Minutes of the Roads Committee Meeting

MINUTES OF THE ROADS COMMITTEE MEETING – A AGENDAHELD IN THE FIRST FLOOR COMMITTEE ROOM AT THE TOWN HALL ON
WEDNESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 9.30AM
PRESENT: / Constable S Crowcroft (SC)
Mr N Blake (NB)
Mr B Manning (BM)
Mr P Wade (PW)
Mr R Le Brocq (RLB)
IN ATTENDANCE: / Mr G Jennings (Procureur du Bien Public) (GJ)
Mr P Pearce (Procureur du Bien Public) (PP)
Mr J Stievenard (Director of Technical & Environmental Services) (JS)
Mr S Alves (Manager of Technical & Environmental Services) (SA)
APOLOGIES / The Very Rev R Key (Dean) (RK)
Mr B Le Feuvre (BLF)
OPEN MEETING / Having been previously circulated, the ‘A’ Agenda Minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2016 were agreed.
MATTERS ARISING
149/16 - FOOD OUTLET – DON STREET / Previous minute 123/16 refers
The Town Centre Manager had carried out consultation, as requested by the Committee, with the traders on Don Street regarding the permanent siting of an ice cream outlet adjacent to the side of the former BHS building. The consultation indicated that some businesses were non-committal about it but others were opposed to it.
The Committee agreed that permission for the outlet should not be given.
AGENDA ITEMS
150/16 - TOWN CENTRE MANAGER’S REPORT / Previous minute 102/16 refers
The Town Centre Manager’s report was noted.
151/16 - CONTRACTOR’S COMPOUND – HUE STREET / Previous minute 143/16 refers
Following a meeting at the Town Hall on 9 September 2016 with the Co-op and Camerons the property and business owners from Hue Street asked to attend the Committee Meeting to voice their concerns about the proposed closure of Hue Street to allow the contractors to have a compound. Representatives from the Co-op, Camerons and the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) were also in attendance.
The residents’ concerns are as follows:-
·  Cracks in the buildings following the demolition phase
·  Duration of the period of closure of Hue Street, approximately 18 months
·  Access for emergency vehicles
·  Noise pollution, the windows are single glazed
·  Physical fall out pollution eg dust
·  Lack of air – it will not be possible to open windows during warm periods
·  Loss of natural daylight
·  No access for external repairs to properties to be carried out
·  General access
·  Loss of privacy
·  Length of daily operational hours
·  Health & Safety considerations
The businesses concerns, in addition to the above, are as follows:-
·  Noise levels – particularly unacceptable for the beauty salon
·  Access to the businesses
The property and business owners asked the Committee to change their decision about the closure of Hue Street for the compound and asked Co-op and Camerons to consider the following:-
·  To take their concerns seriously and appoint an independent surveyor at their expense to survey the properties internally and externally, monitor any cracks and fund any necessary remedial works
·  To find alternative temporary premises for the businesses and fund the cost of re-siting and establishments costs
·  To compensate the residential property owners for the disruption and pollution they will have to endure
Other points raised by the property and business owners at the Committee meeting were as follows:-
·  These independent businesses will suffer a severe loss of trade and may have to close
·  Vehicle noise at 7.10am when the site is not meant to start operating until 8.00am
·  These are private works, not in the interests of the public
·  Originally it was proposed the compound would be in York Street where it appears that less residents and businesses would be affected
Response from representatives of Camerons and the Co-op:-
·  The Co-op put an insurance policy in place prior to commencement of the works to cover any damage to the properties as a consequence of the works
·  Hue Street is the only location that DFI would agree to and has been financially costly for the project
·  Prepared to consider retrospectively evidence that the businesses have been affected by the works but are unable to relocate the businesses
·  Sympathetic to the concerns of the residents and want to be good neighbours
·  Will ask Premier Inn to promote the beauty salon to their guests in due course
·  Difficult to determine the area in which residents are inconvenienced
·  Pollution levels are determined by the Environmental Health (EH) and Camerons are working closely with them
·  Will check with EH if the operational hours ie 8.00am – 6.00pm also includes vehicle movements
·  Concrete pouring will only take place on 2 days a week for 8 hours a day
·  If a compound cannot be provided the operations will be even more disruptive
