To receive any apologies from Members of the Committee.

Apologies were received from Councillor Judy Falp and Councillor Adrian Warwick.

The Chair stated she was a trustee of the Rugby Free Secondary School.

To receive the minutes of the Regulatory Committee meeting held on 7 March 2023 and of the Annual Meeting of the Regulatory Committee held on 16 May 2023.

The minutes of the meetings held on 7 March and 16 May were approved as a true and accurate record.

Members are asked to note the applications dealt with under delegated powers since the last meeting.

Members noted the delegated decisions made by officers since the last meeting, as set out in the report.

Sally Panayi (Senior Planner) presented the report and provided an overview of the application, which related to the granting of outline planning permission with all matters reserved apart from access for the development of a new primary school and nursery and associated parking, and full planning permission for the creation of an associated habitat mitigation area, in Warwick. This was subject to a number of conditions.

Full details presented to the Committee included the following:

-          The primary school would be two form entry, capable of accommodating 420 pupils including up to 18 with special educational needs. The nursery would provide 34 places.

-          The site was bordered by the existing Myton School to the northwest and the Evergreen Special School to the east. Established housing was located to the north of the site, with new houses to the east and construction work on new houses taking place to the south.

-          Access to the school for staff and pupils would be from Fusiliers Way only, although there would be an access gate leading from The Malins to allow for maintenance of the playing fields.

-          Information on the scale and placement of the school buildings was indicative only, in anticipation of a future reserved matters application.

-          The application was originally an outline application but had been converted to a hybrid one to allow for works to be implemented on the habitat mitigation area.

-          Two bunds would be created within the habitat mitigation area to improve surface water drainage. The eastern bund would be between 1.5 and 2.0 metres above the existing ground level, and the western bund would be 0.4 metres in height. Removal of a section of hedgerow would be required to install the eastern bund.

-          A landscape plan indicating planting of hedges and trees within the habitat mitigation area had been submitted.

-          The proposed height of the fence along the northern boundary with The Malins had been reduced from 2.4 metres to 1.8 metres, although for security reasons a small section would remain 2.4 metres tall.

No objections had been received from statutory consultees, and Warwick Town Council had expressed support for the application. Comments and objections had been received from 15 local residents, the majority expressing concerns about access to the school from The Malins and Myton Crescent. Concerns had also been raised relating to construction traffic for the habitat mitigation area accessing the site. Sally Panayi reiterated there would be no access to the proposed school from either The Malins or Myton Crescent, and construction traffic would access the site from Fusiliers Way. The only exception would be the use of the access gate from The Malins for maintenance of the playing fields, which although regular would be seasonal and occasional. Details of a green travel plan, and school safety zone could all be included within the later reserved matters application to allay the concerns expressed by residents.

Members were told there had been historic issues with flooding and drainage in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Georg Urban (Planning Officer) presented the report and provided an overview of the application, which related to the granting of planning permission for a new fire rescue training and fire simulation training facility, along with an associated welfare building, parking and fencing, in Rugby.

Full details presented to the Committee included the following:

-          The site was currently vacant and had most recently been used as a Highways depot, and prior to that a contractors’ welfare site.

-          The nearest residential properties were to the east at a distance of around 170 metres. The surrounding area consisted of commercial and industrial units, and it was near to the Cemex cement works.

-          The training facility would include a ‘smoke house’; that is, a building that would be filled with fire and smoke to allow firefighters to undertake training operations. There would be an associated filtration unit and extractor pipe, which would treat the smoke to ensure there was no discharge of noxious or harmful substances.

-          The training building would be constructed of decommissioned shipping containers. It would be approximately 12 metres tall and the footprint of the building would be around 21 by 12 metres.

-          A two storey welfare building, which included changing and shower facilities, office space and meeting rooms, a kitchenette and storage and drying rooms, would also be constructed.

-          The submission of a Construction and Environmental Management Plan would be required under a planning condition.

No objections had been received from statutory consultees and there had been no representations made by members of the public. Georg Urban said the National Planning Policy Framework stated there was an presumption in favour of granting planning permission for sustainable development, and the Council’s Development Plan was up to date. The surrounding area was largely industrial in nature and so the application would not be out of keeping.

QUESTIONS

The Chair said the site was close to a busy junction, and asked if there were any proposals to erect signage to say what it would be used for as passing motorists may be alarmed at the sight of large training fires and attempt to call 999. Georg Urban said there were no plans currently for any signage, and the main road would be the only potentially appropriate place for them. The Chair suggested temporary signage when the facility first opened may be appropriate.

Responding to Councillor Ian Shenton, Georg Urban said the filtration unit would ‘clean’ the smoke when it was extracted from the smoke house and before particles were released into the air.

DEBATE

Councillor Chris Mills said the facility was vitally important for the training of firefighters.

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Chris Mills and seconded by Councillor Jeff Clarke. A vote was held and the Committee voted unanimously in favour of the recommendation.

Resolved

That the Regulatory Committee authorises the grant of planning permission for the construction of a new fire rescue training centre including a 'hot smoke house' Minerva fire simulation training facility,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider passing the following resolution:

‘That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items mentioned below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 7 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972’.

Resolved

That the motion to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting be approved.

Members received a confidential update outlining ongoing enforcement work taking place. They noted the contents of the report.