Agenda and minutes

Councillor Southern was elected as Chairman.

Councillor Oliver was elected Vice-Chairman.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 1^st July 2019 are attached to be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 1 July 2019 were confirmed and signed as a correct record. Councillors Oliver and Makepeace-Browne highlighted that they did not attend the meeting. 

To receive any apologies for absence from Members*.

*Note: Members are asked to email Committee Services in advance of the meeting as soon as they become aware they will be absent.

None.

To declare disclosable pecuniary, and any other, interests*.

*Note: Members are asked to email Committee Services in advance of the meeting as soon as they become aware they may have an interest to declare.

None.

None.

This report is made to explain the enforcement investigations undertaken in relation to the development at the abovementioned site and is presented at the discretion of the Executive Director of Place.

Members have received extensive copies of communications in relation to the ongoing development at this site from concerned local residents and this report will consolidate and update members on the investigations which have been undertaken and the findings of those investigations.

RECOMMENDATION

The contents of the report are endorsed and noted by the Sub-Committee.

The Planning Team Leader summarised the report and said that it was to explain the enforcement investigations untaken in relation to development at Hawley Park Farm.

The meeting was being held due to the large volume of complaints received and reference was made to the 15 issues in section 4.3 of the agenda report.

It was confirmed that the objections received were from long-standing residents living in Rushmoor, as opposed to new occupiers of the development.

The Planning Team Leader highlighted that the recent complaints were primarily related to:

•       The breach of working hours;

•       Tree protection issues that are currently ongoing.

Members asked whether there had been complaints from other residents of Fernhurst Road. The Planning Team Leader confirmed that there had been reports from several residents.

Members felt it would be helpful for Officers to outline why issues such as this come to a public meeting of Planning Enforcement Sub-Committee. The Planning Team Leader confirmed that the matter was being brought to a public meeting due to the volume of concerns and complaints which had been received by the Council, to set out the matters and differences.

Members asked if the Planning Team Leader could clarify what work had been undertaken by the Enforcement Team to date. The Planning Team Leader confirmed that a Breach of Condition Notice and Temporary Stop Notice had been served last year.

A public speaker, Mr Silvester, addressed the Committee and made reference to concerns raised to the Council previously in addition to correspondence sent to the Council. This correspondence was stated to set out the speaker’s concerns with the Officer’s report within the Committee agenda, including areas which he felt were incomplete or inaccurate such as references to the NPPF and lack of documenting each issue which had occurred.

Members discussed the points raised by Mr Silvester, including works carried out over the 2022 Jubilee weekend.

Members also discussed with officers the potential feasibility of updating the report with more specific detail that the speaker had requested. Members considered that they would not want a report which included over two years of history as it would be unwieldy.

A second speaker on behalf of the developer, Ms Little of Crest Nicholson, addressed the Committee and thanked residents for their patience during construction works. She acknowledged that it would likely be no-one’s preference to live adjacent to a construction site and that the developer had taken steps to address complaints they had received, including working with Hart District Council and Hampshire County Council.

Ms Little highlighted that a new management team had recently been introduced to the site to minimise disruption and it is working very closely with its subcontractors.

Members questioned:

•            Crest Nicholson’s commitment to compliance with planning permission conditions in the future, given previous breaches in the past.  

•            How would working hours conditions be policed in future and how will the new management team ensure these conditions are met and not ignored and breached in the future.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.