Agenda item

Councillor Jake Shepherd re-entered the meeting.

The Committee received a report and application HW/FUL/24/00038 for the construction of 8 modular residential dwellings with associated hard landscaping and infrastructure.

The Committee also received a supplementary report containing a letter from the agent and additional conditions.

Representations were heard from the agent.

RESOLVED that the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions in the report and the additional conditions:

A     Additional condition: Before development commences other than for investigative work:

               i.         Using the information already submitted in the Phase 1 Preliminary Contamination Risk Assessment prepared by Reports 4 Planning (ref: 21CLR5127CW, dated 9 February 2020), an intrusive site investigation shall be conducted for the site using information obtained from the desktop study and Conceptual Model. The site investigation must be comprehensive enough to enable: a risk assessment to be undertaken, refinement of the Conceptual Model, and the development of a Method Statement detailing the remediation requirements.

             ii.         The risk assessment and refined Conceptual Model shall be submitted, along with the site investigation report, to the Local Planning Authority which shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority prior to that remediation being carried out on site.

            iii.         Where remediation of contamination on the site is required, completion of the remediation detailed in the method statement shall be carried out.

            iv.         A report that provides verification that the required works have been carried out, shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before the development is occupied.

REASON: To ensure the development can be implemented and occupied with adequate regard for environmental and public safety and to comply with Policy PL10 of the Harlow Local Development Plan 2020.

B     Additional condition: If during development contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site, then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority) shall be carried out until a remediation strategy detailing how this contamination will be dealt with has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The remediation strategy shall be implemented as approved.

REASON: To ensure that the development is not put at unacceptable risk from, or adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of water pollution from previously unidentified contamination sources at the development site in line with NPPF Paragraph 189.

C     Additional condition: Prior to the commencement of all work on site, an inspection of the site by a qualified ecologist to verify if there are any bat roosts or breeding bird potential shall be 7 Agenda Item 12 undertaken. A report shall then be submitted to the Local Planning Authority confirming the findings. If the report indicates bat roosts or breeding birds exist, or there is a likelihood they exist, it should also include mitigation measures be taken, licensing arrangements, or further survey work to be carried out for approval by the Local Planning Authority. Prior to construction work commencing, these measures having been agreed by the Local Planning Authority under the terms of this condition, shall be implemented in full.

REASON: To minimise the risk of harm to bat and bird habitats and to ensure compliance with Policy PL9 of the Harlow Local Development Plan, December 2020