Agenda item

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director setting out information on the number of stopping up orders and the changes to the public highway that have been approved through planning applications.

A Member commented that it was interesting to note how vigilant the Committee needed to be on these issues and therefore called for a real underlining of this aspect within the Officer report when applications which would involve a loss of public highway came forward in future. 

Another Member questioned the figures in terms of public realm created at ground level and not on rooftops which was not necessarily accessible to all. Officers responded to state that the report referenced ground floor public realm gains only. 

Another Member referenced Aldgate Square which he presumed had resulted in a loss of public highway but a very large increase in public realm and asked whether this was incorporated within this report. Officers clarified that this had not been included within the report given that it was not the subject of a planning application.

RESOLVED – That Members note the content of the report.

At this point, the Chairman sought approval from the Committee to continue the meeting beyond two hours from the appointed time for the start of the meeting, in accordance with Standing Order 40, and this was agreed.