Agenda item

The Chairman introduced the last of the planning applications for the evening, application number 141907, outline planning application for 4no. dwellings with all matters reserved on land East of The Wolds Waddingham Gainsborough. With no updates from the Planning Officer, the Chairman invited the first speaker, Tori Heaton, Agent for the Applicant, to address the Committee. She made the following statement.

“Good evening Members, thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my client, Mr David Waite. To give you some background, the Waite family have been farming for the last three generations, the farm is currently operated by David Waite and he runs a mixed arable and livestock farm, which in the future will be passed down to his children. This application is not one from the big corporate or national housing developer, but one from a local farming family who are custodians of the land and good village citizens. They're proposing a small scale logical infill development which is ultimately compliant with the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan. We started working with David back in 2018, when the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan was adopted. The Plan showed Waddingham to have a growth level of 15%.  David is a local person who's grown up in the village, and will continue to earn a living from his family farm, based in the heart of Waddingham. He wants to engage in the planning process in the correct way, that being a grassroots local level through the Neighbourhood Plan. The stated purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to allow local people to strongly influence where development is to occur, and give local communities a voice. My clients and I have tried very, very hard to engage in this process. However, despite our best efforts, we understand that the Waddingham Neighbourhood Plan has reached impasse, and progress has effectively stalled. However, we decided to continue and have now submitted this application, which is policy compliant for small scale and logical infill sites in the hearts of the village. We are wholly content that this application meets the fundamental policies required and meets the core shape and form of the village. Highway Safety, vehicle movements, as well as pedestrian safety of all being an absolute overriding consideration in putting this small scale application forward access and parking, have been big considerations when evolving our application, and we have demonstrated that the site can accommodate this modest development, whilst generating insignificant additional vehicle movements. In summary, as of the end of February 2021 Waddingham still has an outstanding growth capacity of 26 dwellings, the village needs an appropriate growth level to remain a thriving and desirable destination. This application provides a policy compliant, well designed, logical, and small scale infill development. I therefore urge members to support your officer's recommendation and grant approval. Thank you for your time.”

The Chairman thanked her for her comments and invited the second speaker, Mr Martin Woodliffe, speaking as an objector, to address the Committee.

Mr Woodliffe thanked the Committee and explained he was acting as spokesperson for the objectors in the village. He stated that the site was not, as stated by the previous speaker, an infill site. He stated it was agricultural land and as such should not be used for development. He noted that LP2 demonstrated a need for clear community support and that there was no support for the development from the local community or the Parish Council. He raised a number of safety issues with the site, including the lack of pedestrian access and the driveway access straight onto a busy road. He noted the increased number of vehicles on the road and raised serious concerns about the safety of vehicle movements for the proposed new dwellings. Given the level of community objection to the proposal, as well as safety issues and the fact the land was for agricultural use, he stated that the application clearly did not supply the information required for this application and as such it should be refused.

The Chairman thanked Mr Woodliffe for his comments and invited response from the Planning Officer. The Committee heard that under LP2, for the development proposed, community support was not required to be evidenced.

The Chairman invited comments from Members and there was significant unease regarding the use of agricultural land for residential development. A Member of the Committee supported the second speaker’s comments regarding road safety and felt there must be a more suitable alternative that the proposed site. Members acknowledged that concerns had not been raised by the Highways Agency although there was some concern as to the entrance to the site on a busy road.

With no Members looking to speak further, the Chairman requested the Committee to consider the Officer recommendation or whether an alternative was to be put forward. A Member of Committee subsequently moved the Officer recommendation and this was duly seconded. On taking it to the vote, with seven votes for and six votes against, it was agreed that planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions.

Conditions stating the time by which the development must be commenced:

1. Application for approval of the reserved matters shall be made to the Local Planning Authority before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

Reason: To conform with Section 92 (2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

2. No development shall take place until, plans and particulars of the access, appearance, layout and scale of the buildings to be erected and the landscaping of the site (hereinafter called “the reserved matters”) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and the development shall be carried out in accordance with those details.

Reason: The application is in outline only and the Local Planning Authority wishes to ensure that these details which have not yet been submitted are appropriate for the locality.

3. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of two years from the date of final approval of the reserved matters or, in the case of approval on different dates, the final approval of the last such matter to be approved.

Reason: To conform with Section 92 (2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

Conditions which apply or require matters to be agreed before the development commenced:

4. No development shall take place until a written scheme of archaeological investigation has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local

planning authority (see notes to applicants below). The local planning authority shall be notified in writing of the intention to commence the archaeological investigations in accordance with the approved written scheme, at least 14 days before the said commencement. This scheme shall include the following:

1. An assessment of significance and proposed mitigation strategy (i.e. preservation by record, preservation in situ or a mix of these elements).

2. A methodology and timetable of site investigation and recording.

3. Provision for site analysis.

4. Provision for publication and dissemination of analysis and records.

5. Provision for archive deposition.

6. Nomination of a competent person/organisation to undertake the work.

Reason: To ensure the preparation and implementation of an appropriate scheme of archaeological mitigation and in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework.

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

5. No development other than to foundations shall take place until a scheme for the disposal of foul and surface waters (including the results of soakaway/percolation tests) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme and be available for use before the first occupation of the dwellings.

Reason: To ensure adequate drainage facilities are provided to serve the development in accordance with Policy LP14 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

6. New hardstanding shall be constructed from a porous material or shall be appropriately drained within the site and shall be retained as such thereafter.

Reason: To ensure appropriate drainage to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy LP14 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

7. The development shall proceed wholly in accordance with the approved scheme of archaeological works approved by condition 4 of this permission.

Reason: To ensure the satisfactory archaeological investigation and retrieval of archaeological finds in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework

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

8. Following the archaeological site work referred to in condition 7 written

report of the findings of the work shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority within 3 months of the said site work being completed.

Reason: To ensure the satisfactory archaeological investigation and retrieval of archaeological finds in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework

9. The report referred to in condition 8 and any artefactual evidence recovered from the site shall be deposited within 6 months of the archaeological site work being completed in accordance with a methodology and in a location to be agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

Reason: To ensure the satisfactory archaeological investigation and retrieval of archaeological finds in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework.