Agenda item

Report number DM15 of the Cabinet Member for Growth and Communications.   (Enclosure)

Decision:

The Cabinet recommends that Council

1. Confirms the Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area as drafted and attached as Appendix 1 to report number DM15 and to cancel the existing Warrenne Keep Article 4 Direction, both effective from 1 December 2018
2. The introduction of a fee of £206 for each planning application arising from the Direction
3. That any income surplus generated from the designation of this Article 4 Direction is ringfenced for future investment within the area covered by the Direction.

Reasons for decision

1.            Report number DM15 of the Cabinet Member for Growth and Communications including the draft Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area (attached as Appendix 1 to the report)

2.            The decision made by Cabinet on 12 April 2018 to approve the commencement of a formal process to remove permitted development rights for specific types of development within the Stamford Conservation Area

3.            The increasing number of alterations being carried out under permitted development rights that may be harmful to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area

4.            Feedback from a period of public consultation on the proposed introduction of an Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area including written representations and feedback from drop-in sessions

5.            Comments submitted by Stamford Town Council and Stamford Civic Society

6.            The proposed £206 fee was the same as the fee payable by householders for an application for works that are not permitted development

7.            The proposed application fee was intended to cover the cost of processing an application

8.            Comments made by Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 October 2018

9.            The equality analysis attached as Appendix 3 to report number DM15

Other options considered and rejected

To not designate an Article 4 Direction or for the Direction to apply to a smaller area. However, there has been no area-wide control over permitted development across the Stamford Conservation Area since it was first designated in 1967 and there has since been a gradual erosion of the architectural details and of historic fabric to a significant number of unlisted buildings to the detriment of the character and appearance of the Conservation Area as a whole.

Decision:

The Cabinet recommends that Council

1. Confirms the Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area as drafted and attached as Appendix 1 to report number DM15 and to cancel the existing Warrenne Keep Article 4 Direction, both effective from 1 December 2018
2. The introduction of a fee of £206 for each planning application arising from the Direction
3. That any income surplus generated from the designation of this Article 4 Direction is ringfenced for future investment within the area covered by the Direction.

Reasons for decision

1.            Report number DM15 of the Cabinet Member for Growth and Communications including the draft Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area (attached as Appendix 1 to the report)

2.            The decision made by Cabinet on 12 April 2018 to approve the commencement of a formal process to remove permitted development rights for specific types of development within the Stamford Conservation Area

3.            The increasing number of alterations being carried out under permitted development rights that may be harmful to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area

4.            Feedback from a period of public consultation on the proposed introduction of an Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation Area including written representations and feedback from drop-in sessions

5.            Comments submitted by Stamford Town Council and Stamford Civic Society

6.            The proposed £206 fee was the same as the fee payable by householders for an application for works that are not permitted development

7.            The proposed application fee was intended to cover the cost of processing an application

8.            Comments made by Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 October 2018

9.            The equality analysis attached as Appendix 3 to report number DM15

Other options considered and rejected

To not designate an Article 4 Direction or for the Direction to apply to a smaller area. However, there has been no area-wide control over permitted development across the Stamford Conservation Area since it was first designated in 1967 and there has since been a gradual erosion of the architectural details and of historic fabric to a significant number of unlisted buildings to the detriment of the character and appearance of the Conservation Area as a whole.

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Report number DM15 was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Growth and Communications, who explained that the report was being presented to Cabinet following a period of public consultation and discussions by the Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Together with support for this Direction, members of the Cabinet considered how similar Directions could be made in other areas of the district.

Support for the introduction of an Article 4 Direction for Stamford Conservation area was articulated by a non-Cabinet Member from Stamford, while the support of the Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee was conveyed by its Chairman.

In introducing the Direction, work would be undertaken to support residents living in the Conservation Area to understand how the changes would affect them and what would be acceptable. Any lessons from the implementation of the Direction in Stamford Conservation Area would inform the rollout of other Directions across the district. It was noted that the cost of processing applications made as a result of the Article 4 Direction would need monitoring.

Cabinet Members agreed the recommendations in the report, together with an additional recommendation that any surplus income generated through planning fees arising from the Article 4 Direction should be ringfenced for future investment in the area covered by the Direction.