Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Reserved matters application including appearance, layout, scale and landscaping for the erection of 83 dwellings with associated sub- station, infrastructure, including attenuation basin and Local Area of Play (pursuant to outline planning permission granted under ref 17/00110/1 including the approval of drainage details for this phase required by condition 10 of that permission).

RESOLVED: That application 20/01138/RM be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions outlined in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager and the following amendments to conditions:

 

·         Condition 5 to be amended to the following:

 

“Prior to the occupation of the 83rd unit, the development hereby permitted shall be implemented in accordance with the ecological mitigation measures described in section 4 of the Ecology Addendum October 2020 where they relate to the first phase of development.

 

Reason - In the interests of Biodiversity”

 

·         Condition 9 to be added with the following:

 

“Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit a programme for the delivery and adoption (or private management of)  footpaths around the site, with public access secured in perpetuity including non-car access for cycles and mobility scooters to the established residential development off of Valley Rise. This programme will be agreed by the Local Planning Authority in conjunction with Herts County Council Rights of Way. The agreed programme will be implemented in accordance with any agreed phasing programme and thereafter maintained in perpetuity. Any proposed footpaths shall be located and laid out to ensure that any loss of trees is minimised as much as is reasonably possible’.

 

Reason: To deliver a sustainable scheme of public rights of way for the incumbent population and the wider community.”

 

Audio recording – 22 minutes 45 seconds

 

The Principle Planning Officer advised of updates to the report including:

 

·         There had been 5 neighbour objections, not three as listed in the report. These concerned Brampton Road being used as vehicular access and access to Icknield Walk First School.

·         Royston Town Council questioned whether the powerline would be underground – this had previously been confirmed by the applicant’s agent.

·         Royston Town Council had questioned lack of information on bus route on site, but this had been covered by Condition 7 of Outline Plan.

·         Condition 5 to be updated to only include ecological requirements of this phase.

·         Paragraph 4.47 should be £30,000 not £30,000k as written on report.

·         Herts County Councillor had made contact to raise concerns regarding the loss of trees on site.

 

The Principle Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 20/01138/RM supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·         Councillor Ian Mantle

·         Councillor Val Bryant

·         Councillor Ruth Brown

·         Councillor Tom Tyson

 

In response to questions, the Principle Planning Officer and Senior Planning Officer advised:

 

·         Access paths were only indicative at this stage and were not included for consideration on this application. Condition 11 of the Outline Proposals outlined that the applicant would need to submit details of these.

·         The mix of affordable housing is known and there will be 18 units (22%) of this phase which would be affordable.

·         The affordable housing would be included across the site and would be replicated across all phases.

·         Herts Ecology had a few sites in mind to spend Unilateral Undertaking ecology funds, but nothing had been agreed yet. It is required to be in the local area and officers were confident that it would be in North Herts, but not necessarily in Royston. NHDC would receive the funds and a relevant location would be identified.

 

The Chair invited Leigh Carpenter to speak against the application.

 

Leigh Carpenter thanked the Chair for the chance to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation including:

 

·         Good pedestrian access to the west could be achieved with good planning and was promised in the original Outline Proposals. 

·         Matters of tree maintenance, road safety and onward travel should be considered and assessed in the context of this application.

·         There is little justification for the clusters of 1 and 2 bedroom dwellings.

·         The proposed cycle route is unsustainable, as the route has a gradient of 13%.

·         Access corridors as presented will require removal of trees and undergrowth with no attempt to deviate the corridors to avoid surveyed trees.

·         Requested that Members defer the decision until further details can be provided.

 

The Chair invited Councillor Adam Compton to speak against the application as a Member advocate. Councillor Adam Compton thanked the Chair for the chance to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation including:

 

·         Main concerns included the tree retention on site, the non-vehicular access points, the parking allocated on plans and the proposed height of flat blocks. 

·         The paths indicated on the plans were wide and would require the removal of the trees and residents had highlighted more appropriate locations for the pedestrian access.

·         The gradient of the proposed cycle route was not appropriate and there was no indication that bike storage facilities were included on site.

