Agenda and minutes

Councillor Rupert Perry welcomed everyone to the meeting. Members of the Sub-Committee and officers introduced themselves. The Chair explained that the Sub-Committee would deal with the determination of planning applications and outlined the procedures for the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of substitute members.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

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.

*(a)     Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

Councillor Poyser declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Item B1 as he was the applicant. He would leave the room prior to the discussion on this item.

The order of business would be as follows:

B2, B4, B3 and B1.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 1 July 2014 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

Creation of new roof terrace and parapet wall.

(Planning application number: P2014/2422/FUL)

Councillor Poyser who had declared an interest in this item, left the room for the consideration of this application.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions and informatives in the case officer’s report.

Excavation of basement to provide additional living space including formation of front light well and rear light well, erection of rear dormer roof extension, modifications to existing two storey rear return by raising the height of the roof and reducing the size of the first floor roof terrace, together with part single, part two storey (lower ground and ground level) rear extension with associated works (lower ground courtyard and external steps from lower ground to existing garden level).

(Planning application number: P2014/2193/FUL)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·        There were a number of properties with dormer windows along Calabria Road. Many of the dormer windows were installed prior to the road being designated as a conservation area. Where there was an unaltered roofline, officers sought to preserve this. Six months ago a scheme similar to this one was recommended for refusal by officers and members granted the application. Members had to consider the merits of each application and although previous decisions were a material matter, members had to decide how much weight to give them.

·        The council did not currently have a policy on the excavation of basements however one was likely to be introduced in the next review of the policies.  Excavation of basements was currently controlled by Building Control and the Control of Pollution Act.

·        The railings around the roof terrace had been in place for more than four years so the area could currently be used as a roof terrace without planning permission. If the application was granted, screening could be conditioned.

·        Concerns were raised about the front light well.

Councillor Gantly proposed a motion to refuse the application. This was seconded by Councillor Poyser and carried.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be refused as the front light well was detrimental to the conservation area. The wording of the reason for refusal was delegated to officers.

Erection of two 700mm [diameter] flues on the southern elevation of existing 25-storey building.

(Planning application number: P2014/0387/FUL)

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions and informatives in the case officer’s report.

Construct internally located 3.0m high wooden fence with double access gate.

(Planning application number: 2014/1372/FUL)

In the discussion the following point was made:

·        Concern was raised that the scheme had not been designed in agreement with the trustees of the Three Corners Trust.

RESOLVED:

That consideration of this application be deferred to enable the applicant to work with the trustees of the Three Corners Trust to address their concerns through a revised scheme.

71 CALABRIA ROAD, LONDON, N5 1HX

REASON FOR REFUSAL

The excavation of the proposed light well to the front of the property would be out of keeping with the character and appearance of the street scene, and as such would have a detrimental impact on the wider Conservation Area. As such the proposal would be contrary to policies CS8 and CS9 of the Islington Core Strategy and Policies DM2.1 and 2.3 of the Islington Development Management Policies and the guidance within the Calabria Road Conservation Area Guidelines.