·  Romerils have given up an area used by their pool cars for the contractors but are unable to free up any other land
·  The hoardings around the compound will be decorated and will include advertising for the businesses if they supply the artwork
Mr Chris Sampson (CS) and Mr Carl Dodd (CD) from DFI said that the possibility of locating the compound in York Street had been investigated at length and it was deemed unsafe because of the high number of traffic and pedestrian movements in the area and the possibility of creating an accident black spot. There are also a high number of businesses and residents in the vicinity of York Street, the busy layby would need to be removed, street furniture would need to be removed and the road would have to be re-routed. SC asked if the closure of Charing Cross was a factor, CS said this was considered but other major factors outweighed this being a contributory factor. CD said that York Street was a major tourist route, pedestrian safety would be compromised as the footpath would have needed to be narrowed and there would be large vehicles manoeuvring to make deliveries. RLB asked if the compound had been sited in York Street if the length of the contract would have been reduced, the Committee were advised that the duration of the works could have been even longer. CS said the closure of Dumaresq Street had been considered but the businesses in King Street, which use this for their deliveries, were not in favour and neither were Romerils from a trading point of view. CS said that contact should be made with EH if it was felt the contractors were working outside the hours stipulated and he thought this would include vehicle deliveries.
Having carefully considered the representation by the property and business owners Mr Colin McLeod (CM) agreed that provided the compound was approved the Co-op would:-
·  Subject to approval from Planning replace the front windows in all the residential properties and Treadles with wooden double glazing, estimated cost to be circa £30K - £40K
·  Make a one off compensatory payment to Treadles of £5K and The House of Beauty £15K, cost to be split 50/50 between the Coop and Camerons
The owner of Treadles said she was happy with the compensation and a representative of the property owners said they would be happy with the offer to replace the windows, subject to the offer being received in writing. The owner of the House of Beauty did not feel this compensation was adequate for the downturn in business they expected and said he would still like to relocate the business temporarily. CM said he thought this was a fair offer and accepted that there was not a perfect solution. CM said that he was still open to reviewing factual evidence from The House of Beauty if there was a downturn in their business. He said he could not agree to renewing the windows in the courtyard area but said that if readings indicated an increased noise level an acoustic barrier could be installed.
The Committee discussed that matter and agreed that a fair offer had been made to the property and business owners but they felt that the windows of the residential property within the courtyard should also be replaced. SC, NB and PW voted in favour of the compound being agreed subject to the conditions stipulated, BM and RLB dissented.
152/16 - MOTOR CYCLE AREA - DON STREET / Previous minute 140/16 refers
T & E Services had investigated the matter and asked the Committee to consider three options for formalising the situation, ie:-
1.  Revert the spaces back to three vehicle spaces for shoppers, parking for one hour with a paycard
2.  Change to spaces to official motorcycle parking
3.  Totally remove the parking and widen the footpath.
The Committee agreed that option 2 was preferable. SA said that this would require a change to the road Traffic Order and that the number of spaces would be reduced to 8 as the angle of the spaces needed to be adjusted so that the width of the carriageway was not reduced.
153/16 - FIXED CANOPY - DON STREET / Previous minute 127/16 refers
The Committee were asked to consider an application for a permanent awning to be licenced for which Planning permission had already been received.
The Committee agreed that the awning could be licenced.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
154/16 - GRAHAM HOTEL, 60 ST SAVIOUR’S ROAD, ST HELIER, JE2 4GJ / P/2016/1051
Graham Hotel, 60 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier, JE2 4GJ
Construct bin store to north west of site.
The Roads Committee has examined plans for the above submission and gives approval provided:
·  That the refuse store and collection arrangements are agreed in detail with the Parish Refuse Manager.
·  That a refuse separation and recycling strategy is agreed in conjunction with the Parish.
155/16 - 24 BERESFORD STREET, ST HELIER, JE2 4WN / P/2016/1055
24 Beresford Street, St Helier, JE2 4WN
Change of use of first floor from Class B café and restaurant and second floor from residential unit to Class C office. Various external alterations to include replacement doors and windows to north elevation.
The Roads Committee has examined plans for the above submission and gives approval provided:
·  That the refuse store and collection arrangements are agreed in detail with the Parish Refuse Manager.
·  That no doors may open outwards over the Public Highway. The applicant should note that contravening this condition will mean that the Parish will take action against the applicant/owner under the Highways Encroachments (Jersey) Regulations 1957.
·  That any windows bordering the Public Road or Footpath shall be of a type whose opening lights do not open beyond the face of the building. The applicant should note that contravening this condition will mean that the Parish will take action against the applicant/owner under the Highways Encroachments (Jersey) Regulations 1957.
·  That the requirements of the Highway Encroachments (Jersey) Regulations 1957 are strictly complied with.
156/16 - 56 DON STREET, ST HELIER, JE2 4TR / P/2016/0947
56 Don Street, St Helier, JE2 4TR
Convert first and second floor residential units into office space.
The Roads Committee has examined plans for the above submission and gives approval provided:
·  That the refuse store and collection arrangements are agreed in detail with the Parish Refuse Manager.
157/16 - B & Q SUPERSTORE, QUEEN’S ROAD, ST HELIER, JE2 3GR / RC/2016/0887
B & Q Superstore, Queen’s Road, St Helier, JE2 3GR
Vary condition 11 of permission PP/1997/0699; Condition 7 of permission P/1998/1002; and Condition 6 of permission PB/1998/2777 in respect of operating hours to allow Sunday trading for a total of 9 Sundays per year (to include the period around Christmas).
The Roads Committee has no objections to the above submission.
158/16 - TRAFALGAR HOUSE, NELSON AVENUE & 37 CLEVELAND ROAD, ST HELIER, JE2 4PD / P/2016/0957
Trafalgar House, Nelson Avenue & 37 Cleveland Road, St Helier, JE2 4PD
Demolish existing buildings. Construct 2 No 3 bed dwellings with access onto Nelson Avenue and 1 No 3 bed dwelling with access onto Cleveland Road.
The Roads Committee has examined plans for the above submission and comments as follows:-
·  The applicant should find ways to improve pedestrian visibility by negotiating with neighbours to lower boundary walls if possible as to not compromise pedestrian safety.
·  The applicant should investigate how to dispose of the surface water from within his site into his own internal surface water system as opposed to using the existing channel across the pavement in Nelson Avenue. The Parish policy is to remove these channels as pavements and roads are refurbished.
·  That the parking area is surfaced with concrete or tarmacadam and all surface water generated on the area is to be disposed of within the site by soakaway or other appropriate means. This is a Parish of St Helier set condition which must be undertaken by the applicant/owner prior to the parking space being used.
·  The kerb and footpath must be lowered by the Parish of St Helier at the expense of the applicant. This is a Parish of St Helier set condition which must be undertaken by the applicant/owner prior to the parking space being used. The Parish will not allow access across the footpath by the applicant/owner without this work being undertaken first, this is to avoid damage to the kerbstones from vehicle movement.
159/16 - 18 & 18A BELMONT ROAD, ST HELIER, JE2 4SA / P/2016/1012
18 & 18A Belmont Road, St Helier, JE2 4SA
Convert existing units and store into 1 No three bed, 1 No two bed and 1 No one bed residential units.
The Roads Committee does not support this application for the following reasons:-
·  The Committee comments on the previous application reference: P/2011/1213 stand.
·  Support cannot be given for the creation of additional units of accommodation without the provision of private off street parking.
·  There is no indication as to how refuse will be stored and collected from the premises.
160/16 - LORRAINE GUEST HOUSE, 8 HAVRE DES PAS, ST HELIER, JE2 4UQ / P/2016/1057
Lorraine Guest House, 8 Havre des Pas, St Helier, JE2 4UQ
Demolish extension to north elevation. Construct 4 storey extension to north elevation. Convert guest house into 4 No 1 bed flats and 3 No 2 bed flats.