Agenda item

Minutes:

Members considered a planning application for residential development of 135no dwellings, comprising one and two storey dwellings and 2no.four storey apartment buildings, with associated amenity spaces and car parking at land off Bowling Green Road, Gainsborough.

 

There was an officer update attached to this item:

 

·         There had been further correspondence from the Environment Agency (EA) on 23 December. They advised that they maintained their objection, due to the way flood heights had been calculated in the breach modelling.  They advise setting a site specific model, or setting floor levels at 6.71 metres.

 

Any decking should not encroach onto the five metre easement so that it did not impede any future improvement works. 

 

The applicant had already taken steps to address these measures having revised the finished floor levels to meet the 6.71 metre requirement, as well as making sure the decking would not encroach onto the five metre easement.  

 

Written confirmation was still awaited from the EA on whether they wished to withdraw their objection on the aforementioned grounds.  Under planning law, there was a requirement to notify the Secretary of State if WLDC were minded to grant permission and the objection remained in place.

 

The officer advised that if committee was minded to follow the recommendation to approve the development, the application be delegated back to officers to ensure written confirmation that the Environment Agency’s objection has been resolved prior to issuing the decision and also add any conditions they suggest to the decision notice.

 

A plans condition would also need to be amended to reflect the information received with regards to the finished floor levels and easement.

 

The first speaker to this item was Greg Bacon, the Chief Executive of ACIS Group, the applicant.  He raised the following points:

 

·         ACIS operated across 19 local authority areas, with their head office being based in Gainsborough.  Half of ACIS’s stock was in the Gainsborough and wider West Lindsey area;

·         60 homes had recently been completed in Saxilby for over 55s;

·         There was a planned regeneration of North Parade Road in Gainsborough;

·         The proposal in this application was regeneration of the area along the riverside adjacent to Wilson Street and Japan Road; the site had stood derelict for some time.  The proposal was 135 properties comprising two blocks, one of which could lend itself to supported housing; a small 8 bedroomed property for high dependent housing; 36 1-4 bedroomed houses for affordable rent; 12 2-3 bedroomed houses for shared low cost ownership, and 26 2-3 bedroomed properties for outright sales;

·         Sales values in the area appeared to be unbeneficial for private developers; therefore this was a ‘place making’ opportunity for Gainsborough.  The development was heavily contingent on Homes England grant funding and grant support from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP);

·         The total cost of the development was expected to be in excess of £20 million over a 4 to 5 year timescale;

·         This development was to be seen as a cornerstone for ACIS to develop better quality housing for specialist housing need;

·         The scheme allowed ACIS to undertake stock renewal in Gainsborough, and re-emphasised its commitment to West Lindsey.

 

Elaine Poon, representing the Growth team at West Lindsey District Council spoke in support of the development, and highlighted the following points:

 

·         The proposal represented a large proportion of the housing target in Gainsborough.  The development of this allocated site would signify a huge success by delivering one of two brownfield sites, signalling to developers that Gainsborough was open for business;

·         The Gainsborough Investment Partnership was investing in this programme;

·         The scheme would act as a catalyst to complete the missing section of Riverside Walk;

·         The grant funding for this scheme from the GLLEP was only available until the end of January; this amounted to £2.27 million.

 

Members of the Committee then provided comment on the item, and also asked questions of officers.  Further information was provided:

 

·         This development was the major piece in the ‘Riverside Gateway’ and the development of Gainsborough, and would bring a lot to the town.  This site had been a hotbed for anti-social behaviour in previous years;

·         The development goes a long way towards addressing the specialist housing requirement for older people;

·         Sections of the site that were subject to raised floor levels already had flood defences in place; therefore flooding was considered as ‘low-risk’.

 

With no further comments or questions from Committee, proceedings moved to a vote as the application had been previously moved and seconded.  Permission was GRANTED subject to the Environment Agency response and the following conditions, with the power to proceed being delegated back to Planning officers:

 

Conditions stating the time by which the development must be

commenced:

1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

Reason: To conform with Section 91 (1) of the Town and Country Planning

Act 1990 (as amended).

 

Conditions which apply or require matters to be agreed before the

development commenced:

2. Prior to commencement a checking survey for otters shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in full accordance with any recommendations of the approved report.

 

Reason: To safeguard wildlife in the interests of nature conservation in accordance with policy LP21 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

3. No development shall take place until a phasing plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To ensure that the development is delivered in a structured way.

 

4. No development shall take place, including any works of demolition, until a Construction Method Statement has been submitted to, and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The approved statement shall be adhered to throughout the construction period. The statement shall provide:

i. the parking of vehicles of site operatives and visitors

ii. loading and unloading of plant and materials

iii. storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development

iv. the erection and maintenance of security hoarding including decorative

displays and facilities for public viewing, where appropriate

v. wheel washing facilities

vi. measures to control the emission of noise, dust and dirt during construction

vii. a scheme for recycling/disposing of waste resulting from demolition and

construction

viii. The means of access and routing for demolition and construction traffic.

ix: piling and construction

 

Reason: In the interests of amenity and in accordance with policy LP13 of the

Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

Conditions which apply or are to be observed during the course of the

development:

5. The permitted development shall be undertaken in accordance with a surface water drainage scheme which shall first have been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

The scheme shall:

• be based on sustainable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological and hydrogeological context of the development;

• provide details of how run-off will be safely conveyed and attenuated during storms up to and including the 1 in 100 year critical storm event, with an allowance for climate change, from all hard surfaced areas within the development into the existing local drainage infrastructure and watercourse system without exceeding the run-off rate for the undeveloped site;

• provide attenuation details and discharge rates which shall be restricted to 7 litres per second;

• provide details of the timetable for and any phasing of implementation for the drainage scheme; and

• provide details of how the scheme shall be maintained and managed over the lifetime of the development, including any arrangements for adoption by any public body or Statutory Undertaker and any other arrangements required to secure the operation of the drainage system throughout its lifetime. No dwelling shall be occupied until the approved scheme has been completed or provided on the site in accordance with the approved phasing. The approved scheme shall be retained and maintained in full, in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure that the permitted development is adequately drained without creating or increasing flood risk to land or property adjacent to, or downstream of, the permitted development.

