Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Outline planning application (all matters reserved) for the erection of up to 45 dwellings (as amended by plan received 25 February 2020).

Councillor Sue Ngwala declared that this application was within her ward. However, she had not predetermined it and would therefore take part in the debate and vote.

 

Councillor Morgan Derbyshire declared that he was speaking as Member Advocate on this item and therefore he would not take part in the debate and vote.

 

RESOLVED: That application 18/02913/OP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons contained in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager, and the variation of condition 15 and additional informatives.

 

‘Condition 15 as amended:

 

Prior to occupation of any of the dwellings hereby approved, a scheme identifying a significant number, as well as distribution, of EV charging points shall be submitted and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The EV charging points agreed by way of this condition shall be implemented prior to the occupation of any dwelling hereby approved.

               

Reason: To contribute to the objective of providing a sustainable transport network and to provide the necessary infrastructure to help off-set the adverse impact of the operational phase of the development on local air quality.’

 

Additional informatives:

 

2. It is expected that the scheme to be submitted in line with condition 15 of this permission will provide a significant number of EV charging points. The Council will consider any details submitted on its merits, however, are of the mind that at least one EV charging point should be provided for each dwelling.

 

10. The applicant, and future developers, are recommended to review the committee footage which raised some concerns in respect to the ability of the site to accommodate the maximum number of units permissible pursuant to this outline application for UP TO 45 dwellings. Furthermore, concerns were raised as to the date of the Transport Assessment evidence supporting the outline application, and any subsequent reserved matters applications for access should be supplemented by up-to-date transport evidence.

Audio Recording – 35 Minutes 55 Seconds

 

Outline planning application (all matters reserved) for the erection of up to 45 dwellings (as amended by plan received 25 February 2020).

 

Councillor Sue Ngwala declared that this application was within her ward. However, she had not predetermined it and would therefore take part in the debate and vote.

 

Councillor Morgan Derbyshire declared that he was speaking as Member Advocate on this item and therefore he would not take part in the debate and vote.

 

The Senior Strategic Sites Officer presented the report in respect of application 18/02913/OP supported by a visual presentation in consisting of photographs and plans.

 

The Officer provided an amendment to Condition 15 and additional informatives, as follows:

 

Condition 15 as amended:

 

Prior to occupation of any of the dwellings hereby approved, a scheme identifying a significant number, as well as distribution, of EV charging points shall be submitted and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The EV charging points agreed by way of this condition shall be implemented prior to the occupation of any dwelling hereby approved.

               

Reason: To contribute to the objective of providing a sustainable transport network and to provide the necessary infrastructure to help off-set the adverse impact of the operational phase of the development on local air quality.’

 

Additional informatives:

 

2. It is expected that the scheme to be submitted in line with condition 15 of this permission will provide a significant number of EV charging points. The Council will consider any details submitted on its merits, however, are of the mind that at least one EV charging point should be provided for each dwelling.

 

10. The applicant, and future developers, are recommended to review the committee footage which raised some concerns in respect to the ability of the site to accommodate the maximum number of units permissible pursuant to this outline application for UP TO 45 dwellings. Furthermore, concerns were raised as to the date of the Transport Assessment evidence supporting the outline application, and any subsequent reserved matters applications for access should be supplemented by up-to-date transport evidence.

 

Once the Officer’s presentation had concluded, the following Members asked questions of the Senior Strategic Sites Officer:

 

·                Councillor Daniel Allen;

·                Councillor Sue Ngwala;

·                Councillor Sam Collins;

·                Councillor David Levett;

·                Councillor Tom Tyson; and

·                Councillor Val Bryant.

 

The Senior Strategic Sites Officer provided further information regarding the pedestrian access in relation to Cashio Lane.

 

In response to other questions raised, the Officer advised that:

 

·                Evidence would need to be provided to ascertain if there was a requirement for additional EV charging points;

·                It was important to look at the quality of the EV charging points;

·                A traffic management condition was in place at Condition 20; and

·                The Environment Agency and Environmental Health had requested conditions to mitigate land contamination issues.

 

Mr David Masters thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee in objection to application 18/02913/OP, including:

 

·                There was a drainage ditch that ran along the back of Eastern way and rear gardens down Eastern Way had been flooded;

·                The ditch was not maintained by a Local Authority;

·                Residents were not allowed to clear the ditch;

·                The allocation of parking spaces per dwelling was not enough.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·         Councillor Sam Collins.

 

In response to the Member’s question regarding ditch clearance, Mr Masters advised that it was Hertfordshire County Council who had instructed residents not to clear the ditch.

