Issue - meetings

A report was presented in light of recent Council planning applications for six affordable homes at Auckland Road and Windmill Close in Caterham on the Hill. The Planning Committee, on the 29^th July 2021, had recommended that both applications be approved, subject to ratification by Council on 21^st October 2021.

The report reflected on issues raised at the Planning Committee meeting regarding loss of trees, tree planting and traffic management (in connection with Windmill Close) and explained subsequent measures to address Members’ concerns, namely:

• proposals for a compensatory tree planting scheme to mitigate against any unavoidable removal of trees or hedgerow, i.e. via re-planting either on or near the original site or in a local park or recreational space in consultation with Ward members and the Council’s tree officer and, if approved, this would be adopted at Windmill Close and all future schemes in the Council’s house building programme;

• a draft construction traffic management plan (prepared by the prospective contractor) for the Windmill Close development – this was still subject to approval by officers; and

• offers by the Council (to affected Windmill Close residents) to fund the provision of dropped kerbs and hard-standings to address parking concerns.

The report also advised that, should the Planning Committee’s recommendation to grant permission for the Windmill Close development not be ratified by Full Council, the budget for the Rochester Gardens and Town End schemes would need to increase by £100,000. This was in light of the collective procurement exercise for the four Caterham on the Hill schemes which resulted in the tenders for Rochester Gardens and Town End being over budget, while those for Windmill Close and Auckland Road were below budget.   

During the debate, concerns were expressed regarding the lack of available

on-street parking in adjacent roads should contractors’ vehicles be banned from Windmill Close. In response, the Committee was informed that discussions were taking place with the Ministry of Defence regarding the possibility of land close to the Sea Cadets site being made exclusively available for contractor parking during the Windmill Close construction phase. 

The extent to which the Council could force contractors to adhere to agreed traffic management plans was discussed. Officers advised that, while there were no direct financial penalties, potentially significant reputational damage could arise from such plans being disregarded by contractors.  

Members also commented on the cost of planting ‘one standard tree’ as part of the Council housebuilding programme, quoted in the report as being approximately £2,500 (covering the initial purchase and regular ongoing maintenance / management). It was acknowledged that this was a likely figure, with exact sums dependent on individual circumstances.   

            R E S O L V E D – that:

A.        the adoption of a compensatory tree planting scheme within the existing budget for the Council House Building Programme be approved; and

B.      an additional budget of £100,000 for Rochester Gardens / Town End, in the event that planning approval for Windmill Close is not ratified by Full Council, be approved.