Site for the erection of up to 89 dwellings including affordable housing. Construction of vehicular access and other associated works.

The application was approved in accordance with the Case Officer’s recommendation, as amended in the Committee update, with an additional informative.

(Site for the erection of up to 89 dwellings including affordable housing, construction of vehicular access and other associated works.)

 

The Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application, and updates/additional representations received following the publication of the agenda were provided in the update sheet, as appended to these Minutes.

 

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mrs L Haskins, a local resident, spoke in objection to the application.  Mr P Smith, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support.

 

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the local ward member, Councillor PD Price, spoke on the application.

 

He sought clarification on precisely what the Committee was being asked to determine because there appeared to some confusion in the documentation.  The Development Manager confirmed that the Committee was being asked to determine the principle of development and the means of access only.

 

On that basis the local ward member made the following principal comments:

 

·         He questioned whether the sewerage proposals were satisfactory and the capacity of Welsh Water’s facilities.

·         Drainage of the south-eastern part of the site itself was a concern as was drainage of surface water from the site as a whole.

·         There were doubts over the capacity of the water supply in the area.

·         The minimum number of houses required in the Golden Valley during the life of the Core Strategy was 54 dwellings taking account of recent permissions.  The proposal for up to 89 dwellings represented overdevelopment.

·         There was insufficient employment in the area, road infrastructure was poor and there was a lack of bus services.  Local schools were over capacity.

·         There was no funding in the draft S106 agreement for a necessary increase in the size of the community centre.

·         He expressed a number of reservations about the detail of the layout and design of the proposed development which he considered unacceptable.  He noted that these issues would need to be the subject of a separate application.

·         In conclusion, he was not opposed to the development subject to the concerns he had outlined being addressed.

The Development Manager commented that following an initial objection from Welsh Water the applicant had agreed to provide funding to enable Welsh Water to upgrade the Peterchurch Waste Water Treatment Works.  Reserved matters would be subject to discussion with the Parish Council, the local ward member and the Chairman of the Committee.

 

In the Committee’s discussion of the application the following principal points were made:

 

·         In principle the development appeared appropriate for the site and sustainable.

·         The Parish Council had commented constructively, appeared to have no objection in principle, and indicated support if the concerns they had identified could be addressed.  It was essential that they were fully consulted at the reserved matters stage.

·         It was to be hoped that the upgrade by Welsh Water would include the provision of phosphate strippers.

·         The proposed affordable housing needed to be integrated into the site.

·         Bus service provision needed to be addressed as part of the S106 agreement.

·         The development was too large and disproportionate and would have an impact on the village, particularly with no phasing of development.  The application also had implications for other villages in the Golden Valley.

·         As had been observed at the last meeting the Core Strategy now contained minimum housing targets and did not afford the Committee the power to control housing growth as it had at times been suggested that it would.

·         Housing needed to be appropriate for the demographic of the area.

·         The design of housing needed to be good and energy efficient.

·         In relation to the proposed public open space this was a further example where there was an unsatisfactory proposal regarding the funding of its management.  An answer was still awaited from the executive on its policy on this matter.

·         There was no proposal to provide employment land as part of the development.

·         A Member expressed support for the Parish Council’s suggestion that a roundabout should be installed at the Hawthorn Rise/B4348.  The Transportation Manager commented that a range of traffic calming measures were proposed but a roundabout was not considered feasible.

·         An informative should be included to make clear the Committee’s expectation that layout of the development should comply with policy requirements and be subject to full consultation.

The Development Manager commented that there was no policy requirement for a developer to provide employment land.  There was an industrial estate at Peterchurch.  A statement of community involvement was being redrafted.  Consultation with the Parish Council and the community would take place on reserved matters.  The Committee was being asked to consider if the site was acceptable for development or whether there were significant constraints.  The density of development was relatively low at 22 dwellings per hectare.  The treatment of sewage and phosphates would have to be approved by the Environment Agency as part of the license for the treatment works.  The applicant had paid for a feasibility study.  Funding had been identified in the S106 agreement for a transport package and school infrastructure.

