For:      Border Oak Design & Construction Ltd.

To consider a planning application which has been referred to the Committee because the Northern Area Planning Sub-Committee was mindful to approve it, contrary to policy and officer recommendations.

Ward: Golden Cross with Weobley

The Northern Team Leader presented the report of the Head of Planning Services and said that the Northern Area Planning Sub-Committee was mindful to approve planning permission contrary to recommendation, on the basis that the scheme was acceptable on highways and design grounds.  He also reported on the contents of late correspondence which had been received in support of the application.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mrs Parsons of Weobley Parish Council and Ms Jones, the agent acting on behalf of the applicants, spoke in favour of the application. 

Councillor JHR Goodwin the Local Ward Member said that there was considerable local support for the scheme.  He felt that although the proposal did not meet the requirements for affordable housing, there were a number of key factors that needed to be taken into consideration which could meet the requirements of planning policies DR1, H5 and HBA6.  Following the rejection of the original application because its access was through Chapel Orchard, the applicants had gone to considerable lengths to prepare a scheme in keeping with the area and its setting opposite an ancient monument.  He felt that the scheme would incorporate a welcome amount of open space and that the design of the houses and garages was in keeping with the historic village.  The proposed access road was directly off the highway and thereby overcame the problem of a route through Chapel Orchard.  The proposed dwellings would be comprised of one two-bed; one three-bed and four four-bed properties and reflected the character, appearance, mix and range of properties elsewhere in the village.  He said that the village already had a good provision of affordable housing on other sites and questioned the need for more at this location. 

The Northern Team Leader reiterated why the proposal did not fulfil the Council’s planning policies and said that the scheme needed to be comprised of twelve dwellings which included four affordable ones.  He reminded the Committee such provision had been allocated in the Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan for the land.  This had been found to be acceptable in the Public Local Inquiry into the Unitary Development Plan, and the low density of the proposed scheme of 15 dwellings per hectare was in direct conflict with it.  The application had also failed to take account the results of the housing needs survey of February 2007 which had identified a need for another 11 affordable houses to serve Weobley.  The applicants had not provided any evidence to contradict this and had also failed to demonstrate why a scheme for twelve houses could not be achieved with access directly off Hereford Road.  The Strategic Housing Manager expressed concern that the scheme did not make any provision for affordable housing and strongly objected to the application.  The Head of planning services advised that the Committee needed to balance all the issues but also be mindful of the crucial planning policies which were at stake.

The Committee discussed the details of the application and considered all the views that had been put forward in support of it and against it.  It was felt that there was a need for further information to be provided about the application and that the matter should be deferred.

RESOLVED

That consideration of the application be deferred for further information about the need for affordable housing.