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1.1 Apologies were received from Councillors Mark Jones and Chris Tew.
2.1 The following interests were declared: · Councillor Alfie Best declared a personal interest in agenda item 3 as an appointed representative to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service which had been consulted on the application. · Councillor Steven Evans declared a personal interest in agenda item 3 as an appointed representative to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service which had been consulted on the application. · Councillor Karl Gauden declared a personal interest in agenda item 3 as ward member.
3.1 The Planning Consultant presented in detail the part of the report which related to Planning Application 23/P/0433/VAR which sought permission for the variation of condition 11, which would add a ‘walk in’ A&E to the list of approved uses at the Grange Hospital. 3.2 During the presentation the Planning Consultant drew Members attention to a number of concerns received from nearby residents, which included Helicopter issues, light pollution, concerns regarding a number of trees on the site dying and noise and disturbance from the new 58 space car park. It was important to note that these issues were outside of the remit of the current application. However, the Health Board has met with the residents to discuss potential arrangements about changing the flight path of the helicopter, they discussed exploring options of extending the protective fence on the northern part of the site and also agreed to review the flood lighting that emanates from the hospital. 3.3 Members asked a number of questions and Officers gave the following responses: • The active travel links to the hospital were currently not ideal but as Members would recall when approval was granted in February for the new Mental Health Unit on the Hospital site, a Section 106 contribution of £50,000 was agreed with the Health Board which would be used by the Council to undertake a review of Active Travel Connections. Officers did ask for a similar contribution to be made for this application, however the Health Board felt that it was unnecessary given that it was their intention to undertake a review themselves as part of proposals to redevelop the wider Llanfrechfa Grange site which was identified as a Strategic Action Area in the Torfaen Local Development Plan. • The Planning Consultant agreed to liaise with the Health Board regarding the possibility of installing bus and taxi shelters. • Officers were not aware of the plans to close the A&E Department in Nevill Hall at night, however if that was the case and more people were to use the A&E facilities at the Grange, it would be acceptable, as the data showed that traffic levels at the site were considerably lower than originally predicted. • The amount of car parking spaces was raised as part of Mental Health Unit application that came to Committee in February and Officers consulted widely and no one raised the issue of cars spilling out of the Hospital Grounds and the Council’s Highways Officer was content with level of car parking on site. • Member concerns regarding the design of the roundabout were noted, however there were no proposals to change the design and the Council’s Highways Officer has raised no concerns over it. • Traffic issues relating to the use of Crown Road had been brought to the attention of the Council’s Highway Officer, however he had not raised any objections to the Planning Application. • The Health Board were trying all methods to direct people to use the right service for their needs and encouraging them to choose wisely to try to take the pressure off the A&E Department. • The Planning Consultant would be happy to facilitate a meeting with the ward councillor, local residents and the Health Board if there were any specific problems that they wanted addressed. • The Health Board have stated that in comparison to the use of the whole hospital and the generation of traffic, the Emergency Department walk in use had not increased the overall level by a great degree and the overall traffic generated by the hospital was lower than predicted in the original planning application. • The flood lighting was not an issue that could be considered as part of this application, as the lighting was already in situ and this application did not add to the problem, however the Health Board were looking at what could be done to reduce the impact on local residents. • If Active Travel improvements were to be made, they needed to be viable, the Emergency Department walk in use only equates to 2% of the whole site, it was not viable to fund those improvements as part of this scheme. However, the Health Board have stated that as the site was in a Strategic Action Area, and they were looking to develop more widely on the site that active travel improvement could be looked in to at a later date. The Health Board had already given the Council £50,000 to undertake an Active Travel Study. • The Council did ask for a Section 106 contribution; however, the Health Board said that were unable to on this application and gave their reasons, which Officers accepted as they also had to consider the wider benefits the scheme provided. • If Officers think that a Section 106 agreement is required on applications and the Applicant refuses to make the contribution Officers can refuse the Planning Application. On this application Officers had to decide whether a contribution was so important that without it Officers would have to refuse the application. Officers’ recommendation was that there was not enough justification to refuse the application on the basis that the Health Board have already made a contribution that would cover a study on another application. This would not set a precedence in terms of future applications as each case is taken on its own merits and where required Officers do expect planning obligations to be made and applications would be refused if the Officers felt the contributions were essential. 3.4 Members stated that it was an excellent hospital and a much-needed facility. 3.5 Members unanimously agreed to approve the application subject to the conditions and agreed to the variation of condition 11. 3.6 Following Planning Committees approval to vary condition 11 to allow walk-in A&E use at the Hospital, the Planning Consultant presented the second Planning Application, 23/P/0430/FUL, which sought permission for the extension to the existing Emergency Department, with associated landscaping, parking and access arrangements. He displayed photos and plans of the site drawing Members attention to key areas. 3.7 Since the report had been published the Planning Consultant had since received late responses from The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust who raised no objections to the proposal and the Council’s Arboricultural Officer who had asked that replacement planting be carried out. No responses had been received from the Community Council or local ward member. 3.8 Members unanimously agreed to approve the application subject to the conditions laid out in the report.
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