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The Local Review Body (LRB) of Aberdeen City Council met at the Town House to review the decision taken by an appointed officer under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to refuse the request for planning permission for the extension of the yard area, including all associated engineering and landscaping works at Unit 1, Stoneywood Park, Aberdeen, Planning Reference 180989.

Councillor Boulton as Chairperson gave a brief outline of the business to be undertaken.  She indicated that the LRB would be addressed by the Assistant Clerk, Mrs Stephanie Dunsmuir as regards the procedure to be followed and also, thereafter, by Mr Gavin Evans who would be acting as the Planning Adviser to the Body in the case under consideration.

The Chairperson highlighted that although the Planning Adviser was employed by the planning authority, he had not been involved in any way with the consideration or determination of the application under review and was present to provide factual information and guidance to the LRB only.  She emphasised that the officer would not be asked to express any view on the proposed application.

The Local Review Body was then addressed by Mrs Dunsmuir, Assistant Clerk regarding the procedure to be followed, at which time reference was made to the procedure note circulated with the papers calling the meeting and to certain more general aspects relating to the procedure.

In relation to the application, the LRB had before it (1) a delegated report by Mr Matthew Easton, Senior Planner; (2) the decision notice dated 25 July 2018; (3) links to the plans showing the proposal and planning notices referred to in the delegated report; (4) letters of representation; and (5) the application and Notice of Review submitted by the applicant along with an accompanying statement with further information relating to the application.

The LRB was then addressed by Mr Evans who advised that the submitted Notice of Review was found to be valid and submitted within the relevant timeframes.

Mr Evans explained that the application site formed part of a wider woodland belt which separated Stoneywood Park Industrial Estate from the residential development to the south.  The area in question measured approximately 75m wide (road frontage to Cedar Avenue) and 35m deep (distance back from road to boundary of industrial uses).  The site sat immediately south of (and adjoining) the Marwood Group premises, which comprised a single storey warehouse and storage yard, with a narrower planting belt dog-leg around the western edge of the Marwood site.

Mr Evans advised that on the opposite side of Cedar Avenue were residential dwellings within the former Stoneywood Estate development, with two residential properties that immediately abutted the western edge of the site (328 Stoneywood Road and a recently approved and constructed house).  The woodland belt was zoned as part of the wider H1 Residential Area.

In respect of planning history, Mr Evans explained that an early application for a larger area of yard with a much thinner landscaping strip to the road frontage at Cedar Avenue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

The Local Review Body then considered the second request for a review to evaluate the decision taken by an appointed officer under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to refuse the application for the formation of a driveway to the front of 16 Don Terrace, Aberdeen, Planning Reference 180912.

The Chairperson advised that the LRB would again be addressed by Mr Gavin Evans and reminded Members that although Mr Evans was employed by the planning authority he had not been involved in any way with the consideration or determination of the application under review and was present to provide factual information and guidance to the Body only.  She emphasised that the officer would not be asked to express any view on the proposed application.

In relation to the application, the LRB had before it (1) a delegated report by Ms Sheila Robertson, Planning Technician; (2) the decision notice dated 13 August 2018; (3) links to the plans showing the proposal and planning notices referred to in the delegated report; (4) a letter of representation; and (5) the application and Notice of Review submitted by the applicant along with an accompanying statement with further information relating to the application.

At this juncture, Mr Evans advised Members that the applicant had raised the matter of a letter from his doctor in the Notice of Review, relating to a health condition, and that this information had not been available to the appointed officer at the time of the original decision being made on the application.  Members were reminded that the LRB must only consider information which was before the appointed officer at the time the determination being reviewed was made unless it could be demonstrated: -

·         that the new material could not have been raised before that time; or

·         that it not being raised before that time was a consequence of exceptional circumstances.

The Chairperson stated that the LRB could either decide to not consider the additional information or to seek an additional written submission from the applicant as to why the information had not been raised with the appointed officer.

Members unanimously agreed to request that the applicant provide written information in respect of why the additional information could not have been raised at the time of considering the application being reviewed. 

It was therefore agreed to defer consideration of the application until such time as the above information had been received and circulated to interested parties for comment.

The LRB then considered a third request for a review of the decision taken by an appointed officer under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to refuse the request for planning permission for the erection of 6 residential flats with associated landscaping at the land to the rear of 44/46 Bedford Road, Aberdeen, Planning Reference 181541.

The Chairperson advised that the LRB would be addressed by Ms Lucy Greene who would be acting as the Planning Adviser to the Body in the case under consideration.

The Chairperson again highlighted that although the Planning Adviser was employed by the planning authority, she had not been involved in any way with the consideration or determination of the application under review and was present to provide factual information and guidance to the LRB only.  She emphasised that the officer would not be asked to express any view on the proposed application.

In relation to the application, the LRB had before it (1) a delegated report by Mr Nicholas Lawrence, Senior Planner; (2) the decision notice dated 1 November 2018; (3) links to the plans showing the proposal and planning notices referred to in the delegated report; (4) two letters of representation and a submission from the Roads Development Management Team; and (5) the application and Notice of Review submitted by the applicant along with an accompanying statement with further information relating to the application.

The LRB was then addressed by Ms Greene who advised that the submitted Notice of Review was found to be valid and submitted within the relevant timeframes.

Ms Greene explained that the application site comprised the garden / amenity areas to numbers 44/46 Bedford Road which extended to approximately 332 square metres in area.  The site was bounded to the west by 44/46 Bedford Road, a two and a half storey end of terrace traditional granite building that formerly had a newsagent on the ground floor; the north by a brick boundary wall of approximately 1.2 metres in height which abutted Bedford Place; the east by numbers 55 and 57 Bedford Place; and the south by gardens to properties on Bedford Road and Erskine Street.  The area was characterised by residential development where no one design form or period of construction was dominant, although granite and slate roofed buildings were prominent.  The site fell within a residential area to which Policy H1 was attached.

In respect of planning history, Ms Greene highlighted that planning permission had been granted at the Local Review Body earlier in 2018 for the erection of four residential flats and associated landscaping, subject to a Section 75 agreement.

Ms Greene advised that permission was sought for the erection of six flats over three storeys, located on the southern side of Bedford Place, close to its junction with Bedford Road.  The site was currently overgrown garden ground associated with 44/46 Bedford Road.  Pedestrian access was taken off Bedford Road and via a gate off Bedford Road to allow access to the rear of the building, six cycle  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.