 

Councillor Morgan Derbyshire, Member Advocate, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee in objection to the application, including:

 

·                Norton Road was the primary road into Letchworth;

·                Sites LG1, LG4 and LG10 in the Council’s emerging local plan all used Norton Road as their only access into Letchworth;

·                The total number of homes on these sites was over 1,000;

·                Traffic congestion would become worse as a result of the increased number of dwellings;

·                There should be a s106 contribution towards road safety measures in order to mitigate increased traffic as a result of the development;

·                A crossing on Norton Road towards the Grange Estate was needed in order to allow people to cross the road safely;

·                S106 contributions should be made to schools in the Grange Estate rather than Garden City Academy School which was on the other side of town to this development.

 

NB: As Councillor Morgan Derbyshire was a Member Advocate on this item but usually a Committee Member, he had declared that he would leave the meeting at the end of his presentation. Councillor Derbyshire therefore left the meeting at 20:45, taking no part in the debate and vote.

 

Mr Seth Williams, Agent, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee in support of the application, including:

 

·                The application related to the redevelopment of the former Norton School playing fields in accordance with the allocation that had been made in the emerging local plan;

·                Since the school had closed, the playing fields had become redundant;

·                The application was made in outline with all matters reserved;

·                There was an indicative layout and access arrangement;

·                Vehicular access was proposed to be taken off the end of Principal Court;

·                The proposal offered suitable means of access which would not impact the safety of the highway network;

·                There was proposed pedestrian access through to Cashio Lane to the east; and

·                The site would offer 45 dwellings.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·                Councillor Sue Ngwala;

·                Councillor David Levett; and

·                Councillor Tony Hunter.

 

Mr Williams responded to questions accordingly.

 

The Senior Strategic Sites Officer responded to issues raised.

 

The following Members took part in the debate:

 

·                Councillor Sam Collins;

·                Councillor Daniel Allen;

·                Councillor David Levett;

·                Councillor Sue Ngwala;

·                Councillor Tony Hunter; and

·                Councillor Mike Rice.

 

Points and comments made in the debate included:

 

·                The number of EV charging points was too low;

·                Access to the development was in the wrong place;

·                The number of dwellings was too high;

·                The site was detrimental to existing houses;

·                The layout of the site was not acceptable; and

·                Loss of privacy.

 

A Member raised that the matters being discussed were in fact reserve matters and another Member advised that the decision that needed to be made was whether the Committee were happy with 45 dwellings being built at this location.

 

Councillor Daniel Allen proposed to refuse planning permission which was seconded by Councillor Sue Ngwala.

 

Councillor David Levett raised a Point of Order and stated that a reason for refusal was needed.

 

The Development and Conservation Manager provided guidance to Members by reminding them that it was an outline application and they would still have control of the scheme as it was all matters reserved. The Officer advised that Members could control the number of dwellings, the access and layout if they were minded to grant planning permission.

 

In response to the point of order raised by Councillor Levett, the Development and Conservation Manager advised that Policy 21 could be used as a reason for refusal. However, using Policy 21 as a reason for refusal could be difficult to sustain at appeal.

 

At the request of the Chair, the Committee voted on the proposal to refuse planning permission which had been proposed by Councillor Daniel Allen and seconded by Councillor Sue Ngwala. Upon being put to the vote, the motion to refuse was lost.

 

Councillor Mike Rice proposed to grant planning permission and Councillor David Levett seconded the proposal.

 

It was put to the vote and:

 

RESOLVED: That application 18/02913/OP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons contained in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager, and the variation of condition 15 and additional informatives.

 

‘Condition 15 as amended:

 

Prior to occupation of any of the dwellings hereby approved, a scheme identifying a significant number, as well as distribution, of EV charging points shall be submitted and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The EV charging points agreed by way of this condition shall be implemented prior to the occupation of any dwelling hereby approved.

               

Reason: To contribute to the objective of providing a sustainable transport network and to provide the necessary infrastructure to help off-set the adverse impact of the operational phase of the development on local air quality.’

 

Additional informatives:

 

2. It is expected that the scheme to be submitted in line with condition 15 of this permission will provide a significant number of EV charging points. The Council will consider any details submitted on its merits, however, are of the mind that at least one EV charging point should be provided for each dwelling.

 

10. The applicant, and future developers, are recommended to review the committee footage which raised some concerns in respect to the ability of the site to accommodate the maximum number of units permissible pursuant to this outline application for UP TO 45 dwellings. Furthermore, concerns were raised as to the date of the Transport Assessment evidence supporting the outline application, and any subsequent reserved matters applications for access should be supplemented by up-to-date transport evidence.