the development plan and context and, in accordance with Paragraph 47 of PPGI – General Policy and Principles, is therefore premature.

 

4.

In the light of a very limited supply of land for future development in the High Wycombe Urban area it is considered that the proposal fails to make best use of urban land and is contrary to the Governments objectives for sustainable employment development.  In so doing the proposal conflicts with Policy G1 of the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998.

 

(ii)       That application 98/07122/OUT be refused on the following grounds:-

 

1.

The proposal is contrary to the employment objectives of the approved Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011 which seeks to protect existing employment sites in Southern Buckinghamshire (Policy E5) and will frustrate the plan’s objective of securing necessary economic restructuring within the local economy (Policy E1).

 

2.

The proposal is contrary to the employment objectives of the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998 in that it will frustrate the Plan’s ability to:-

 

(a)

provide an appropriate ongoing supply of employment land to meet the identified needs of the local economy.

 

(b)

make the best use of existing employment land to facilitate continued investment and upgrading of existing sites and premises for employment uses.

 

(c)

meet the qualitative need for modern campus style accommodation restricted to B1 use within the plan area.

 

(d)

reduce the opportunity for residents to work locally in accessible locations in order to reduce car dependency.  In particular the proposal would frustrate the sites identification as a Business Park (Policy E5).

 

3.

The proposal seeks to predetermine the future of a significant existing employment site within the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998 and seeks to prejudice the outcome of the sites proposed designation as a Business Park.  In so doing the proposal would prejudice the outcome of the plan process by predetermining decisions about the scale and location of employment development which ought properly to be taken in the development plan context and in accordance with Paragraph 47 of PPG1 – General Policy and Principles is therefore premature.

 

4.

In the light of a very limited supply of land for future development in the High Wycombe Urban area it is considered that the proposal fails to make best use of urban land and is contrary to the Government’s objectives for sustainable employment development.  In so doing, the proposal conflicts with Policy G1 of the Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 – Deposit December 1998.

 

(The meeting commenced at 6.55pm and concluded at 7.00pm)

 

 

 

 

___________________

CHAIRMAN

 

 

 

These minutes are to be submitted to the meeting of the Planning, Environment and Transportation Committee on 1 February 1998.

 

The following officers were in attendance at the meeting.

 

Mr C A Swanwick – Director of Planning, Transport and Development

Mr D Turner – Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development

Mr D Riddington – Development Control Manager (East)

Mr J Byrne – Development Control Manager (West)

Mr M Russell – Principal Development Control Officer (East)

Mr J Smith – Assistant Divisional EHO

Mr M Barrett – Assistant District Solicitor

Mr M Conroy – Principal Administrator Committee Services