 

6. With the exception of the detailed matters referred to by the conditions of this consent, the development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the details shown on the approved plans:

3024.03.100

3024.03.101B

3024.03.102A

3024.03.110

3024.03.111

3024.03.120A

3024.03.121A

3024.03.122

3024.03.123

3024.03.124

3024.03.125

3024.03.126B

3024.03.130B

3024.03.131A

3024.03.132A

3024.03.133A

3024.03.135B

3024.03.136A

3024.03.140

3024.03.141

3024.03.145

3024.03.150

3024.03.151

3024.03.155

3024.03.160

3024.03.161

3024.03.165

3024.03.166

3024.03.170

and in any other approved documents forming part of the application.

 

Reason: To ensure the development proceeds in accordance with the approved plans.

 

7. The development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations in the additional ecological surveys dated October 2018 by

Smeeden Foreman.

 

Reason: To safeguard wildlife in the interests of nature conservation in accordance with policy LP21 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

8. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority the affordable housing shall comprise of 36 affordable, 12 shared ownership, an 8 bedroom, wheelchair accessible supported living bungalow and 60 apartments split equally between two apartments blocks of shared ownership and affordable housing. Prior to occupation of these units, details of how the units will be secured and nomination agreement or similar shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Should an alternative scheme for affordable housing be put forward then a scheme for the provision of this affordable housing shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include the following –

- Statement justifying tenures proposed linking back to the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and Local Housing Needs Assessment work produced by West Lindsey District Council. The statement should also include how they have liaised with West Lindsey Strategic Housing Team and how this has informed tenure and splits proposed.

- Type of housing, number of bedrooms, sizes of the units and any other features;

- Marked up drawings detailing the plot numbers, housing types and sizes;

- Details of how the units will be secured including a nomination agreement or similar.

The affordable housing shall be retained in accordance with the approved scheme.

 

Reason: In order to meet a specific housing need within the district in accordance with policy LP11 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

9. Demolition and/or Construction works shall only be carried out between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 on Mondays to Fridays; and between 08:00 and 13:00 on Saturdays, with no demolition and/or construction works on Sundays and Bank Holidays unless specifically agreed in writing by the local planning authority beforehand.

 

Reason: To ensure appropriate mitigation for the impact on residential amenity caused by the construction phases of the development and to accord with policy LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

10. Prior to occupation, a scheme of landscaping including details of the size, species and position or density of all trees to be planted, fencing and walling shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme.

 

Reason: To ensure that a landscaping scheme to enhance the development is provided in accordance with policy LP17 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

11. Prior to occupation a schedule of landscape maintenance for a minimum period of five years from the completion of the development of that phase has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The schedule shall include details of the arrangements for its implementation and the development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure that an approved landscaping scheme is implemented in a speedy and diligent way and that initial plant losses are overcome, in the interests of the visual amenities of the locality and in accordance with LP17 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

12. No development, other than to foundations level, shall take place until the proposed new walling, roofing, windows, doors and other external materials have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall thereafter be constructed in accordance with the approved details. The details submitted shall include; the proposed colour finish, rainwater goods and type of pointing to be used.

 

Reason: To ensure the use of appropriate materials to safeguard the character and appearance of the street scene in accordance with the NPPF and Policies LP17 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

13. Prior to occupation, details of the design, specification, position and height of all external lighting for the apartments have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To protect the surrounding area to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

14. Development shall be carried out in full accordance of the remediation strategy detailed in the Combined Stage 1/Stage 2 Geo-Environmental Report AC1/01rem1.

 

Reason: In order to safeguard human health and the water environment in accordance with policy LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

15. Prior to occupation, details of the design, specification, position and height of any external lighting for the apartments have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The lighting shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To protect the surrounding area to accord with the National Planning

Policy Framework and local policy LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local

Plan.

 

16. The permitted development shall not be occupied until a Travel Plan is submitted to and improved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Those parts of the approved Travel Plan that are identified therein as being capable of implementation before occupation shall be implemented in accordance with the timetable contained therein and shall continue to be implemented for as long as any part of the development is occupied and those implemented following occupation shall be retained thereafter.

 

Reason: In order that the permitted development conforms to the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework, by ensuring that access to the site is sustainable and that there is a reduced dependency on the private car for journeys to and from the development.

 

17. Before any dwelling is occupied, all of that part of the estate road and associated footways that forms the junction with the main road and which will be constructed within the limits of the existing highway, shall be laid out and constructed to finished surface levels in accordance with details to be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: In the interests of safety, to avoid the creation of pedestrian trip hazards within the public highway from surfacing materials, manholes and gullies that may otherwise remain for an extended period at dissimilar, interim construction levels.

 

Conditions which apply or relate to matters which are to be observed following completion of the development:

18. All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding season following the occupation of the building(s) or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner; and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless the Local Planning Authority gives written consent to any variation.

 

Reason: To ensure that an approved landscaping scheme is implemented in a speedy and diligent way and that initial plant losses are overcome, in the interests of the visual amenities of the locality in accordance with policy LP17 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: