Agenda item

The report before Members considered an application for the erection of 394 dwellings comprising 175 houses and 219 flats on land adjacent to Dovers Corner, Rainham.

The application was deferred at the 6 October 2016 meeting of the Committee to give the applicant the opportunity to address the following:

• Clarification of possible health related infrastructure;

• Poor, bulky, cluttered visual impact arising from the extent of unarticulated, uniform approach towards design;

• Highway safety and pedestrian crossing implication related to single point access/egress;

• Insufficient onsite and on road parking provision which would encourage extensive competition between occupiers and visitors for spaces to the detriment of living conditions, amenity and safety. The maximum parking standard would be more suited to the site.

These matters were addressed in an update addendum to the report, which included the formal recommendation. The proposals had been revised to include additional parking spaces and revisions to the design.

With its agreement Councillors Jeffrey Tucker and David Durant addressed the Committee.

Councillor Tucker commented that the proposal should not have any high rise blocks and that the density of the proposal did not allow for suitable play areas. Councillor Tucker also commented that the proposal should include good access to nearby shops and include a safe area to cross the A1306.

Councillor Durant commented that Members should consider deferring consideration of the report again to allow the applicants to come back again with improvements as the proposals being put forward were improving but still had some way to go to appease residents and Councillors. Councillor Durant also commented that the parking provision on the development was still too low and needed increasing.

During the debate Members discussed the possible removal or re-location of the five storey block and the parking provision being offered by the applicant.

Members also discussed the need for a pedestrian crossing to enable residents to cross the A1306 and access and egress arrangements for the site.

A motion for deferral of consideration of the report was lost by 4 votes to 7.

Members noted that the proposed development qualified for a Mayoral CIL contribution of £388,440 and RESOLVED to delegate to the Assistant Director of Regulatory Services to negotiate provision for a scheme of traffic light control at the site entrance plus a signal controlled, improved pedestrian crossing towards the primary school opposite and subject to this provision being agreed to grant planning permission subject to prior completion of a legal agreement subject to no contrary direction on referral to the Mayor of London.

If the provision for these highway elements could not be agreed under powers delegated to Assistant Director of Regulatory Services then the application would be referred back to the Committee for consideration.

The vote for the resolution to delegate to the Assistant Director of Regulatory Services to grant planning permission was carried by 7 votes to 4.

Councillors Misir, Best, Kelly, Wallace, D. White, Donald and Hawthorn voted for the resolution to delegate the granting of planning permission.

Councillors Nunn, Whitney, Martin and Williamson voted against the resolution to delegate the granting of planning permission.