Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 50 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting.

Report of the Divisional Director Planning.

The Panel received a report of the Divisional Director of Planning which sought the adoption of the Draft Residential Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).  It was noted that the SPD would form part of the Harrow Local Development Framework and would be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for development that resulted in the creation of new homes, extensions or the conversion of dwellings.

Officers presented a tabled document which contained an email of late consultation comments by Design for London on the draft document.  The Panel discussed the comments and in response agreed that the following amendments be incorporated in the Residential Design Guide prior to adoption:

·                    reference to the London Housing Design Guide under 3 Planning Policy – National and Regional Policy, as part of paragraph 3.5;

·                    reference to materials as an additional element that defines local character;

·                    removal of all proposals and background history in the ecology section retaining the first sentence under 4.19 which explained the Council’s position and was sufficient. 4.20 referred to more detail in the biodiversity action plan and should be retained;

·                    delete the reference to cycle parking racks as providing a feature for development at 4.28;

·                    at paragraph 4.5 reference to waste and recycling storage should include integration into the building or screened provision on the site;

·                    that the officers liaise with Design for London regarding the captions to all images.

During discussion on this item, Members raised a number of issues which were responded to as follows:

·                    the supplementary planning document is intended to apply to both private and affordable housing developments and that the SPD would be further amended to clarify this point;

·                    a schedule of the Mayor of London’s emerging internal space standards would be  included as an appendix to the SPD;

·                    that the SPD would be further amended to provide for dormer roofs to be sited 500mm below the roof ridge, subject to compliance with the Building Regulations.

It was agreed that copies of the final document be made available to Members of the Panel and the Planning Committee.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Cabinet)  That

(1)               the Residential Design Guide SPD (2010) be approved as amended by the Panel; and

(2)               the Divisional Director of Planning, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise, be authorised to make any typographical corrections, illustrative insertions and any other non-material changes to the SPD that may become necessary prior to final publication of the SPD and to permit its effective use online.

Reason for Decision:  Public consultation on the draft SPD had been concluded, the key issues raised in the consultation had been considered and, as a consequence, the SPD had been amended.  The draft SPD would upon adoption become a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for residential development, conversions and householder alterations/extensions.