Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

 

Erection of two detached dwellings with private gardens including landscaping, parking and widening of existing vehicular access off Stevenage Road.

RESOLVED: That application 25/00949/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.

Audio recording – 2 hours 34 minutes 7 seconds

 

N.B. Councillor Caroline McDonnell declared an interest in this item due to her role as a Parish Councillor for Wymondley Parish Council but clarified that she had not been involved in the application nor made any public comments on it. She remained in the Council Chamber and took part in the debate and vote.

 

The Development and Conservation Manager advised that there were no updated matters to report on since the publication of the agenda.

 

The Development and Conservation Manager then presented the report in respect of Application 25/00949/FP accompanied by a visual presentation consisting of plans and photographs.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·             Councillor Dave Winstanley

·             Councillor Martin Prescott

·             Councillor Tom Tyson

·             Councillor Clare Billing

·             Councillor Bryony May

 

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

 

·             After assessing the application against purposes A, B and D of the Green Belt as set out in the NPPF, they had concluded that the application site was classified as Grey Belt.

·             It had also met the criteria at paragraph 155 of the NPPF.

·             If the application was larger, they would ask for a greater housing mix, however, as it was a small development, there was no reason to resist the application because it comprised two 5-bed dwellings.

·             Decisions could not be made using assumptions of what the Applicant might do in the future, they could only consider the application before them.

·             A gap between the dwellings would be made to retain a view of the land to the rear within a substantially built-up frontage.

·             This was not a major development and the Golden Rules relating to 50% affordable housing did not apply.

·             If more applications were submitted by the Applicant on the adjacent site, they would look at the cumulative impact of each additional application and assess the need for affordable housing on this, therefore, affordable housing provision would not be avoided by submitting separate applications of fewer dwellings.

·             There would not be a noticeable difference in height between these dwellings and those nearby in Shangri-La and Todds Corner.

·             No conditions on the gap between the dwellings would be necessary to prevent an access road being built there to access the land to the rear.

 

The Chair informed Members that the Member Advocate Objector, Councillor Dominic Griffiths had given their apologies and was unable to attend the Committee meeting to provide a verbal presentation and read out a written statement on their behalf, and highlighted the following:

 

·             The land was Green Belt unless the Committee was minded to redesignate it.

·             No very special circumstances had been demonstrated to allow development on the Green Belt.

·             Infilling was not allowed in the proposed development area as it was within a hamlet.

·             The open land provided the hamlet with the only place to enjoy distant country views.

·             There was risk of adjoining properties being overlooked and the street scene being diminished with parked cars.

·             Access to the proposed dwellings would be next to the roundabout which would be unfeasible in their view. 

 

There were no points of clarification from Members.

 

The Chair invited the Agent to the Applicant, Mr Scott Moore to speak in support of the application. Mr Moore thanked the Chair for the opportunity to speak and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following: 

 

·             Biodiversity Net Gain could not be achieved in the gardens, therefore, the gap between the dwellings was designed to create a separate piece of land where this could be achieved that could also be accessed for maintenance and landscaping.

·             The Applicant lived nearby and had a desire to see nice dwellings on this site. 

·             The gap between the dwellings would not be wide enough for refuse vehicles or fire engines to use as an access point to the adjacent site in the future. 

·             Contributions towards affordable housing would have to be made after 9 dwellings or 10,760 square feet of developed land were provisioned across this site and the adjacent one in future applications.

·             Very special circumstances to build on the Green Belt were not necessary for this application.

·             Stevenage Borough Council and North Herts Council had already approved applications in Todds Green as it was regarded as a village.

·             This application presented an opportunity to deliver much needed homes for the district in a sustainable, sensitive and well-designed way to complement the rural setting of Todds Green. 

·             This application was not in isolation and would complete the existing line of frontage without extending built form into the countryside.

·             They agreed with the report of the Senior Planning Officer that the proposal would be limited infill within the village and thus be appropriate in the Green Belt.

·             Grey Belt requirements had been met and the proposal would be compliant with paragraph 155 of the NPPF.

·             Proposed dwellings had been carefully designed to integrate sensitively with the prevailing character of the street scene and existing Edwardian dwellings in Todds Green.

·             North Herts Council faced significant pressure for new housing and delivering small-scale, well-located homes such as these would address that issue. 

·             The application was modest, sensible, sustainable, appropriate in the Green Belt, respected local character and contributed to local housing need.

·             With respect to the reasons above, they asked the Committee to grant permission for this application.

 

There were no points of clarification from Members.

 

In response to an additional question from Councillor Ruth Brown, the Development and Conservation Manager advised that the distance from the roundabout to the site access would be approximately 15 metres.

 

Councillor Caroline McDonnell proposed to refuse permission on the grounds that no very special circumstances had been demonstrated to allow development under the Green Belt but this was not seconded.

 

Councillor Nigel Mason proposed to grant permission and this was seconded by Councillor Tom Tyson.

 

The following Members took part in the debate:

 

·             Councillor Dave Winstanley

·             Councillor Caroline McDonnell

·             Councillor Clare Billing

·             Councillor Tom Tyson

 

The following points were made as part of the debate:

 

·             It was a shame that areas of greenery accompanied by nice views such as this would be lost due to the absence of a five-year housing land supply.

·             This was the only piece of land left under the Green Belt in Todds Green.

·             Stevenage and Sperberry were further encroaching on Todds Green, and it was disappointing that this land would disappear if granted permission. 

·             Todds Green was not particularly busy and cars coming and going from this site would not present an issue to the nearby roundabout. 

·             The feel of the village would be changed by this development.

·             Most people in the village would not be able to afford these luxury homes. 

·             There were no policy or legal reasons to refuse the application. 

 

Having been proposed and seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That application 25/00949/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.