Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER.

Erection of 52 dwellings including open space, landscaping, local area for play, and associated highway works (as amended by plans received 09/03/23).

RESOLVED: That application 20/02412/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager with the following amended recommendation:

“Recommendation 6.1:

A.    Clarification from HCC Highways regarding local sustainable transport. The response will be shared with the applicant; Parish Council and Chair of Planning Control Committee. If this results in a change to the sustainable transport S106 Contribution for this to be agreed by the Chair of Planning Control Committee;

B.    The completion of a satisfactory legal agreement and the applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement if required; and

C.    Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to update conditions and informatives as set out in the report above; and

D.    Conditions and Informatives as set out below:”

Audio recording – 2 hour 4 minute 24 seconds

The Area Planning Officer provided an update on this matter which included that:

·       An email of supplementary documents had been sent to the Committee and published on the website which corrected some minor typographical errors.

·       There was an update to Paragraph 3.24 of the report and the requested upgrade of two bus stops which the applicant had agreed and this was added to the s106 heads of terms.

·       In response to further clarification from County, the Highways department advised that the s106 money had been allocated to the upgrading of two existing bus stops and a cycle footpath which they felt was sustainable and reasonable.

·       The Area Planning Officer proposed that the amendment to 6.1 of the report be revoked and that the original paragraph 6.1 be reinstated.

The Area Planning Officer presented the report in respect of Application 20/02412/FP supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

The following Members asked points of clarification:

·       Councillor Tom Tyson

·       Councillor David Levett

·       Councillor Dave Winstanley

·       Councillor Ian Moody

·       Councillor Sean Nolan

·       Councillor Michael Muir

In response to the points of clarification the Area Planning Officer advised that:

·       The speed limit would remain at 40 miles per hour.

·       EV parking would be per house and shared for the flats.

·       The ice house would be repaired and protected as detailed in conditions 13 to 16 of the report and the footpath was adjacent to the ice house.

·       The boundary fences would be 1.8 metres high around the proposed gardens. The existing neighbours had rear gardens of approximately 40m long, which combined with the existing trees on the boundaries and the proposed rear garden means that there are no anticipated privacy issues.

·       The fences did not replace the existing hedgerows on the existing rear boundaries of the existing neighbours. The proposed fences were shown on the plans to be set inside the site.

·       All of the development would be within the proposed site which was no longer considered green belt.

·       There would be additional and enhanced biodiversity.

·       Electric charging points were highlighted in condition 23.

The Chair invited Parish Councillor Robert Moore and Ms Lorna Else to speak in objection of the application.

Parish Councillor Moore thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation including that:

·       In the last three years the applicant and the Parish Council steering group had undertaken a great deal of collaborative work.

·       On balance the Parish Council were in favour of this application but requested s106 money to be spent on a new footpath along Hitchin Road, Gosmore.

·       The proposed footpath was not mentioned in paragraph 3.2 on page 198 of the report.

·       The applicant was making contributions in excess of £1.2M towards s106 money. 

·       The current proposed footpath was impractical, most pedestrians walked along Waterdell Lane and through the village of Gosmore using the footbridge which was safer and more visually stimulating.

·       The payment allocated to priory school would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 110