Agenda item - Planning Application DC/21/1366/FUL - West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds (Report No: DEV/WS/21/040)

Agenda item

Planning Application DC/21/1366/FUL - West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds (Report No: DEV/WS/21/040)

Report No: DEV/WS/21/040

 

Planning application - Installation of battery container, and associated foundations and fencing

Minutes:

Planning application - Installation of battery container, and associated foundations and fencing

 

This application was originally referred to the Development Control Committee on 4 August 2021 as West Suffolk Council is the applicant.

 

The matter was deferred at the August meeting in order to allow Officers additional time in which to explore an alternative location for the container.

 

The Planning Officer highlighted the alternative locations that the applicant had considered and the reasons for discounting these.

 

The Committee was also advised that works towards the setting up of the site compound for the works to the substation, which had been confirmed as Permitted Development, had commenced in late September 2021. These works did not relate to the application before Members seeking determination.

 

Officers were continuing to recommend that the application be approved, subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 28 of Report No DEV/WS/21/040.

 

Attention was drawn Condition No 4; Members were informed that since publication of the agenda a Arboricultural Method Statement and Tree Protection Plan had been submitted by the applicant. The Council’s Tree Officer had assessed the documentation and was in agreement with what was proposed and the condition would therefore be amended to reflect this.

 

As part of his presentation the Planning Officer showed videos of the site by way of a virtual ‘site visit’.

 

Speaker:      Luke Simpkin (West Suffolk Council Environment and Energy Officer, applicant) spoke in support of the application

 

Considerable debate took place on the application with some Members raising concern at the impact the proposal would have on visibility at the adjacent junction splay within the car park.

 

The Principal Planning Officer confirmed that Suffolk County Council Highways had not considered this to be an issue due to it being an internal junction within a car park where vehicles would not be travelling at any speed.

 

Some of the Committee also voiced reservations at the visual impact of the battery container and were assured by the Solicitor that any advertisements would require separate consent and would be controlled by way of that separate application.

 

A number of technical questions were posed in respect of power storage, security, fire safety and ventilation. Two representatives from the architect firm who developed the scheme were in attendance and the Chair invited one to come forward in order to directly respond on these matters.

 

Councillor David Roach proposed that the application be approved as per the Officer recommendation, this was duly seconded by Councillor Nick Clarke.

 

Upon being put to the vote and with 15 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention, it was resolved that

 

Decision

 

Planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

 

1.   The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than three years from the date of this permission.

2.   The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and documents.

3.   On or before the 08 day of October 2025 the building hereby permitted shall be removed and the land shall be restored to its condition immediately prior to the development authorised by this permission commencing.

4.   The development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Method Statement submitted 04 October 2021, drawing no. ADAS-PIC-WES-SEPTEMBER 2021. The protective measures contained within the scheme shall be implemented, Maintained and retained until the development is completed. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved TPP and AMS unless agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Supporting documents:

 

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