(if any) - receive.

Apologies were received Councillor Robby Misir, Councillor Laurance Garrard substituting.

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point in the meeting.

Members may still disclose any interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To approve as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 28 August 2025 and to authorise the Chair to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 August 2025 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Report attached

The Committee received a presentation on the proposed demolition of an existing building followed by a residential-led development of the site, with some ground floor commercial and community spaces, and the creation of a primary school.

The site was on a long, low plateau with the main vehicular access being from Rom Valley Way. Developers planned to connect the site to the wider area using cycle routes etc. The site was close to other regeneration areas in Bridge Close and on the Seedbed Centre and Ice Rink sites. A new public park would be incorporated as well as a primary school (on the border with the Seedbed Centre) and areas of small scale commercial use.

There would be a minimum number of car parking spaces onsite with a lot of pedestrianised areas within the development. There would also be new public access to the River Rom and safe, healthy green streets. Improvements to Rom Valley Way would include new street trees, cycling and pedestrian routes. Some 32 trees would be removed from the site initially. A diverse range of play areas would be incorporated for children of all age groups.

Developers felt that the planning benefits of the site included that this was a vacant brownfield site which would provide up to 600 new homes including affordable accommodation as well as a new primary school. Public engagement would commence on 23 September including a market stall giving information on 27 September.

A ward Councillor – Councillor Judith Holt also addressed the Committee.

Councillor Holt felt there had been too little notice given of the meeting and also of the provision of the slides used by the developers and thanked the Planning Officer for chasing this up. Councillor Holt was concerned at the impact of the development on local residents, particularly when taken in the context of neighbouring large developments. She questioned the impact on the local infrastructure such as Queen’s Hospital and pointed out that the provision of the new school was ultimately a decision for the Department for Education.

The scheme would only provide affordable rather than social housing and Councillor Holt was also unconvinced about the lack of parking provision in the scheme. She was in favour of the park element of the proposals and the improvements to the River Rom.

The Committee then discussed the proposal. It was clarified that some parking bays would be provided for deliveries. The school site overlapped the Homebase and Seedbed Centre sites and, if the school was not ultimately built, the land could be transferred to the Council or retained by the developer. Barratt would make a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contribution if the school project was not brought forward.

It was accepted that the developers needed to assess the sewage capacity of the site in greater detail and this would be included in the Planning Application. The development plan for access to the River Rom would be submitted to the Environment Agency at the end of September. The central section  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.