Issue - meetings

RESOLVED: That application 21/00434/HYA be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions outlined in the report of the Senior Planning Officer along with the following additional condition:

·         Condition 30 to be added with the following:

Prior to commencement of each phase of the development herby permitted, detail of the installation of fire hydrants for that phase shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with the Highway Authority.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure there are adequate water supplies for use in the event of an emergency for the proposed development.

Audio Recording: 3:00

The Senior Planning Officer advised that there was one update to the report which had been attached to the agenda as a supplementary agenda pack, which related to the Primary Education contribution referenced at Paragraph 3.3 and 5.4.104 of the report. The amount in the report should be £859,510 and not £859,838. The contributions to the County Council will be index linked. The Senior Planning Officer also reported that the County Council has requested that the matter of fire hydrants not be dealt with in the S106 agreement but as a condition.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 21/00434/HYA supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

The following Members asked questions:

·         Councillor Ian Mantle

·         Councillor Tom Tyson

·         Councillor Mike Rice

In response to a question from Members, the Senior Planning Officer advised:

·         The trees alongside the northern end of the site were to be retained but weren’t part of the planned site.

·         There is a national government order that says that for applications in the green belt over a certain size, the application should be referred to the Secretary of State for them to consider to call in.

·         The County Council are the education authority and it is for them to determine how the money is spent. The applicant has agreed to offer the contribution that has been sought towards education and it is a matter of the County Council how that money is spent to mitigate the impacts of this development.

The Chair invited Neil Dodds and Alissa McDonald to speak against the application.

Mr Dodds and Ms McDonald thanked the Chair for their opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation including:

·         Mr Dodds is speaking on behalf of Hitchin Forum, an amenity group which has about 100 members;

·         Hitchin Forum have noted significant concerns, including overloaded sewage infrastructure, high surface water levels, closure of the gap between Hitchin and St. Ippolyts and access problems onto and from the B656 London Road;

·         The government inspector reviewing the proposed updating of the local plan has expressed concerns about the number of houses required and the use of greenbelt land to provide for them;

·         Inappropriate development in the greenbelt should only happen in very special circumstances;

·         South of this proposed site is another proposed development in the greenbelt involving 52 dwellings, which also accesses the same B656;

·         Ms McDonald stated that the Environmental Agency predict rivers to be 30% higher in winter causing flooding, and 80% higher in the summer by 2050. Hertfordshire has been identified as the driest county in England;

·         The Lead Local Flood Authority had, until recently, a number of objections which have now become conditions as part of the application;

·         Issues of sewage does not seem to have been addressed either. The Planning Application suggests that the proposed development will connect with the current sewage system, which the residents will testify has had its problems;

·         It is noted that the S106 funding the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78