Outline permission for the erection of 1 no. dwelling.

The application was refused in accordance with the Case Officer’s recommendation.

(Councillor Rone left the meeting for the duration of this item. Councillor Fagan fulfilled the role of local ward member and accordingly had no vote on this application.)

The Senior 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 for virtual meetings, Mr M Hearne, Clerk to Orcop Parish Council had submitted a written submission in opposition to the application.  This was read to the meeting.   Mr D Macrae, a local resident, spoke in opposition to the scheme as a virtual attendee.  Mr J Cooper, the applicant, and Mr M Tompkins, the applicant’s agent spoke in support of the application as virtual attendees.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the local ward member, Councillor Fagan, spoke on the application.  In summary, she commented that the application had generated some local controversy and that was why she had requested that the Committee consider the matter.  The key question of principle was whether the proposal was development in open countryside and contrary to policy or a potential housing site in a dispersed settlement.  A Neighbourhood Development Plan was being prepared and the site was not within the draft settlement boundary.  There was concern that approving such an application would set a precedent for development in the open countryside.  The Parish Council opposed the application.  In terms of sustainability there were no local services.

The Committee discussed the application.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.  She reiterated the key question of principle that she considered needed to be considered which had implications for housing growth in rural areas across the County.

RESOLVED: That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.         The application seeks outline approval for the erection of a single residential dwelling in an open countryside location that is neither within or adjacent to the main built up area of Orcop, the closest named settlement, and as such conflicts with Policy RA2 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy. The proposed development fails to meet any of the exceptions for development outside settlement boundaries, as specified in policy RA3 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy. As a result of the location, away from services and public transport, future occupants of the dwelling would have an undue reliance upon a private motor vehicle to access services and would be more likely to travel further afield, once in private motor vehicles, to access a better range of services and facilities offered beyond the nearby villages. In undertaking the test set out in paragraph 11d)ii of the National Planning Policy Framework, in light of the Council’s current housing land supply position and the very limited social and economic benefits, the identified adverse impact in relation to the direct conflict with the Core Strategy as set out in this reason for refusal, and the following reason, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

2.         The application site is located in a large scale open landscape with wide ranging views possible from a range of locations in the Garren Brook Valley and the erection of a single dwelling and associated change of use would result in unjustified and irreversible landscape harm on a site that is not spatially associated with a settlement or surrounding built form. Furthermore it would be contrary to the established nucleated settlement pattern of nearby Orcop. As such the development proposal has not been positively influenced by the surrounding landscape and settlement character as required by Policy LD1 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework.