Agenda item

Planning Reference – P151878

The documents associated with this application can be found at:-

http://planning.aberdeencity.gov.uk/PlanningDetail.asp?ref=151878

Planning Officer – Lucy Greene

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Head of Planning and Sustainable Development, which recommended:-

That the Committee approve the application for the change of use from residential to a transport depot, office and storage/parking of vehicles, subject to the following conditions and subject to the securing of developer obligations for Strategic Transport Fund contribution:-

(1) That the transport depot use shall not take place on the site unless there has been completed and open to traffic, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) junction of the A90 / A956 Wellington Road, at Charleston, including the Old Stonehaven Road / A956 Wellington Road junction – in the interests of road safety.

(2) That the transport depot use shall not take place unless there has been implemented on site a scheme to provide:

a.         Safe pedestrian access to the site,

b.         Visibility splays at the site entrance

in accordance with plans to be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the planning authority – in the interests of pedestrian and vehicular safety.

(3) That no development pursuant to the planning permission hereby approved shall be carried out unless there has been submitted to and approved in writing for the purpose by the planning authority a further detailed scheme of landscaping for the site, which scheme shall also include indications of all existing trees and landscaped areas on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development, and the proposed areas of tree/shrub planting including details of numbers, densities, locations, species, sizes and stage of maturity at planting - in the interests of the amenity of the area.

(4) That all planting, seeding and turfing comprised in the approved scheme of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the commencement of use of the office and/or depot whichever is the earlier and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a size and species similar to those originally required to be planted, or in accordance with such other scheme as may be submitted to and approved in writing for the purpose by the planning authority - in the interests of the amenity of the area.

(5) That no development shall take place unless a plan showing those trees to be removed and those to be retained and a 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 any such scheme as may have been approved has been implemented - in order to ensure adequate protection for the trees on site during the construction of the development.

(6) That the office and depot use hereby granted planning permission not take place unless a scheme detailing cycle and motorcycle storage provision has been submitted to, and approved in writing by the planning authority, and thereafter implemented in full accordance with said scheme - in the interests of encouraging more sustainable modes of travel.

(7) That no external lighting shall be installed on site other than in accordance with a scheme and details that have been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority, and thereafter implemented in full accordance with said scheme - in the interest of residential amenity and road safety.

(8) That no development shall take place unless a scheme of all drainage works designed to meet the requirements of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in accordance with the Cameron and Ross (March 2016) Drainage Impact Assessment, or such other as is subsequently submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority and thereafter no part of the development shall be occupied unless the drainage has been installed in complete accordance with the said scheme - in order to safeguard water qualities in adjacent watercourses and to ensure that the development can be adequately drained.

(9)  Vehicle parking and turning areas shall not be used for any other purpose other than the purpose of the parking of vehicles ancillary to the development and use thereby granted approval - in the interests of public safety and the free flow of traffic.

(10) That neither the office nor the transport depot use shall take place unless there has been submitted to and approved in writing a detailed Green Transport Plan based on the framework within the Cameron and Ross Transport Statement dated February 2016 (or such as other as is subsequently approved).  Thereafter the travel plan shall be implemented, including monitoring and reporting - in order to encourage more sustainable forms of travel to the development.

Members asked a number of questions in regards to the application.  Daniel Lewis spoke in furtherance of the application and advised that an extra condition could be added in regards to drainage issues as well as an informative in regards to the working hours.

The Convener moved, seconded by Councillor Donnelly:-

that the application be approved in accordance with the recommendation set out in the report as well as the extra condition and informatives.

The Vice Convener moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-

that the application be refused on the grounds of road safety concerns and the risk of potential accidents.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (12) – the Convener, and Councillors Corall, Cormie, Donnelly, Greig, Hutchison, Jaffrey, Lawrence, Malik, Jean Morrison MBE, Nicoll and Sandy Stuart; for the amendment (5) – the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Cooney, Jennifer Stewart and Thomson.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to request that an extra condition be added in regards to drainage to read “that the transport depot use shall not take place unless there has been submitted to and approved in writing , in consultation with Scottish Water, by the planning authority full details of the foul drainage system for the site – in the interests of the environment, amenity and public health;

(ii)        to request that an informative be added, to read “that no construction or demolition work should take place:

(a)       outwith the hours of 7.00 am to 7.00 pm Mondays to Fridays;

(b)       outwith the hours of 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Saturdays; or

(c)        at any time on Sundays, except (on all days) for works inaudible outwith the application site boundary.  [For the avoidance of doubt, this would generally allow internal finishing work, but not the use of machinery] - in the interests of residential amenity; and

(iii)       to otherwise adopt the motion and therefore approve the application subject to the amended conditions and informative.