Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Outline Planning Permission for up to 23 dwellings (all matters reserved except access).

RESOLVED: That application 20/02046/OP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions outlined in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager, subject to the removal of objections from the Lead Local Flood Authority, and the following amendments to conditions:

 

·         Condition 11 to be amended to the following:

 

“No development shall commence until a Construction Traffic Management Plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with approved plan. The Plan shall include the following details:

a)    construction vehicle numbers, type and routing;

b)    Access arrangements to the site;

c)    Construction traffic management requirements;

d)    Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for parking, loading / unloading and turning areas)

e)    Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

f)     timing and delivery arrangements for construction vehicles (to avoid school pick up and drop off times);

g)    Cleaning of site entrances, site tracks and adjacent public highway;

h)    Provision of sufficient on-site contractor and construction vehicle parking;

i)      Post construction restoration/reinstatement of the working areas and temporary access to the public highway;

j)      Where works cannot be contained wholly within the site a plan shall be submitted showing the site layout on the highway including extent of hoarding, pedestrian routes and remaining road width for vehicle movements;

k)    dust and waste minimisation plans and hours of operation and deliveries to and from site.

 

Reason: In order to protect highway safety and the amenity of other users of the public highway and rights of way in accordance with Policies 5, 12, 17 and 22 of Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan.”

 

Audio recording – 73 minutes 10 seconds

 

The Development and Conservation Manager advised of updates to the report including:

 

·         Lead Local Flood Authority had given a further response since publication of report and had maintained their objection to the plans until design of the sustainable urban drainage be finalised.

·         It had been requested that this be included as a condition rather than objection.

·         Condition 17 has been included to allow space for any additional conditions the LLFA may impose.

·         The recommendation would be updated to include ‘subject to the removal of the objection of the LLFA’.

·         If these objections were not removed, the application would return to Committee.

 

The Development and Conservation Manager presented the report in respect of application 20/02046/OP supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·         Councillor Tom Tyson

·         Councillor Mike Rice

·         Councillor David Levett

 

In response to questions, the Development and Conservation Manager advised:

 

·         The whole site had been allocated as open space, but had been allocated for development in previous local plans.

·         There were no explicit issues with the site from the LLFA, they were requiring detailed plans of the Sustainable Urban Drainage System before removing objection.

·         The site is not included under current land supply as there has been no permission granted. 

 

The Chair invited Oliver Sanhaji to speak against the application.

 

Oliver Sanhaji thanked the Chair for the chance to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation including:

 

·         He was representing a number of local residents who were opposed to the development.

·         Concerns and worry centred around the safety of access to and proximity to the school. It would be putting children and parents at risk.

·         There were already major issues with parking on Downlands and Yeomanry Drive.

·         The site is not proposed to connect through to the school access to prevent parking issues, but this is already an issue for nearby roads

·         These plans put children and infants at risk.

·         There would be a total loss of existing grass land and would be a total net loss on biodiversity.

·         The space has been a vital to local residents. 

·         Whilst there was a need to address the shortage of homes, this should bot be done by cramming housing into unsuitably sized and located sites.

 

The following Member asked a question:

 

·         Councillor David Levett

 

In response to questions, Oliver Sanhaji advised the entrance referred to next to the site was a rear entrance to the school, but this was heavily used by residents of Clothall Common. 

 

The following Members took part in the debate:

 

·         Councillor Tony Hunter

·         Councillor Ruth Brown

·         Councillor Morgan Derbyshire

·         Councillor Mike Rice

 

In response to questions, the Development and Conservation Manager advised:

 

·         Youth Provision is managed by Herts County Council and they will identify possible projects on which to spend S106 funds. They had identified the project in Hitchin as most suitable project.

·         There would need to be a relevant project in Baldock in order for it to be spent there and HCC have not identified a site in Baldock for this.

·         It could be looked at again and justified and spent on another possible project in Baldock if a suitable one was found.

·         With there only being on access route to site, minimising impact of construction traffic would be difficult, but additions could be placed on conditions to avoid school drop-off and pick-up times.

 

Councillor David Levett noted that proximity to schools caused problems and that often entrances become crowded. However he did not believe the addition 23 dwellings on site would exacerbate this issue.

 

Councillor Mike Hughson proposed with the additional condition, and Councillor Mike Rice seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That application 20/02046/OP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions outlined in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager, subject to the removal of objections from the Lead Local Flood Authority, and the following amendments to conditions:

 

·         Condition 11 to be amended to the following:

 

“No development shall commence until a Construction Traffic Management Plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter construction of the development shall only be carried out in accordance with approved plan. The Plan shall include the following details:

a)    construction vehicle numbers, type and routing;

b)    Access arrangements to the site;

c)    Construction traffic management requirements;

d)    Construction and storage compounds (including areas designated for parking, loading / unloading and turning areas)

e)    Siting and details of wheel washing facilities;

f)     timing and delivery arrangements for construction vehicles (to avoid school pick up and drop off times);

g)    Cleaning of site entrances, site tracks and adjacent public highway;

h)    Provision of sufficient on-site contractor and construction vehicle parking;

i)      Post construction restoration/reinstatement of the working areas and temporary access to the public highway;

j)      Where works cannot be contained wholly within the site a plan shall be submitted showing the site layout on the highway including extent of hoarding, pedestrian routes and remaining road width for vehicle movements;

k)    dust and waste minimisation plans and hours of operation and deliveries to and from site.

 

Reason: In order to protect highway safety and the amenity of other users of the public highway and rights of way in accordance with Policies 5, 12, 17 and 22 of Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan.”