[A]     The erection of 81 no. dwellings with associated parking and landscaping.

[B]     Variation of condition 10 of planning permission DCCE2006/0099/O to allow the construction of 81 affordable and open market residential units.

To consider planning applications referred to the Committee because the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was mindful to refuse them, contrary to policy and officer recommendations.

Ward: Aylestone

The Principal Planning Officer said that the applications had been referred to the Committee because the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was mindful to refuse them on the grounds of the intensity of the development, the impact on residential amenity and the impact on the character of the area. He presented the following updates to the Committee:-

ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATIONS

A further four letters of comment/objection in response to the second set of amended plans received from residents of 3, 4, 19 and 23 Loder Drive.  They largely re-iterate comments already made regarding the impact of increased traffic during construction and once the houses are occupied and college facilities in use, that plot 16 is still too close to properties within Loder Drive and plot 21 and its garden creates a pinch point in the wildlife corridor

The letters also generally appreciate that further steps have been taken to address their concerns and recommend that further landscaping would help the sustainability of the wildlife corridor, the scale of the dwelling on plot 21 reduced by lowering the levels, the distance increased further between plot 16 and Loder Drive.

The City Council response to the amended plans is ‘no further comment’.

A further letter has been received from the Blind College stating that they are prepared to change the design of the dwelling on plot 16 to a one a and half storey property with a total ridge height of 6.5 metres (current scheme is 8.3 metres) and no windows at first floor overlooking the properties within Loder Drive.  Also, the boundary treatments are now to be a post and rail fence with a densely planted Hawthorn/Blackthorn hedge as opposed to weld mesh fencing.

OFFICER COMMENTS

The further revisions proposed will reduce the mass of the dwelling on plot 16 minimising the impact of this dwelling on residents of Loder Drive.  No further changes are considered necessary in terms of the proximity, design and scale of the properties along the Loder Drive boundary.

NO CHANGE TO RECOMMENDATION

The consultation period on the amended plans has now expired but delegated authority is still requested to resolve the design of the dwelling on plot 16 and other minor design and layout changes.

The Principal Planning Officer explained the negotiations that had been undertaken with the applicants since the matter had been considered by the Sub-Committee and felt that a satisfactory scheme had been arrived at which met all the required criteria and overcame all the objections.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr Adams spoke in support of the application.  Mr. Rayner spoke on behalf of the local residents association and said that all their concerns had been resolved following further negotiations by the Officers, and he commended the proposals.

The Committee discussed the details of the application and expressed their appreciation for the hard work undertaken by the Officers in arriving at such a satisfactory outcome.

RESOLVED THAT

1.      subject to no further objections raising new material planning considerations by the end of the consultation period on the amended plans and any other layout and design changes considered necessary by officers to address other matters raised in this report being satisfactorily addressed;

2.      the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to complete a planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in accordance with the Heads of Terms appended to this report and any additional matters and terms that he considers appropriate; and

3.      upon completion of the aforementioned planning obligation the officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be authorised to issue a Reserved Matters Approval and Planning Permission subject to the following conditions and any further conditions considered necessary by officers.

DCCE2007/2467/RM

INFORMATIVES:

1       N02 - Section 106 Obligation

2       N09 - Approval of Reserved Matters

3       N15 - Reason(s) for the Grant of PP/LBC/CAC

4       N19 - Avoidance of doubt

DCCE2007/2469/F

1       A10 (Amendment to existing permission)

         Reason: For the avoidance of doubt.

2      E09 (No conversion of garage to habitable accommodation )

         Reason: To ensure adequate off street parking arrangements remain available at all times.

3       G40 (Bat/bird boxes )

         Reason: In order not to disturb or deter the nesting or roosting of bats which are a species protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

4      The occupation of the dwellings on plots 13 and 14 identified on drawing number SL.01 Rev F shall be limited to students engaged in education at the Royal National College for the Blind unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Council.

        Reason: In the interests of highway and pedestrian safety.

INFORMATIVES:

1       N15 - Reason(s) for the Grant of PP/LBC/CAC

2       N19 - Avoidance of doubt