Agenda item

Application for Determination: - 

Erection of 33 dwellings including access, landscaping and associated infrastructure. (Amended proposal and amended site area).

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report detailing an application for the erection of 33 dwellings, including access, landscaping and associated infrastructure.

The Principal Planning Officer noted that there was a requirement for the applicant to provide an education provision contribution of £394,692, which was detailed within the main body of the report  but not  referred to within the recommendation in the report or late material.

Councillor Melvin addressed the Committee in opposition to the application.

A local resident addressed the Committee on behalf of Hempsted Residents Association in opposition to the application.

An agent of Redcliffe Homes addressed the Committee in favour of the application.

The Solicitor responded to members questions as follows:

-        The City Plan was an emerging plan and was not a draft; but in the form the Council considered to be should be adopted and submitted for examination.

-        The decision of whether to grant the application should be made in accordance with the adopted Development Plan, subject to material considerations which indicate otherwise, one of which would be the emerging City Plan. 

-        The extent to which there were unresolved objections to the relevant policies in the plan was one of the factors in considering the weight to be given to those policies in the emerging City Plan

-        An argument for refusing the application on the grounds of prematurity would be unlikely to be successful given paragraphs 49 and 50 of the NPPF.

The Highways Development Manager responded to members questions regarding their concerns over the narrowness of the lane and parking as follows:

-        The narrowness of Rea Lane maintains safety as it assists with the preservation of low speeds.

-        A priority system was considered but rejected because of the low amount of opposing flow.

-        The latest Highways representation stated that they had ‘no objection’ subject to conditions and planning obligations.

-        Highways are currently satisfied that the site should not require a prohibition of waiting order but there is provision for this should it be considered necessary

-        There is a high level of visibility of the lane from the driver’s position.

The Drainage Consultant responded to a member’s question regarding the foul sewage system in Hempsted . He stated that the review of the foul drainage had been conducted by Severn Trent Water, who concluded that their network had capacity.

Members Debate

-        A member noted that a site visit would have been beneficial. She added that she sympathised with the local Hempstead community, but that there was a desperate need for housing, particularly affordable housing.

The Chair moved, and the Vice-Chair seconded the Officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED that: - That the grant of planning permission is delegated to the Business Transformation Manager (Planning) subject to conditions set out in  in the report, with any necessary modifications and finalised wording, the addition of condition 20 (as set out in the late material)and the completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure the

· £6,468 financial contribution to library provision

· £133,000 financial contribution for formal sport;

· £47,000 financial contribution for formal play

· £17,000 financial contribution for general POS improvements

· £10,000 financial contribution towards a Traffic Regulation Order

· 25% affordable housing of the mix and house types detailed

· Appropriate S106 monitoring fee; and

· £394,692 financial contribution for education provision.