Agenda item

The report before members concerned an application for the demolition of the existing dwelling and the erection of three detached houses with a new access road and car parking.

Members noted that Councillor Steven Kelly had called in the application due to the number of previous planning applications at the development site and the number of refused schemes.

Councillor Ron Ower had also called in the application on the grounds that of the planning history of the site and the Emerson Park Local Planning Policy.

Staff advised that condition six (sound insulation) was to be removed from the report as the condition had no application to detached houses.

In accordance with the public speaking arrangements, the Committee was addressed by an objector with a response by the applicant.

With its agreement Councillors Roger Ramsey and Paul Rochford addressed the Committee.

Councillor Ramsey commented that the application was pushing the boundaries of the Emerson Park Local Policy. Councillor Ramsey also commented that he had concerns regarding the layout of the proposed development, specifically the orientation of new houses. Councillor Ramsey raised concerns over the harm that the development may cause.

Councillor Rochford commented that his concerns mirrored those of Councillor Ramsey.

During the debate members expressed concerns that the application had now been before the Committee on three separate occasions. A member commented that the application before committee presented little difference to those applications that had been previously refused. Another member commented that constraints on site would prevent the development being laid out in another way. Members noted that the application had a lower density of houses than those applications previously refused.   . A Member commented that one of the strengths of Emerson Park is its diversity of buildings and that the development would not be out of keeping with surrounding properties.

The Committee noted that the development was liable for a Mayoral CIL of £21,460 and RESOLVED that the proposal was unacceptable as it stood but would be acceptable subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Legal Agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), to secure the following:

• A financial contribution of £12,000 to be used towards infrastructure costs in accordance with the Draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document.

• All contribution sums shall include interest to the due date of expenditure and all contribution sums to be subject to indexation from the date of completion of the Section 106 Agreement to the date of receipt by the Council.

• The Developer/Owner to pay the Council’s reasonable legal costs associated with the preparation of the Agreement, prior to completion of the Agreement, irrespective of whether the Agreement is completed.

• The Developer/Owner to pay the appropriate planning obligation/s monitoring fee prior to completion of the Agreement.

And that Staff be authorised to enter into such an agreement and that upon its completion planning permission be granted subject to the conditions as set out in the report with the exclusion of condition 6.

The vote to grant planning permission was carried by 8 votes to 3.

Councillors Hawthorn, Ower and Burton voted against the resolution to grant planning permission.