Proposed site for up to 80 dwellings, garages, parking, open space and indicative road layout at land off Ashfield way, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4BF.

The application was approved in accordance with the case officer’s recommendation.

During consideration and determination of the application Councillor Seldon acted as the local ward member and exercised no voting rights.

The principal planning officer provided a presentation on the application and confirmed that following the consultation response of the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) an allocation of funding had been included in the heads of terms to deliver improvements to the local surgery.

In accordance with the procedure for public speaking at planning and regulatory committee, Mr R Page of Bromyard and Winslow Town Council, spoke in opposition to the application. Mrs C Hughes, a local resident, speaking on behalf of residents of Ashfield Way spoke in objection.

Councillor A Seldon, the local ward member, spoke on the application and made the following points:

·           The response from the CCG had acknowledged the strain on the local surgery and an allocation of section 106 funding was required. The surgery was one of the busiest in Herefordshire and a large influx of residents would undermine the provision of primary and secondary healthcare to new and existing residents.

·           The site was a windfall development and had not previously been allocated in any local plans.

·           Core Strategy Policy BY1 identified the construction of a minimum of 500 houses and 5 hectares of employment land up to 2031 and took account of infrastructure requirements.

·           Under Policy BY2 the site at Hardwick Bank had been identified as the preferred strategic housing site after consultation with the Town Council. Taking into account the housing proposed for the Hardwick Bank site, the likely re-development of the highways depot and the current application Bromyard could potentially experience an increase of 900 houses and it was doubted whether the infrastructure was in place to support this expansion.

·           It was important for the committee to consider each application brought before it on an independent and individual basis. However, a strategic oversight of the impact of a high level of housing development on Bromyard should be borne in mind.

·           The impact of additional housing on St Peters primary school was raised. The school was close to capacity and the application would have significant impact on educational infrastructure.

·           Councillor Seldon declared a personal interest as Vice Chairman of the Governing body of St Peters primary school.

·           The application had not identified employment land and was contrary to policies SS5 and BY1.

·           The reasons proposed to approve the application, particularly the lack of 5 year housing supply and the absence of a neighbourhood plan at Bromyard, were questioned. A solar farm had recently been refused on an adjacent site due to impact on landscape, policy LD1 had been cited in the reasons for the refusal. Recent legal precedent supported the refusal of the application on landscape grounds.

·           In the event that the application was approved a condition was requested which ensured that local residents and the town council was involved at an early stage in discussions concerning a reserved matters application.

In the committee’s discussion of the application the following principal points were raised:

·           A demand in the county for new housing was relevant.

·           It was important that local residents and the town council were involved in layout and landscaping elements of any further application.

·           The impact of the site on the highways infrastructure was not felt to be significant. A pedestrian crossing to link the site to the local school should be included in any future application.

·           The site was well screened by established trees which should be retained in any future application. A planting scheme should form part of any reserved matters application, specifying density and exact number. The feathering of the site (transition from the development to the countryside) within the landscape was important along with provision for biodiversity and wildlife.

·           The absence of employment land was a concern particularly given the age profile of residents in Bromyard. Land in Bromyard had been identified for development and the current application was contrary to the requirements for employment land outlined in polices SS5 and BY1.

·           There were concerns regarding the impact of the development on the landscape. Some members felt that the suitability and sustainability of the proposed site were not acceptable. 

·           The application highlighted the importance to local communities of ensuring that a neighbourhood development plan was in place.

·           There was an acceptance of the assessment of sustainable development associated with the site and that this principle was sufficient to overcome the objections on landscape ground and the provisions of LD1.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate. He explained the circumstances around the absence of a neighbourhood development plan in Bromyard and urged the committee to give weight to landscape issues in determination of the application.

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor EJ Swinglehurst seconded a motion to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation. The motion was carried; 9 in favour; 3 against; and 2 abstentions.

RESOLVED: That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

17.           Prior to the commencement of development the developer shall agree in writing with the local planning authority a scheme for the delivery of the open market housing hereby approved.  This scheme shall comprise a schedule outlining the number of 2, 3 and 4 (+) bed dwellings proposed at the Reserved Matters stage; the overall mix being in general accord with the Council’s Local Housing Market Assessment (or any successor document, adopted for these purposes by the local planning authority).

            Reason: To define the terms of the permission and to comply with Policy H3 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework.

INFORMATIVES:

Councillor Seldon took his seat on the committee at 11.10 a.m.

(The meeting adjourned between 11.10 a.m. and 11.24 a.m.)