Agendas, Meetings and Minutes - Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: County Hall, Worcester

Contact: Simon Lewis  Committee Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

Available papers

The Members had before them:

 

A.    The Agenda papers (previously circulated);

 

B.    A copy of the summary presentations from public participants invited to speak (previously circulated); and

 

C.   The Minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2018 (previously circulated).

Additional documents:

999.

Named Substitutes (Agenda item 1)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

1000.

Apologies/ Declarations of Interest (Agenda item 2)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Mr R M Bennett, Dr C Hotham, Mr J A D O'Donnell and Prof J W Raine.  

 

Mr I D Hardiman and Mr C Rogers declared an interest in Agenda item 5 as Cabinet Members on Wyre Forest District Council.

1001.

Public Participation (Agenda item 3)

The Council has put in place arrangements which usually allow one speaker each on behalf of objectors, the applicant and supporters of applications to address the Committee.  Speakers are chosen from those who have made written representations and expressed a desire to speak at the time an application is advertised.  Where there are speakers, presentations are made as part of the consideration of each application.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Those presentations made are recorded at the Minute to which they relate.

1002.

Confirmation of Minutes (Agenda item 4)

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2018. (previously circulated – pink pages)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

1003.

Proposed Improvements to Highways Infrastructure in the Churchfields area to the north of Kidderminster Town Centre including the Demolition of the CMS/Vauxhall Building at Churchfields at Land adjacent to St Marys Ringway (A456) and Churchfields/ Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (Agenda item 5) pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a Regulation 3 planning application for Proposed Improvements to Highways Infrastructure in the Churchfields area to the north of Kidderminster Town Centre including the Demolition of the CMS/Vauxhall Building at Churchfields on Land adjacent to St Marys Ringway (A456) and Churchfields/Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

 

The report set out the background of the proposal, the proposal itself, the relevant planning policy and details of the site, consultations and representations.

 

The report set out the Planning Development Manager's comments in relation to Traffic and Highways Safety, Design, Historic Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity, Landscape and Visual Impact, Air Quality, the Water Environment, Ground Contamination, Residential Amenity and Noise, and other matters -  Economic Impact and Housing Provision, and Cumulative Effects.

 

The Planning Development Manager concluded that the Churchfields area of Kidderminster was undergoing significant regeneration to form a new urban village and was expected to deliver up to 600 homes together with other mixed uses. Kidderminster Property Investments were currently applying to Wyre Forest District Council for outline planning permission for 270 residential dwellings and 670m2 of mixed use floor space at the Churchfields Business Park site.

 

This proposal for highways infrastructure improvements was required to facilitate that development. The major elements of the proposal include the construction of a new link road between the A456 St. Marys Ringway and Churchfields; a new junction between Clensmore Street and the St. Marys Ringway; and a revised highways layout at Horsefair.

 

The main issues to consider were traffic and highways safety, design, historic environment, ecology and biodiversity, landscape and visual impacts, air quality, water environment, ground contamination, residential amenity and noise, and other matters including economic impact and cumulative effects.

 

In terms of the main issues, the Planning Development Manager considered that the proposal would, overall, be acceptable in terms of traffic and highways safety. In making this judgement, the Planning Development Manager acknowledged the highly constrained nature of the urban environment in this area and other traffic and safety concerns which had prevented the ability of the applicant to propose surface level pedestrian crossings between Churchfields and Kidderminster town centre. Moderate weight had also been accorded to the applicant's proposal to replace approximately 2 parking spaces at Horsefair with cycle spaces and(or) a motorcycle space, together with saving one tree from felling, subject to the County Planning Authority's planning judgement.

 

The proposal was considered to be acceptable in terms of design. The Planning Development Manager considered that the applicant had produced a design which mediates between the competing interests at play in the constrained environment of Horsefair whilst delivering on the scheme's central purpose of providing suitable highways infrastructure for the wider Churchfields area and Churchfields Business Park residential and mixed use scheme. Moderate weight was accorded to the applicant's proposal to retain one tree in accordance with the requirements of Policies SAL.UP7 and KCA.UP2.

 

The proposal was considered to be acceptable in terms of the historic environment, subject to conditions recommended by the County Archaeologist. The Planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1003.