Agenda item

The report before members concerned a proposal to demolish an existing house and erect a replacement building containing 9 flats. The application was reported back to committee following deferral from the 3 October 2013 meeting. 

Committee members noted that the application had been called in by Councillors Barry Tebbutt and Gillian Ford.

Councillor Tebbutt had called the application in on the grounds of boundary and overlooking issues, and the relationship between the proposal and the church.

Councillor Ford had called the application in on the grounds of over intensification of development, height of development was over and above that of properties directly opposite and adjacent, not in keeping with the street scene, building materials at odds with design of surrounding development, development going beyond the building line of properties in the area and the adverse impact on traffic in the locality.

With its agreement Councillor Ford addressed the Committee, Councillor Ford confirmed that many local residents had concerns with the proposed scheme particularly with regards to the possible traffic congestion that the development would create and that the proposal would have an adverse impact on the amenity of the area

During the debate members compared the proposed development to similar schemes that had been built in the area and also considered amenity space. Members gave consideration to access and egress arrangements, highway safety and boundary treatment.

Members also discussed the Hall Lane Special Policy which had previously been introduced to ensure adequate levels of amenity space for future occupiers of new developments.

The report recommended that planning permission be refused, however following a motion to grant planning permission which was carried by 8 votes to 2 with 1 abstention.

The Committee noted that the development attracted a Mayoral CIL payment of £8,580 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 £48,000 to be used towards infrastructure costs in accordance with the 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.

That staff be authorised to enter into a legal agreement to secure the above and upon completion of that agreement, grant planning permission subject to the conditions  set out in paragraph 1.9 of the report and to include an additional condition requiring the submission of a parking management scheme which would include the nomination of parking spaces at a ratio of one space per dwelling.

The vote for the resolution to grant planning permission was carried by 9 votes to 2.

Councillors Hawthorn and Durant voted against the resolution to grant planning permission.