Outline planning application for two storey dwelling.

Outline planning application for two storey dwelling.

The Senior Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application and updates / additional representations received following the publication of the agenda were provided.  Comments on amended plans included:

§               Highways Officer: ‘The proposed layout and walls to prevent access other than to Springfield Road is acceptable.  I would suggest that the wall is limited in height to allow visibility of any vehicles or pedestrians using the track’.

§               Withington Group Parish Council: ‘WPC notes the amendments; however the plans are marked as ‘illustrative purposes only’.  The WPC would request that any permission is conditioned such that only a dormer bungalow will be permitted.  There is also concern that the omission of an integral garage restricts the plot such that siting is either close to Wainfries (as on the original plans) or close to the dwelling to the south (as on the amendment).  An integral garage would allow the dwelling to be centrally located.  The WPC would also request that no construction traffic is permitted to access the lane direct from the A4103.  As there is a doubt as to ownership of the lane and of maintenance liability, the WPC would request that any damage caused by construction traffic is repaired.’

§               Two further letters of objection had been received from neighbouring properties.  The concerns raised mainly related to the increase in traffic and the access lane being very narrow.

Officer comments were also provided as follows:

§               ‘In relation to the comments from the WPC, condition 6 restricts the height of the building to 6.5 metres which will ensure that only a dormer bungalow can be constructed.  In relation to the comments made about an integral garage, this application is for outline consent only, with the scale and appearance of the property being left for further consideration, therefore this will be given further consideration in the reserved matters application.’

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mrs. Moran spoke in objection to the application and Mr. Spreckley spoke in support of the application.

The Senior Planning Officer advised that: the application was for outline planning permission, to include the siting as well as means of access with other matters reserved for future consideration; a condition was recommended to restrict the height of the building to mitigate the concern about loss of light; the existing boundary hedgerow already caused some loss of light and it was not considered that the proposed dwelling would have an unacceptable impact; and the recommended conditions included measures in respect of parking for site operatives and restriction of hours during construction.

Councillor DW Greenow, the Local Ward Member, commented on the difficulties of siting the proposal without having some impact on neighbouring properties but noted that concerns had been addressed as far as possible.  He said that there was a need to ensure that construction traffic accessed the site from the north and not directly from the A4103.  He also said that the design of the dwelling would need to be carefully considered at the reserved matters stage.  He felt that, although the impact on the neighbouring properties was unfortunate, the proposal was acceptable on balance subject to the identified conditions.

Councillor PJ Edwards supported the application but questioned whether conditions could be added in respect of the access route and in respect of slab levels, to ensure that the building was set into the ground at an appropriate level.

In response to a question from Councillor AM Toon, the Senior Planning Officer advised that this outline application sought approval of the siting and access but further consideration could be given to the siting at the reserved matters stage if it was considered necessary.  The Senior Planning Officer also advised that it would be difficult to enforce a condition to require vehicular access from the north only but the access had been designed to discourage access or egress from the south.

The Central Team Leader provided further details about the access design and drew attention to recommended condition 12 which required the access to be constructed prior to work commencing on the construction of the dwelling.  He added that a condition could be included to restrict construction traffic from accessing the site from the north.

RESOLVED:

Subject to no further objections raising additional material planning considerations by the end of the consultation period, the officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be authorised to approve the application subject to the following conditions and any further conditions considered necessary by officers.

1          A02 Time limit for submission of reserved matters (outline permission) (six months)

2          A03 Time limit for commencement (outline permission) (one year)

3          A04 Approval of reserved matters (delete layout and access)

4          A05 Plans and particulars of reserved matters (delete layout and access)

5          C01 Samples of external materials

6          F11 Restriction on height of building

7          F15 No windows in side elevation of extension (north and south elevations at first floor)

8          G09 Details of boundary treatments

9          G04 Protection of trees/hedgerows that are to be retained

10        The proposed access as detailed on drawing no. 1434.01A shall be constructed in accordance with a specification to be submitted and approved in writing by the local planning authority prior to work commencing on the construction of the dwelling hereby permitted and the access shall not be altered in any way including the proposed brick walls without the prior written agreement of the local planning authority.  No new vehicular access shall be created to the property off the access track

Reason: In the interests of highway safety and to conform with the requirements of Policy DR3 of the Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan

11        H27 Parking for site operatives

12        I16 Restriction of hours during construction

13        L01 Foul/surface water drainage

14        L02 No surface water to connect to public system

15                L03 No drainage run-off to public system

16                All construction traffic shall enter and exit the site from the north from Springfield Road.

17                I51 Details of slab levels

Informatives:

1          N19 Avoidance of doubt - Approved Plans

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