Agenda and minutes

Councillor North welcomed everyone to the meeting. Members of the Committee and officers introduced themselves and the Chair outlined the procedures for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Convery..

There were no declarations of substitute members.

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If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

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There were no declarations of interest.

The order of business would be as per the agenda.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th April 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

Proposed Change of use of Unit ST-2 from Use Class E to Use Class E and/or Class B8 to allow for the operation of a dark supermarket (rapid grocery delivery- no shop) with associated parking.

(Planning application number: P2023/0485/FUL)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·   The Planning Officer provided an update prior to presenting scheme, which was that additional information on welfare facilities for bike couriers had been provided by the applicant and officers recommended a condition be added. Officers have drafted the following – prior to the occupation of the use, by approved details, a scale drawing shall be provided to clearly mark welfare facilities for courier staff within the site, which shall be retained in perpetuity for the use unless otherwise agreed by the local authority. Officers would also seek amendments for condition nine to allow the applicants flexibility of Class E, which was the existing use and sought within the application and the full wording was able to be circulated to members following completion.

·   The Planning Officer told the meeting that the proposal sought planning permission for the change of use of Unit ST-2 from Use Class E to Use Class E and/or Class B8 to allow for the operation of a dark supermarket (rapid grocery delivery - no shop) with associated parking.

·   The meeting was told that the proposed use would utilise an existing servicing area off street and involve courier collection at basement level away from the public highway and the existing hollow and unfitted out ancillary retail area (365sq.m) at basement level was a space that was not taken on by the retail unit above, H&M. The space would be converted into a storage space for the distribution of grocery goods for a dark supermarket supplier. The dark supermarket will cater exclusively for online grocery shopping and beyond the unit, the two existing customer car parking spaces outside the unit as would be utilised by electric bike and bike set down associated with the proposed use for 9 cycle parking spaces. A pickup hatch would be formed in the flank wall of the unit to serve goods to drivers.

·   The meeting was also told that the proposal, which would primarily include the use of e-bikes or (non-motorised) bikes would not have a detrimental impact on residential amenity from noise and disturbance subject to conditions and would therefore be in compliance with policy PLAN1 of Islington’s Strategic and Development Management Policies (2023) in regard to impacts on neighbouring amenity as well as the NPPF (2021). The Planning Officer also said that a detailed management plan was provided as part of the application and trip movement analysis suggested a catchment area of 5km from the application site.

·   In response to members’ questions about what would be included within the site management plan, the Planning Officer advised that they had sought for it to address the issue of loitering on the highways outside of the site, that it includes wording to the effect that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.