Proposed residential development of 8 no. dwellings with associated access, parking and landscaping.

Application approved with a change to conditions.

The senior planning officer provided a presentation on the application and the updates/representations received following the publication of the agenda.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr. Cook, spoke on behalf of Longtown Parish Council, Mr Arthur, local resident, spoke in objection to the application and Mr John, applicant’s agent, spoke in support.

In accordance with the council's constitution the local ward member spoke on the application. In summary, he explained that the application was set in a sensitive and beautiful landscape and proposed housing that was of an inappropriate scale. The proposed development followed a number of unsuitable developments in the village. The Longtown neighbourhood development plan (NDP) was open to new housing but was keen that provision should be provided locally for old and young people. The houses proposed in the application were of a scale and density that would impact upon views of Hatterall Ridge which posed an unacceptable impact on the landscape. Longtown was disadvantaged in that it did not have adequate supply of bungalows for old people or affordable homes for young residents. It was recognised that an earlier application for the site was rejected and dismissed at appeal, based on the scale and mix of the houses proposed. The application had been amended to reduce the number of three and four bedroom units in the proposal but there was still an inadequate proportion of smaller houses proposed. The density of housing proposed in the application was excessive with the majority of the space given over to the larger three bedroom houses. The six smaller houses were provided with only a third of the existing space on the site. Longtown was adversely affected by problems with water including: a wastewater treatment works that was 50 years old; flooding; and fluctuating water pressure. The addition of further houses would place a greater burden upon the water infrastructure locally and a holistic resolution to water problems in the locality was required which should be conditioned as part of all local planning applications. The parish council had unanimously objected to the application. A change to the application to provide more 2 bedroom houses on the site would overcome the problems of excessive housing density. The application would have an unacceptable impact on existing properties and did not respond to local needs as required by the national planning policy framework.

The committee debated the application. There was division among the members of the committee regarding the acceptability of the application.

It was the contention of some members that the application did not provide the type of houses required in Longtown and the development would put an unacceptable impact on the local wastewater infrastructure.

It was the contention of other members of the committee that the applicant had changed the housing mix of the application following the dismissed appeal and without a five year land housing supply the application was tilted in favour of approval. It was noted that the site was earmarked for housing and the application  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11