Proposed construction of three no. two storey dwellings with associated garages and landscaping.

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

(Proposed construction of three no. two storey dwellings with associated garages and landscaping.)

(Councillor EL Holton declared a non-pecuniary interest.)

The Acting Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the local ward member, Councillor PM Morgan, spoke on the application.

She made the following principal comments:

·        Whilst the proposed development was small, there was considerable local opposition to it.  The proposal was contrary to policy, outside the settlement boundary, and within the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a conservation area.

·        The Parish Council was developing a Neighbourhood Plan.  She noted that a development of 60 houses had recently been approved in Cradley.  It was considered that development of windfall sites would enable it to meet its housing target.  Any further development in Cradley should be organic growth.

·        The officer’s report concluded that the landscaping proposed delineated the transition from/to open countryside.  She requested that careful consideration be given to the appropriateness of proposed conditions governing this aspect.

·        The development would have an adverse impact on a listed building.

·        The design was poor and inappropriate.

In the Committee’s discussion of the application the following principal points were made:

·        A Member noted that the development was opposite a post-war housing estate and the impact of the proposal on the adjacent listed building was therefore limited.  A contrary view was expressed that there would be an adverse impact on a listed building.

·        The Parish Council was opposed to the proposal.

·        Regard had to be had to the fact the development was within the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

·        The proposal was contrary to policy and outside the settlement boundary.

·        The design was inadequate and out of character.

·        There was a concern that the application represented ribbon development.

·        The Development Manger commented that a number of Parish Councils had applied for designation as a Neighbourhood Area but had not progressed plans.  The Cradley Neighbourhood Plan had not reached Regulation 14 Stage.  No weight could be given to it.

The Development Manager commented that the officers’ view was that the landscape provided a defendable boundary against further development beyond the proposed site.   Conditions required details to be provided on this point.  Officers’ view was that the design was not inappropriate and, whilst within the AONB, the developer would be required to use natural materials of good quality complementary to the AONB.

He added that the presence of a post-war Council housing estate opposite the site undermined an argument that the site had an adverse impact on the setting of a listed building.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.  She informed the Committee that a thorough landscape survey had been undertaken to inform the Neighbourhood Plan and progress was being made on the Plan.  The Committee had identified the key concerns about the application.

RESOLVED:  That planning permission be refused and officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be authorised to finalise the drafting of the reasons for refusal for publication based on the Committee’s following concerns:

i        the poor design of the proposed dwellings; and

Ii       the development would have an adverse effect on the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.