Site for proposed extra care development comprising of up to 80 passivhaus designed one, two and three bed apartments and complementary indoor and outdoor facilities, including swimming pool, gym, sauna, café, hair salon, medical and treatment rooms, allotments, putting greens and petanque pitch with associated landscaping.

The application was approved in accordance with the Case Officer’s recommendation.

(Site for proposed extra care development comprising of up to 80 passivhaus designed one, two and three bed apartments and complementary indoor and outdoor facilities, including swimming pool, gym, sauna, cafe, hair salon, medical and treatment rooms, allotments, putting greens and petanque pitch with associated landscaping, at land north of Whitestone business park.)

(This application was considered first on the agenda ahead of agenda item 7 – application 160613 which then followed.)

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, Mr R Pryce, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application.

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

He commented that the applicant had listened to comments made in response to the application including those of the Parish Council and modified the application to offer an accessible much needed extra care facility.  He invited the Committee to approve the application.

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

·         The Parish Council had expressed a concern that the development would be divorced from Withington village.  It was to be hoped that anything that could be done to integrate the development with the village, for example the sharing of social and leisure facilities within the development, would enhance the project.

·         There was support for the provision of extra care accommodation, the fact that it was a Passivhaus development and the benefits to road safety as a result of the provision of a crossing of the A4103.

·         The developer had been responsive to comments from the local community.

·         It was to be hoped that planting could help to decrease the impact of any noise from the nearby industrial estate and enhance the development’s appeal.

·         The benefits of the scheme outweighed any concerns.

In response to questions about the development’s sustainability and long term management the Principal Planning Officer commented that this had been considered.  Market demand and costs dictated that the scheme was relatively high density and consisted of apartments.  The Section 106 agreement would govern occupancy of the units for extra care use.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.  He had no additional comments.

RESOLVED: That subject to the completion of a Section 106 Town & Country Planning Act 1990 obligation agreement in accordance with the Heads of Terms appended to the report, 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.         H03 Visibility splays

 

5.         H04 Visibility over frontage - 2m from the C1130 to east as per drawing

 

6.         H06 Vehicular access construction

 

7.         H09 Driveway gradient - 1 in 20

 

8.         H17 Junction improvement/off site works

 

9.         H21 Wheel washing

 

10.       H27 Parking for site operatives

 

11.       H30 Travel plans

 

12.       Height of development – no more than 3 storeys

 

13.       Noise condition

 

14.       C01 Samples of external materials

 

15.       Tree protection

 

16.       G04 Protection of trees/hedgerows that are to be retained

 

17.       G09 Details of Boundary treatments

 

18.       G10 Landscaping scheme

 

19.       Off site highway works

 

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

 

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

 

21.       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.

 

22.       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.

 

23.       The recommendations set out in the ecologist’s report from Ecology services dated July 2015 should be followed unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority. Prior to commencement of the development, a detailed habitat enhancement scheme integrated with the landscape scheme should be submitted to and be approved in writing by the local planning authority, and the scheme shall be implemented as approved.

 

            Reasons: To ensure that all species are protected having regard to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and Policies LD1, LD2 and LD3 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy.

 

            To comply with Herefordshire Council’s Policy NC8 and NC9 in relation to Nature Conservation and Biodiversity and to meet the requirements of the NPPF and the NERC Act 2006

 

24        Land contamination

 

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.        HN01 Mud on highway

 

 3.        HN02 Public rights of way affected

 

 4.        HN04 Private apparatus within highway

 

 5.        HN05 Works within the highway

 

 6.        HN07 Section 278 Agreement

 

 7.        HN10 No drainage to discharge to highway

 

 8.        HN25 Travel Plans

 

 9. HN24 Drainage other than via highway system

 

10.       N02 Section 106 Obligation

 

(The meeting adjourned between 11.35 and 11.45.)