·         The limited visitor parking on site would lead to an additional build up of parked cars on neighbouring roads.

·         The proposed 3 storey height of the block of flats was out of line with the agreement that no building would exceed 2.5 stories.

·         Original proposals had 325 dwellings between 2 and 5 bedrooms, but there were now 12 one-bedroom flats on the plans.

·         The majority of the social housing units will be the 1 and 2 bedroom flats, which will only equate to 14% of bedrooms for this use.

 

The Chair invited David Fletcher to speak in support of the application, as agent of the applicant. David Fletcher thanks the Chair for the change to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation including:

 

·         Detailed discussions had been had with Officers at NHDC.

·         Discussions had also been had with other partners and proposals were changed following concerns raised by the Highways Agency.

·         The entrance from Newmarket Road would have deep landscaping and generous open space to provide a welcoming entrance. 

·         The 3 story flat block is on the lowest part of the site and had landscaping buffers to lessen the impact.

·         There was a good mix of dwellings included on site.

·         The Outline Application showed three points of access to the west, two of which were included within this phase. The detail of these access points fall outside this application, but tree protection was a key consideration in the final proposals.

·         There was a desire to start building on site as soon as possible following the granting of permission.

 

In response to points made during public presentations, the Principle Planning Officer advised:

 

·         Access paths on this application were only shown indicatively on this application.

·         Permeability was important and would inevitably lead to some tree removal, but these plans would be developed to ensure this was minimised.

·         Some of these trees were not of particular value and the overall value of the tree line could be preserved with the removal of appropriate trees.

·         Cycle storage was included at the block of flats.

 

The Senior Planning Officer advised that the Outline Permission detailed that more than two stories would be consider with robust justification, which was felt was acceptable for this site.

 

The following Members took part in the debate:

 

·         Councillor Mike Rice

·         Councillor David Levett

·         Councillor Ian Mantle

·         Councillor Ruth Brown

 

In response to questions, the Principle Planning Officer advised:

 

·         Electric Vehicle charging points were included on the Outline Plan under Condition 14.

·         While the access points were indicative at this stage, there were limited options given the points they would need to meet on existing streets.

·         The detailed access points would be agreed subject to the condition included on the outline application and are required to be provided before commencement.

·         It would be for NHDC Officers, in conjunction with County Highways, to decide whether these plans were suitable.

·         The land that the access point crossed was not owned by the applicant but NHDC was the landowner for this area.

·         Bin storage sites had been provided for the flats, but not for housing, but all houses will have access to their rear gardens where bins could be stored.

 

The Senior Planning Officer advised that the mid-terrace and semi-detached house would have suitable drag distances to the waste collection points across the site.

 

Councillor Ruth Brown noted that there was nothing specific within Condition 11 which sought to protect trees and, as Chair, proposed that wording be added to conditions to include this as a requirement. This was seconded by Councillor Mike Hughson.

 

Councillor David Levett, proposed with the additional wording on conditions and Councillor Morgan Derbyshire seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That application 20/01138/RM be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons and conditions outlined in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager and the following amendments to conditions:

 

·         Condition 5 to be amended to the following:

 

“Prior to the occupation of the 83rd unit, the development hereby permitted shall be implemented in accordance with the ecological mitigation measures described in section 4 of the Ecology Addendum October 2020 where they relate to the first phase of development.

 

Reason - In the interests of Biodiversity”

 

·         Condition 9 to be added with the following:

 

“Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit a programme for the delivery and adoption (or private management of)  footpaths around the site, with public access secured in perpetuity including non-car access for cycles and mobility scooters to the established residential development off of Valley Rise. This programme will be agreed by the Local Planning Authority in conjunction with Herts County Council Rights of Way. The agreed programme will be implemented in accordance with any agreed phasing programme and thereafter maintained in perpetuity. Any proposed footpaths shall be located and laid out to ensure that any loss of trees is minimised as much as is reasonably possible’.

 

Reason: To deliver a sustainable scheme of public rights of way for the incumbent population and the wider community.”