Issue - meetings

5b.

ITEM 5b - 4/02204/18/MFA –

Demolition of existing buildings.  Construction of extra care scheme comprising 41 no. Apartments with associated landscaping and Parking. –

Old Silk Mill Brook Street Tring HP235EF 

Councillor Townsend declared an interest in item 5b and took no part in voting.

The Case Officer, Andrew Parrish introduced the report to Members and said that the application had been referred to the Committee as an application had first been reported to Committee in May 2019. The decision has not been issued and in the mean-time there has been a material change in circumstances that needs to be considered.

It was proposed by Councillor McDowell and seconded by Councillor Riddick that planning permission be REFUSED.

Vote:

For:     13       Against:   0               Abstained:   0

Resolved: That planning permission be REFUSED due to the following reasons:

1. The site lies within Flood Zone 3b (functional floodplain) which is defined by the South West Hertfordshire Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment March 2019 as having the highest probability of flooding. The development is classed as “more vulnerable” in accordance with table 2 of the Flood Zones and flood risk tables of the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) Flood Risk and Coastal Change. Tables 1 and 3 make it clear that this type of development is not compatible with this Flood Zone and therefore should not be permitted. In accordance with the sequential approach of the National Planning Policy Framework, the development should be relocated to land with a lower risk of flooding. In accordance with the PPG, there is no case for an exception. The proposal is therefore contrary to National Planning Policy Framework and Policy CS31 of the Dacorum Core Strategy September 2013.

2. The Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) submitted in support of the application is not based on the most up to date available data, namely the South West Hertfordshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) and its flood zone 3b allocation. An FRA is vital to making informed planning decisions. In the absence of an acceptable FRA, the flood risks posed by the development are not fully known and understood. The proposal is therefore contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy CS31 of the Dacorum Core Strategy September 2013.

3. The proposal would result in buildings being constructed over the culverted Long Marston Brook. The proposed building is for residential apartments and if there was a need to access the culvert this could create severe disruption to a residential area, and furthermore could result in flooding or other impacts in the area if for any reason the culvert were to become blocked and access could not be gained. The proposal is contrary to Policy 8 of the Hertfordshire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2 which states that “In principle, no construction works should occur on the top of a culvert”. The proposal would therefore be contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework which states that advice should be taken from the Lead Local Flood Authority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5