Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Variation of Condition 2 (revised plans) of planning permission 19/01669/FP granted 11.02.2025 for erection of 14 dwellings including new vehicular access off Sperberry Hill (serving 10 dwellings) and new vehicular accesses off Stevenage Road (serving 4 dwellings).

RESOLVED: That application 25/01579/S73 be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.

Audio recording – 54 minutes 51 seconds

The Principal Planning Officer (Development Management) provided a verbal update on matters relating to application 25/01579/S73 and advised that an updated response had not been received from the Highways Officer and consequently, the conditions on the parent application relating to highways had been rolled forward to this application.

The Principal Planning Officer (Development Management) then presented the report in respect of application 25/01579/S73 and provided a visual presentation accompanied by plans and photographs.

The following Members asked questions:

·             Councillor Dave Winstanley

·             Councillor Louise Peace

·             Councillor Ruth Brown

In response to questions, the Principal Planning Officer (Development Management) advised that:

·             To comply with building regulations, the proposed dwellings would be required to have either air source heat pumps or solar panels to offset the gas boilers.

·             Larger dwellings would have air source heat pumps and the smaller dwellings would have solar panels, however, it was unknown whether this had been done in conjunction with the dwellings that would be sold as affordable housing. 

·             It was unknown whether every dwelling would contain a gas boiler or if it was just those with solar panels.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·             Councillor Ruth Brown

·             Councillor Martin Prescott

·             Councillor Val Bryant

The following points were made as part of the debate:

·             Air source heat pumps and solar panels were positive and there was no reason to reject the application. 

·             If gas boilers were soon to be banned, then why were they being installed at all.

In response to points raised in the debate, the Principal Planning Officer (Development Management) advised that until building regulations were updated, developers would continue to install gas boilers due to financial reasons.

Councillor Emma Fernandes proposed and Councillor Winstanley seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That application 25/01579/S73 be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.