Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

At this juncture, Councillor Cooke advised that in the interest of transparency, that he had previously stated an opinion on the decision from Historic Environment Scotland to make the various buildings listed.  Councillor Cooke advised that he would not withdraw from the meeting during consideration of the report. 

The Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 21 April 2022, for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.    

The Committee had before it a planner of future Committee business.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information contained in the Committee business planner. 

Planning Reference – 220032

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Planning Officer:  Aoife Murphy

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which recommended:-

That the application for Listed Building Consent for the erection of a single storey extension to the side and internal alterations at Old Ferryhill House, 70 Prospect Terrace Aberdeen, be approved unconditionally. 

The Committee heard from Ms Aoife Murphy, Senior Planner, who spoke in furtherance of the application and answered questions from Members.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the application unconditionally. 

Planning Reference – 211430

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Planning Officer:  Robert Forbes

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which recommended:-

That the application for Detailed Planning Permission for the change of use from Class 8 (residential institution) to form 10 flats (sui generis), erection of single storey extension to the rear, formation of terraces and balconies with associated balustrades, alterations to existing openings and other associated works at Millbank House, 139 Hardgate Aberdeen, be approved conditionally with a legal agreement.

Conditions

1.     Tree Protection

No development shall take place pursuant to the planning permission hereby approved unless a further scheme for the protection of all trees to be retained on the site during construction works has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority and such scheme as may have been approved has been implemented in full for the duration of the site works. No materials, supplies, plant, machinery, spoil, changes in ground levels or construction activities shall be permitted within the protected areas specified in the aforementioned scheme of tree protection without the written consent of the Planning Authority and no fire shall be lit in a position where the flames could extend to within 5 metres of foliage, branches or trunks.

Reason - In order to ensure adequate protection for the trees on site during the construction of the development.

2.     Tree Management

The flats hereby approved shall not be occupied unless a plan and report illustrating appropriate management proposals for the care and maintenance of all existing trees on the site and any new areas of planting (to include timing of works and inspections) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The proposals shall be carried out in complete accordance with such plan and report as may be so approved, unless the planning authority has given prior written approval for a variation.

Reason - In order to preserve the character and amenity of the area and ensure continuity of tree cover on the site.

3.     Landscape and Amenity Space

No development pursuant to the planning permission hereby approved shall take place unless a detailed scheme of landscaping and amenity space for the site has been submitted to and approved in writing for the purpose by the Planning Authority. This scheme shall include details of the proposed grassed / herbaceous areas, areas of any tree/shrub /climber planting including details of numbers, densities, locations, species, sizes, stage of maturity at planting and establishment / protection measures and management arrangements. All planting, seeding and turfing comprised in the approved scheme of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the completion of the development and any planted areas which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development, are removed or become seriously damaged shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of an extent and species similar to those originally required to be planted, or in accordance with such other scheme as may  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Planning Reference – 220026

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Planning Officer:  Lucy Greene

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which recommended:-

That the application for Detailed Planning Permission for the erection of an energy storage facility including containers of batteries, power converters, transformers, stores, meter building, security fencing and associated infrastructure at site to the north west of Helix House, Kirkton Drive Aberdeen, be approved subject to the following conditions.

Conditions

1.               That in the event that any battery installed and commissioned fails to commercially operate as intended for a continuous period of six-months and there is no plan in place to bring the battery in to operation within a further period of six-months, then unless agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the facility will deemed to have ceased to be required. If deemed to have ceased to be required, the battery, battery storage container and its ancillary equipment will be dismantled and removed from the site, with the cells being appropriately disposed and/ or recycled/ re-purposed, and the ground being re-instated to the specification and satisfaction of the Planning Authority by the operator within the following three-month period.

Reason: to ensure that any redundant facilities are removed from the site, in the interests of safety, amenity and environmental protection.

2.               That in the event of the development hereby approved not operating on a commercial basis to the grid network for a continuous period of 12 months, the company must immediately notify the Planning Authority in writing of the situation and shall, if directed by the Planning Authority decommission the development and reinstate the site to the specification and satisfaction of the Planning Authority.  The Planning Authority shall have due regard to the circumstances surrounding the failure to store electricity.

Reason: to ensure the decommissioning and removal of the development in an appropriate and environmentally acceptable manner and the restoration of the site. In the interests of safety, amenity and environmental protection.

3.               That no development shall take place other than in accordance with the plans unless and until full details of the proposed battery storage containers (and ancillary infrastructure) hereby permitted has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. These details shall include:

(a) design, power rating, sound power level modelled at the most sensitive receptor (if deviating from the Noise Impact Assessment accompanying the application), layout and dimensions of the battery storage containers (and ancillary infrastructure) and the metering building to be installed.

(b) detailed site layout plan, including surfacing materials, boundary treatment, surface water drainage measures and planting.

Thereafter, the battery storage containers and associated infrastructure shall be installed and operate in accordance with these approved details.

Reason: to protect the visual amenity of the area.

4.               That no development shall commence until details of the final drainage design has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The development shall be constructed in accordance with the approved details and thereafter maintained in perpetuity.

Reason: in order to ensure that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Planning Reference – 220278

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Planning Officer:  Rebecca Kerr

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which recommended:-

That the application for Detailed Planning Permission for the erection of a log cabin to the side (part retrospective) at 7 Lochside Drive Aberdeen, be refused for the following reasons:-

The proposal, its scale and design has failed to consider the context of the site and its surrounding area, and on the basis that the log cabin would occupy a prominent location within the rear curtilage to the side elevation of the existing property it is considered to have an overbearing and negative visual impact on the surrounding area. The proposal is therefore considered to be contrary to the requirements of Policies H1 (Residential Areas) and D1 (Quality Placemaking by Design) of the adopted Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017; the ‘Householder Development Guide’ Supplementary Guidance and Policies H1, D1 and D2 of the Proposed Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2020.

The Committee heard from Ms Rebecca Kerr, Planner, who spoke in furtherance of the application and answered various questions from Members.

The Committee resolved:-

to refuse the application in line with the officer recommendation. 

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which informed Members of the Planning Enforcement work that had been undertaken by the Planning Service from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.

Mr Gavin Clark, Senior Planner, spoke in furtherance of the report and answered questions from Members.  Mr Clark advised that a new Planning Inspector had recently commenced employment in April 2022 and that 261 new cases had been investigated since 1 April 2021 with 68 still under investigation. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)              to thank officers for their continued hard work and efforts in relation to Enforcement; and

(ii)             to otherwise note the contents of the report. 

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which presented a revised guide on Planning Consents for the Aberdeen Inner-City Multis which had been listed as Category A by Historic Environment Scotland.  The report also sought approval to adopt the revised document which reflected the changes to the buildings list descriptions by Historic Environment Scotland as Aberdeen Planning Guidance (non-statutory planning guidance.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the content of the revised ‘Guide to Planning Consents for the Aberdeen Inner-City Multis’ (Appendix 1) as Aberdeen Planning Guidance (non-statutory planning guidance).

The Committee heard from Ms Sepi Hajisoltani, Planner, who spoke in furtherance of the application and answered questions from members.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation. 

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which sought to extend the current Affordable Housing waiver which was due to expire in June 2022, until the formal review of the waiver be reported to Full Council in August 2022, as part of the City Centre Masterplan Review.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee agree to extend the Affordable Housing Waiver until September 2022, or until such time as Council determine the future of the waiver.

The Committee heard from the Interim Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, who spoke in furtherance of the report and answered various questions from Members. 

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation. 

-        Councillor Dell Henrickson, Convener