Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Alex Bain-Stewart, Alderman Peter Estlin, George Gillon, Deputy Henry Pollard, Graeme Smith and Deputy James Thomson.

Gregory Jones, QC declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of item 7c as a Member of the Leather Sellers Company and advised that he would participate in the debate but would abstain from voting.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 27 October 2015.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2015 be approved.

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director relative to development and advertisement applications dealt with under delegated authority.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director in respect of the development and advertisement applications dealt with under delegated authority.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director which provided details of valid planning applications received by the department since the last meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment regarding the declaration of city walkway through Paternoster Square.

In response to a question, the City of London Police representative advised the Committee that the Force had sufficient powers to maintain public safety or security (including Section 14 of the Public Order Act).  

RESOLVED – That,

a)    all that way or place including Paternoster Square, Paternoster Lane, Paternoster Row, Canon Alley, Queen’s Head Passage, Rose Street and White Hart Street shown hatched black on city walkway declaration plan CWDP - 01 - 08 dated 11 June 2008 be declared to be a city walkway; and

b)    the Town Clerk be authorised to insert an appropriate date for the coming into force of this resolution.

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director which informed that following a hearing on 7 October 2015, an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government dismissed an appeal made by Sugar Quay Holdings Limited against the City of London Corporation against a failure to determine that a planning obligation should be modified.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Proposal: Conversion of two BT K6 payphone kiosks to combination payphone and ATM booth and ancillary ATM secure room.

Registered Plan No.: 15/00190/FULL

The Chief Planning Officer detailed site and surrounding information to Members.

RESOLVED – That planning permission and Listed Building Consent be refused for the reasons set out in the attached schedule.

Proposal: Construction of a building arranged on three basement floors, ground and 61 upper floors plus mezzanines and plant comprising floorspace for use within  classes A and B1 of the Use Classes Order and a publicly accessible viewing gallery and facilities (Sui Generis); hard and soft landscaping works; the provision of ancillary servicing and other works incidental to the development. (200,527sq.m GEA).

Registered Plan No.: 15/00764/FULEIA

The Chief Planning Officer detailed site and surrounding information to Members and advised of the following amendments to the report -

·         Page 117.  In the bottom row of figures the Mayoral CIL figure was amended from 29,091,202 to 26,091,202

·         Page 59: The floor area figure in the Subject para and in the summary (both Page 59 of the agenda) was amended from 200,527 sq.m to 200,714 sq.m.

·         Page 94: At para 184 the second “not” in line 5 to be deleted.

Members were informed that a late letter of objection had been received from a member of the public, a copy of which was tabled at the meeting.  In addition, a letter had also been received from London Borough of Lambeth which contained no objection.

Pedestrian movement – Members were informed that a detailed Pedestrian Comfort Modelling assessment had been carried out, however, further work would be undertaken regarding pedestrian movement as part of a wider City project.  Pedestrian space was considered crucial given that there were areas which required stopping-up.

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) – Members noted that in order to attract and encourage small, start-up businesses the developers stated that they would commit to providing 50 workspaces at 50% of the market rent for their first five years in the building.  It was agreed that the marketing plan for this piece of work should be shared with the Committee.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee received a report of the Chamberlain which provided details of the on-street parking accounts for 2014/2015 and utilisation of the accrued surplus on highway improvements and schemes.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Re-development of Queensbridge House/target completion date for the Riverside Walkway around Queenhithe – In response to a question Members were informed that the Queensbridge House development was to be built in two phases, firstly the southern part and secondly the northern part.

The development lease for the southern part had been signed and demolition had started and was due to finish by April 2016. Construction on the southern part, where the Riverside Walkway was, could then commence and should be finished by mid-2018.

The northern section was held up by the TfL dispute and the High Court heard the case at the end of October and the judge is expected to provide his judgement in early December 2015.   Members noted that a negotiated deal on this particular site was unlikely to be agreed with TfL before the result is known.  If the Corporation managed to win the main argument then only a small part of the development would be impacted and the Developer could make a minor amendment to the current scheme to avoid the TfL claim.

There were no items of urgent business.

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2015.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2015 be approved.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.