Agenda item

Proposal: Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps and evaporator decks and erection of timber fencing enclosure to rear of the main leisure centre building

Location: Grantham Meres Leisure Centre, Trent Road, Grantham, NG31 7XQ

Recommendation: To authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions

(Councillor Patsy Ellis left the meeting due to being a Director of LeisureSK Ltd).

Proposal: Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps and evaporator decks and erection of timber fencing enclosure to rear of the main leisure centre building

Location: Grantham Meres Leisure Centre, Trent Road, Grantham, NG31 7XQ

Recommendation: To authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions

Together with:

·       Provisions within SKDC Local Plan 2011-2036, National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Design Guidelines for Rutland and South Kesteven.

·       Comments received from LCC Highways & SuDS.

·       No comments received from Grantham Town Council.

·       Comments received from Cadent Gas.

·       Comments received from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

·       No comments received from Environmental Protection.

During question to Officers and debate, Members commented on:

·       A query was raised as to why the proposal was for air source rather than ground source.

The Principal Planning Officer clarified the application was for an air source heat pump and was a decision of the Applicant’s.

·       It was queried whether the biodiversity net gain was a strict requirement for the application.

It was confirmed that biodiversity net gain was a mandatory requirement on most planning permissions. The Applicant had covered the requirements in terms via submission of the metric which established baseline details. There was a mandatory pre-commencement planning condition which secured the details of how the net gain would be achieved.

It was proposed, seconded and AGREED to authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions:

Time Limit for Commencement

The development hereby permitted shall be commenced before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

Reason: In order that the development is commenced in a timely manner, as set out in Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

Approved Plans

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following list of approved plans:

Site Location Plan received 12 February 2025

Drawing No.PLO7 Rev P01 External Pod Location

Drawing No.E.2100 Rev P01External Site Services

Unless otherwise required by another condition of this permission.   

Reason: To define the permission and for the avoidance of doubt.

During Building Works

Before any of the works on the external elevations for the building(s) hereby permitted are begun, samples of the materials (including colour of any render, paintwork or colourwash) to be used in the construction of the external surfaces shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development and in accordance with

Policy DE1 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

Before the Building is Occupied

Before any part of the development hereby permitted is occupied/brought into use, the external surfaces shall have been completed in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development and in accordance with Policy DE1 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

Informatives

1)    The effect of paragraph 13 of Schedule 7A to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is that planning permission granted for the development of land in England is deemed to have been granted subject to the condition "(the biodiversity gain condition") that development may not begin unless:

(a) a Biodiversity Gain Plan has been submitted to the planning authority, and

(b) the planning authority has approved the plan.

The planning authority, for the purposes of determining whether to approve a Biodiversity Gain Plan if one is required in respect of this permission would be South Kesteven District Council.

There are statutory exemptions and transitional arrangements which mean that the biodiversity gain condition does not always apply. These are listed below.

Based on the information available this permission is considered to be one which will require the approval of a biodiversity gain plan before development is begun because none of the statutory exemptions or transitional arrangements listed are considered to apply.