Agenda item

RESOLVED: That planning permission be GRANTED subject to the completion of a satisfactory S106 Legal Agreement and the reasons and conditions set out in the report, subject to the following amendment to condition 9 to read:

“The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the recommendations and mitigation measures set out in the submitted Bat Survey Report by Three Counties Ecology,  the Preliminary Ecological Assessment and Potential Roost Assessment (August 2021).’”

Audio Recording: 1:17:41

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 21/02957/FP supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans, along with the following updates:

·             The supplementary agenda pack published with this item included an update on the implications of the Inspectors Report on the emerging Local Plan which had been returned; the main point included was that subject to a number of main modifications set out in the appendix to the report the emerging Local Plan was sound, legally compliant, and capable of adoption;

·             This meant that the policies and site allocations made under the emerging Local Plan could be given very significant weight when determining planning applications;

·             Late representations had been received which reiterated points already considered by the report including concerns around; design, height and proximity of the houses and the loss of privacy to Shepherd’s Close residents; concerns that an archaeological survey should be carried out; increase in traffic; additional burden on the town’s infrastructure; concerns of damage to existing properties that might occur through construction; health and safety issues; and concerns around surveys including the bat survey conducted and the design codes used by the Council in assessing the development;

·             There was an amendment to be made to the S106 table at page 129 of the agenda pack to reflect the monitoring fee of £340 charged at each trigger point in the legal agreement;

·             There was additional wording to be added to condition 9 as follows: “The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the recommendations and mitigation measures set out in the submitted Bat Survey Report by Three Counties Ecology,  the Preliminary Ecological Assessment and Potential Roost Assessment (August 2021).’”

The following Members asked questions:

·             Councillor David Levett

·             Councillor Tom Tyson

In response to questions the Principal Planning Officer advised:

·             The power line ran directly above the access road;

·             The bridleway/foothpath headed northwards towards central Royston.

The Chair invited Mr Roger Mead to speak in objection to the application.

Mr Roger Mead gave a presentation including:

·             Plots 7 and 8 on the plan were intrusive and would sit close to his property resulting in a loss of light and overlooking;

·             A light survey he had conducted from October to March between the hours of 8:15-14:15 suggested he could lose up to 88% of the light to his property and to his neighbours;

·             The view from his property would be interrupted by the new development;

·             The height of the proposed dwellings was such that it would lead to overlooking and a loss of privacy and there were first floor windows looking directly on to his property;

·             There would only be 1.5m distance between the boundaries of his property and the plots at 7 and 8;

·             He was supportive of development in Royston but concerned about the position and height of this part of the proposed development.

The Chair invited the Principal Planning Officer to respond to points raised in the presentation.

The Principal Planning Officer advised that:

·             The applicant had been asked to obtain a daylight and sunlight assessment and a report had been produced by consultants which accompanies the application based on the industry standard;

·             The numerical results of that study confirm that the impact of the proposed development on the light receivable by the nine existing dwellings is in full accordance with good practice and therefore the proposed development design satisfies all of the requirements set out in the BRE Guide Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight;

·             Regarding overlooking, condition 135 required any windows looking towards Shepherds Close (the neighbouring properties) have obscure glazing;

·             Plot 8 would be near 5 meters away at the nearest point from the boundary and Plot 7 would be 4, and additional landscaping was proposed along the boundary.

Councillor Simon Bloxham asked a question of clarification and in response the Principal Planning Officer confirmed the plots being discussed by himself and Mr Roger Mead were corresponding.

The following Members asked questions and took part in debate:

·             Councillor Tony Hunter

·             Councillor David Levett

·             Councillor Terry Tyler

In response to questions the Principal Planning Officer advised:

·             Conditions were proposed that meant all details of hard and soft landscaping be approved by the Council, that trees be retained, and any loss of soft landscaping measures in the first few years of the development be replaced by the developer;

·             Officers relied on the advice of the Health and Safety Executive when considering issues like power lines;

·             The Energy Networks Association produced guidance on construction and development near power lines and based on that information and the fact that the power line was of the lowest voltage in use the minimum suggested safe distance between the line and development was 3m; the proposed plan had a distance of 6 meters.

Councillor David Levett proposed, Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and on the vote it was:

RESOLVED: That planning permission be GRANTED subject to the completion of a satisfactory S106 Legal Agreement and the reasons and conditions set out in the report, subject to the following amendment to condition 9 to read:

“The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the recommendations and mitigation measures set out in the submitted Bat Survey Report by Three Counties Ecology,  the Preliminary Ecological Assessment and Potential Roost Assessment (August 2021).’”