Agenda and draft minutes

To receive declarations of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or other registrable or non-registrable interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

24/01323/OUT- 29-31 Waterloo Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8EX

Councillor Chris Ames, Other Interest: In the interest of openness and transparency, Councillor Chris Ames declared that his father-in-law's estate, partially administered by his wife, included a property in Wellington Court on Waterloo Road. He stated that he maintained an open mind with respect to the application.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 13 February 2025 (attached) and to authorise the Chair to sign them.

The Committee confirmed as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 February 2025 and authorised the Chair to sign them.

Outline planning application with landscaping matters reserved for 12 dwellings, including 7x two-bedroom flats, 5x one-bedroom flats and associated external works following demolition of the existing building

Description:

Outline planning application with landscaping matters reserved for 12 dwellings, including 7x two-bedroom flats, 5x one-bedroom flats and associated external works following demolition of the existing building.

Officer Recommendation:

Refusal.

Officer Presentation:

The Committee received a presentation on the application from the Planning Officer.

Decision:

Following consideration Councillor Neil Dallen proposed a motion that the Officer recommendation be agreed.

The proposal was seconded by the Councillor Bernie Muir.

The Committee unanimously resolved to:

Refuse planning permission for the following reasons:

(1)          Harm to the Character of the Area

By virtue of its excessive height, depth, massing, bulk and scale and unsatisfactory design and appearance, the proposed flatted accommodation building would fail to respond to the hipped and sloping roof vernacular of the surrounding area, appearing as visually oppressive, incongruous, and out of keeping design form, resulting in unacceptable harm to the immediate street scene in a prominent location and the wider character of the area, contrary to Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024, Policy CS5 of the Core Strategy 2007 and Policies DM9 and DM10 of the Development Management Policies Document 2015.

(2)          Lack of Affordable Housing

The proposal would fail to deliver any on site affordable housing and results in a significant lack of affordable housing, contrary to Policy CS9 of the Core Strategy and Paragraph 64 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.

(3)          Harm to Neighbouring Amenity

The proposal would result in an unacceptable level of real and perceived overlooking to the neighbouring rear gardens of 4 Hazon Way and 1 & 3 Gosfield Road and overshadowing and dominance to the 33 Waterloo Road, contrary to Section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024 and Policies DM9 and DM10 of the Development Management Policies Document 2015.

(4)          Substandard Internal Amenity

The proposal would result in substandard internal amenity space provision for Flats 6, 9, and 12 and inadequate privacy levels for the Flats 2 and 3 on the ground-floor without acceptable or achievable means of mitigation, adversely affecting the amenity afforded to future occupiers, contrary to Sections 12 and 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024, Policies CS1 and CS6 of the Core Strategy 2007, Policies DM10 and DM12 of the Development Management Policies Document 2015, and the Nationally Described Minimum Space Standards 2015.

(5)          Insufficient Car Parking

In the absence of any justification to demonstrate otherwise (such as a parking survey), the proposal does not make sufficient provision for off street car parking, posing unacceptable demands on the surrounding road network, contrary to Section 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024, Policies DM10 and DM37 of the Development Management Policies Document 2015 and the Parking Standards for Residential Development Supplementary Planning Document 2015.

Informatives:

(1)          Positive and Proactive Discussion

In dealing with the application the Council has implemented the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework to work with the applicant in a positive and proactive way. We have made available detailed advice in the form or our statutory  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.