Discount food store at Maxwell Road, Stevenage

The site and its history

The site is an underused employment-area site containing vacant buildings, offices and parking, with a listed farmhouse nearby and a long planning history.

“SITE DESCRIPTION 1.1. The site is located at the junction of Gunnels Wood Road and Fairlands Way and extends to approximately 0.85 hectares. The western portion of the site contains one and two storey buildings which originally acted as research laboratories, offices and parking for the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA).”

“Most notably, a grade II listed residential property, known as Broomin Green Farmhouse, lies just to the south of the office block. Access to this property is gained from the easternmost of the site’s three vehicular accesses, crossing over land within the ownership of the applicant. A short distance to the north-west of the site is a further dwelling which also takes its access from Maxwell Road.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Approval was recommended because around 40 jobs, retail need, construction benefits and energy performance outweighed the identified harms.

“However, taking all material considerations into account, the significant benefits of the proposal, chiefly to the local economy, are considered to outweigh the identified harms. A decision other than in accordance with the development is therefore warranted. Accordingly, it is recommended that planning permission be granted.”

Officer report

Who spoke

A listed-farmhouse owner spoke against the application, Cycling UK raised cycle-access concerns, and the applicant’s planning agent spoke in favour.

What members discussed

Members discussed retail impacts, the listed farmhouse, deliveries, parking, traffic, noise fencing, archaeology and whether cycle routes and gradients were practical.

“Members discussed the cycling provision and questioned whether routes were practical given the steep gradients. Officers acknowledged this, and noted a suggested condition could be imposed to confirm gradient levels.”

“Members asked officers about the effectiveness of the proposed two metre fence in reducing noise. Officers explained that Environmental Health had assessed the proposal and that noise mitigation would be achieved through the high-density fencing material, which was designed to provide effective sound reduction. Officers further confirmed that the boundary was screened off by trees, which were all being retained.”

Minutes

The vote

Members voted to add a condition about cycleway levels and gradients before voting on the officer recommendation.

“4 Discussions took place regarding a proposed condition requiring clarification of the levels and gradients of the cycle ways along the South-West access from Gunnels Wood Road. The Committee were reminded that the conditions could not be used to redesign the scheme.”

“Members voted in favour of adding this as a condition, and then voted on the Officers recommendations.”

Minutes

The decision

Planning permission was granted subject to the stated conditions and a section 106 agreement covering highway works, employment and skills, and travel-plan monitoring.

“A recorded vote* was taken on the application and it was RESOLVED that planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions set out below and the completion of a section 106 agreement to provide for:”

“Off-site highway works • Employment and skills plan • Travel plan monitoring…”

Minutes