Issue - meetings

The Principal Development Management Officer introduced planning application number 136785 to erect 64no. dwellings with roads, garages and residential parking, including community parking, with public open spaces.  This was a resubmission of 135790.  There were no further updates to the report from the Principal Development Management Officer. The Officer noted that planning permission would be unlikely to be issued ahead of the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in January. Therefore, secondary school provision would be captured by CIL, not the S106 planning obligation. 25% of any CIL payment would go to the Parish Council as they have a Neighbourhood Plan in place.

Mr Steven Ibbotson RIBA, an architect representing Cyden Homes addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application:

·         The previous application (135790) was refused on five points, which are addressed below:

1.    Overdevelopment – LP52 states that developers are encouraged to produce the most appropriate design led solution in arriving at a total dwelling figure at their site, and may not be constrained by the indicative figure in the column headed ‘indicative dwelling figure’.  Mr Ibbotson stated that the site could support up to 74 dwellings using the Local Plan formula, and could increase the affordable homes offer by 33%, from the approved scheme.  Policy LP26 stated that proposals should make ‘effective and efficient use of land’;

2.    Open Space – 23% of the site was provided as open space, this included a dedicated 3 metre wide cycle and foot path, a green wedge, an ecology pond and a public car park. The proposed increase in the number of dwellings had not reduced the open space provision; 

3.    Landscape and Green Wedge – a 5 metre wide buffer zone had been created enforced by native English species;

4.    Affordable housing – this was provided at 25%, and was well integrated within the layout of the site, with three different street scene frontages;

5.    Housing mix – this had been revised and amended following the refused application.  There was no prescribed requirement for housing mix within the Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plan.  The application provided 30% of housing to Part M4(2), for those who were less mobile.  Also added was 5% (3 dwellings) to Part M4(3) that were large enough to be fully converted into wheelchair compliant properties.

The next speaker was Councillor Tony Pache, representing Dunholme Parish Council.  The following points were highlighted:

·         Application 135790 for 64 houses was refused in May 2017 for a number of planning issues;

·         Dunholme Parish Council were delighted with the Dunholme Neighbourhood Plan, and thought that 49 dwellings was just right for the site;

·         The applicant had met with the Parish Council;

·         Allocating more affordable housing was good and agreed with proposed locations, but most of the allocation was for social housing, rather than an opportunity for first time buyers;

·         There were concerns over the level of car parking, for the affordable homes in particular (16 spaces allocated for 12 affordable dwellings).  The row of 11 spaces  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54