 

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.  He commented on the importance of providing employment opportunities.  He emphasised that it was essential that the developer engaged fully with the local community on the reserved matters.

 

RESOLVED:  That subject to the completion of a Section 106 Town & Country Planning Act 1990 obligation agreement in accordance with the revised Heads of Terms attached to this update, [incorporating a ‘Welsh Water’ contribution] officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers are authorised to grant outline planning permission, subject to the conditions below and any other further conditions considered necessary

 

1          A02 Time limit for submission of reserved matters (outline permission)

 

2.         A03 Time limit for commencement (outline permission)

 

3.         A04 Approval of reserved matters

 

4.         B01 Development in accordance with the approved plans

 

 

5.         G03 Retention of existing trees/hedgerows

 

6.

            G04 Protection of trees/hedgerows to be retained

 

7.         G09 Details of boundary treatments

 

8.         G10 Landscaping scheme

 

9.         G11 Landscaping scheme - implementation

 

10.       E01  Site investigation archaeology

 

11.       H06 Vehicular access construction

 

12.       H11 Parking-estate development (more than one house)

 

13.       H17  Junction improvement/off site works

 

14.       H18 On site roads -submission of details

 

15.       H19 On site roads- phasing

 

16.       H20 Road completion in 2 years

 

17.       H21 Wheel washing

 

18.       H27 Parking for site operatives

 

19.       H29 Secure covered cycle parking provision

 

20.       H30 Travel plans

 

21.       Prior to commencement of the development, a reptile survey should be conducted with results and any mitigation necessary submitted to, and be approved in writing by the local planning authority and the work shall be implemented as approved.

 

22.       No development shall take place until a foul drainage scheme to satisfactorily accommodate the foul water discharge from the site has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.  No part of the development shall be brought into use and no dwelling shall be occupied until the approved foul drainage system has been constructed, completed and brought into use in accordance with the approved scheme.

 

23.       I20   Scheme of surface water drainage

 

24.       I21   Scheme of surface water regulation

 

25.       I16   Restriction of hours during construction

 

26.       No dwellings hereby approved shall be beneficially occupied until necessary improvements to the Peterchurch Waste Water Treatment Works to accommodate the foul flows from the development hereby approved (in accordance with the requirements as outlined in Dwr Cymru’s Feasibility Study) has been completed and confirmed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

            Reason: To ensure that effective drainage facilities are provided for the proposed development, and that no adverse impact occurs to the environment or the existing public sewerage system

 

27.       Foul water and surface water discharges shall be drained separately from the site.

 

            Reason: To protect the integrity of the public sewerage system.

 

28.       No surface water shall be allowed to connect, either directly or indirectly,  to the public sewerage system unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

            Reason: To prevent hydraulic overloading of the public sewerage system, to protect the health and safety of existing residents and ensure no detriment to the environment.

 

29.       Land drainage run-off shall not be permitted to discharge, either directly or indirectly  into the public sewerage system.

 

            Reason: To prevent hydraulic overload of the public sewerage system and pollution of the environment.

 

30.       No development shall commence until the developer has prepared a scheme for the comprehensive and integrated drainage of the site showing how foul water, surface water and land drainage will be dealt with and this has been approved by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To ensure that effective drainage facilities are provided for the proposed development, and that no adverse impact occurs to the environment or the existing public sewerage system.

 

 

INFORMATIVES:

 

1.         The Local Planning Authority has acted positively and proactively in determining this application by assessing the proposal against planning policy and any other material considerations. Negotiations in respect of matters of concern with the application (as originally submitted) have resulted in amendments to the proposal.  As a result, the Local Planning Authority has been able to grant planning permission for an acceptable proposal, in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development, as set out within the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

2.         HN08 Section 38 & Drainage details

 

3.         HN07 Section 278 Agreement

 

4.         HN04 Private apparatus within highway

 

5.         HN28 Highways design Guide and Specification

 

6.         HN27 Annual Travel Plan Reviews

 

7.         HN25 Travel Plans

 

8.         S106

 

9.         The Committee’s expectation is that layout of the development should comply with policy requirements and be subject to full consultation.