Proposed erection of five residential dwellings (C3) along with associated parking, roads, new highway access and associated infrastructure.

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

(Proposed erection of five residential dwellings (C3) along with associated parking, roads, new highway access and associated infrastructure.)

The Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr A McRobb, of Llangarron Parish Council spoke on the Scheme.  Mr P Nottage, a local resident, spoke in objection.  Mr M Tompkins, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support.

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

She made the following principal comments:

·        She acknowledged the efforts made by the applicant to seek to meet local concern.  However, local concern remained.

·        There had been 28 letters of objection.  She had received a phone call in support that she had been asked to bring to the committee’s notice.

·        There was local concern about the intensification of housing in the village reaching a point where it was starting to feel congested.  The Neighbourhood Development Plan had limited weight leading to frustration at the level of local control of development.

·        There was concern about the capacity of the road network, specifically the road from Llangarron to Whitchurch, noting the cumulative impact in conjunction with another development for 18 houses that already had approval.

·        Pedestrian safety within the village was an issue and she highlighted the Transportation Manager’s comments on the benefit of footway provision.

·        Concerns had been expressed about sewage treatment plant capacity.  She noted that Welsh Water had had no objection to the application.

·        There was also concern about surface water run-off from what was a sloping site.  The proposed mitigation was a balancing pond.  However, she had concerns about the outfall and the ongoing maintenance.

·        She highlighted the comments of the Conservation Manager at paragraph 4.4 of the report that the removal of a hedge to provide visibility splays would dramatically alter the character of the western end of the settlement, making the approach suburban in character and not reflective of Llangrove’s distinctiveness.

·        The owner of the Royal Arms public house adjoining the site had concern that the development would change its character, losing its unique selling point as a country pub.  There was also concern about disruption during the construction phase.  She hoped it would be possible to store and move material from one field to another within the applicant’s land holding avoiding having to use the road, so protecting the pub and the village from disruption.

·        There was a possibility that proximity of the development to the pub would lead to complaints from the new residents.

·        In order to provide the visibility splay the hedge could not be retained.  However, she requested that consideration be given to setting it back and replanting, with the footway internally to that, both to increase pedestrian safety and to connect to the open space and the village.

·        She endorsed the Parish Council’s request that the planting be as early as possible with trees as mature as it was feasible to use.

In the Committee’s discussion of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103