Proposed erection of low cost market bungalow for registered disabled person.

The application was approved contrary to the Case Officer’s recommendation.

The Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application, and updates/additional representations received following the publication of the agenda were provided in the update sheet, as appended to these Minutes.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr J Ashcroft, the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

In accordance with paragraph 4.8.2.2 of the Council’s Constitution, Councillor KS Guthrie, the local ward member, spoke on the application.

She commented on a number of issues including:

·         There were several clusters of houses in the vicinity.  The proposed dwelling was not isolated.  There were close links with both Marden and Sutton St Nicholas.

·         She highlighted paragraph 4.3 of the report setting out the Housing Team’s view that the application was for someone in housing need, who could not purchase a suitable dwelling on the open market.  In addition there were no suitable affordable housing properties available.

·         The applicant’s son had specific medical needs. He was a local person and a local support network of family and friends was available to him.

·         Marden Parish Council supported the application.

·         Seven letters of support had been received and no letters of objection.

·         The development would not have any visual or landscape harm.  The access was good.

·         The Scheme was in accordance with paragraphs 5,5,14 and 5.5.17 of the Unitary Development Plan and paragraph 22 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

She invited the Committee to support the application.

The debate opened and the following principal points were made:

·         That the application should be supported, subject to a S106 agreement to ensure that property remained affordable housing in perpetuity.

·         Policies supported the development.

·         The circumstances were exceptional and the development was sustainable and supported by UDP policies H6, H10 and H13.

·         The application was finely balanced in planning policy terms.  However, the property would not be isolated.  It was sustainable.  The report acknowledged the Council did not have the required 5 year housing land supply.  Applying the test in the NPPF, the benefit of the development outweighed the harm.

·         The Committee was not responsible for supporting social care matters and policies dictated that the application should be refused on the grounds identified by officers in the report.

The Development Manager commented that sustainability was a subjective matter.  The NPPF required consideration to be given to three aspects: the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The application had social benefits, some marginal economic benefits and limited environmental impact.  It was therefore possible to argue in this case, on balance, that the benefits of the application outweighed the material disbenefits.  It was essential, however, that if planning permission were to be granted that this was conditional upon a S106 agreement to ensure that property remained affordable housing in perpetuity.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate and reiterated her support for the application.

RESOLVED:  That planning permission be granted subject to a S106 agreement being agreed to ensure that the property remained affordable housing in perpetuity and officers named in the scheme of delegation be authorised to finalise the conditions.

INFORMATIVE

The Local Planning Authority has acted positively and proactively in determining this application by assessing the proposal against planning policy and any other material considerations, including any representations that have been received. It has considered the location of the development but subsequently determined to grant planning permission based upon the weight attached to the social and economic role of sustainable development and the presumption in favour of sustainable development, as set out within the National Planning Policy Framework. 

(The meeting adjourned between 11.55 am and 12.05pm)