The Chairman introduced the first application of the meeting, application number 145360, for the erection of 7 dwellings and associated infrastructure on land to the rear of the Marquis of Granby, Waddingham. This application had been referred to the Committee following objections from Waddingham Parish Council, the local Ward Member and other third parties.  The application had been deferred on 30 November 2022 to enable a site visit to take place.  The Planning Officer gave a short presentation on the scheme which included any relevant history relating to the site, brief details of the representations received and consultation with statutory consultees.

 

Note:              Councillor R. Patterson entered the Chamber at 6.48 pm.

 

The Chairman advised that there were four registered speakers for the application. He invited the Democratic and Civic Officer to read aloud the submitted statement from the first speaker, the Chairman of Waddingham Parish Council, Councillor Lauretta Williams. The following statement was read.

 

“I have watched the live feed of last month’s committee meeting and am concerned about how the comment from Waddingham Parish Council was construed.   Cllr. Dobby’s comment indicates that he took the Waddingham Parish Council comment to mean that the Waddingham Parish Council approves of this development.

Can I please make it clear Waddingham Parish Council has always been against this development as evidenced by the comments made previously to 145360 and previous applications 129108 (2012), 130898 (2014), 138660 (2018), 143052 (2021). Please note that 136796 included some apposite internal West Lindsey comments on the trees.

The latest comment sent to the WL Planning Officer last month does not indicate approval of the development by Waddingham Parish Council. Waddingham Parish Council will approve of the amendments, conditions and conclusions noted in the report, that must mitigate against the problems previously identified by Waddingham Parish Council and residents and confirmed in the Planning Officers report. That depends of course on them being valid and sufficiently detailed and carried out comprehensively and properly monitored. It also depends on the conditions and actions being fully effective at removing the problems, especially with respect to scale, appearance, environmental protection, drainage and flood risk.

On the visit to the site it was observed that even though there had not been much rain the site had many puddles where previous rain had not drained away and the ground was extremely muddy. It was also noted that the proposed storage tank for rainwater is located at almost the highest point of the building site and so would not prevent run off water from running down the slope and into the neighbouring properties without a system of drains, pumps and piping designed to pump the water uphill.

We hope that any specialist reports and suggestions are accurate and offer the best solutions for resolution of the problems identified, especially with respect to drainage and flood risk.  The solution being offered by the current developer to store drainage water in a tank which is then pumped into the main drains does not seem to be well thought through and could actually increase the risk of flooding and sewage ingress in other houses lower down in the village due to the reasons stated above.  We also hope that Anglian Water have been fully consulted regarding these plans and have given their approval.

We assume and trust that any conditions specified would be adhered to by the developer and closely monitored by the planning department. Following Cllr. Summers’ comments it is concerning that this does not appear to always happen”.

The Chairman thanked the Officer and requested that he read the next submitted statement, from Mr John Benson (Agent for the developer). The following statement was read aloud.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address the Committee once again and in support of the proposal. I hope that you found the site visit beneficial and it allayed any concerns or fears you may have regarding the proposal.

 

This Committee has already provided unequivocal support for the first phase of the redevelopment by approving the change of use of the public house to a dwelling and this proposal follows a 2019 outline approval on the site for 7 dwellings. It is hoped that the Planning Committee can continue this support and appreciate the efforts that we have undertaken to ensure that this proposal respects the site and surrounding area. Once again, I feel it is necessary to emphasise that the debate this evening is not about the merits of allowing residential development on this site because this has been agreed with the granting of outline consent, but the merits of the detailed elements of the scheme. I feel that Members need to understand how constructively the Planner and the Design Team have worked together throughout the planning process to ensure that we have a recommendation for approval. Where issues have arisen, the Planner has always sought to work with us in a constructive manner to overcome them.

 

Objections have been received by some residents but it is considered that all the issues raised have been successfully addressed within the planning application proposal. A Reserved Matters application was refused in 2021 and as a result of this, we were brought on board to assess the reasons for refusal and how they could and should be remedied which would ensure an approval for residential development on the site. Looking at that proposal, it was evident that there was little thought or consideration of how the development would relate to the context of the site and that the refusal was entirely justified. Consequently, it was my professional opinion that no appeal should be forthcoming for that refusal and it would be better to work with the Council to change the scheme entirely. The first steps were to engage with the Council via the formal pre application process which was extremely beneficial and formed the basis for developing the scheme in front of you today.

 

Following the initial discussions with the Council, we had a clear brief on what would be acceptable. One of the main issues that the Council raised with the previously refused scheme was that the proposed housing was of a standard typology so the new approach was to provide a mix of house types, styles and designs using materials which would respect the locality. It is the belief of both the Planner and us, that the mix of bungalows and two storey dwellings with traditional design features is wholly appropriate for the site and this is reflected in the updated CGI Visual which has been prepared since the last meeting.

 

The Councils Conservation also lends full support to the proposal following the reduction in height and massing of some of the dwellings which results in a development which respects the heritage setting of the site.

 

Some concerns raised do relate to highways and drainage matters. All parking levels for each dwelling exceed the requirements of the Local Plan and the County Council Highways Department are happy that the proposal does not adversely affect highway or pedestrian safety on or near to the site. With regards to drainage, we have worked with engineers and Condition 8 further ensures further protection for residents as a full Drainage Strategy is required to be submitted and assessed.

 

The objector who spoke at the previous meeting referenced the previously refused scheme and we are in agreement that this was unacceptable but by taking all steps within this planning application, matters such as design, massing, typology and impact on the historic setting have all been addressed. I fully appreciate that any form of development can be unsettling for local residents and more so in rural areas where development can be less frequent but residents need to fully appreciate that this site will be developed in the future as the principle of residential development has already been granted on the site. This detailed application has not been submitted on a whim and we believe, that working constructively with the Council, that this site can be developed in a manner that sets a precedent for high quality residential development within Waddingham”.

 

The Chairman again thanked the Democratic and Civic Officer and invited the first of the objectors, Karen Grafton, to address the Committee, noting that she was speaking on behalf of herself and Tony Grafton. The following statement was made.

 

“In March 2019, the developer was granted outline planning permission for 7 dwellings, but not these ones.  On the 30th of September 2021, the seven proposed dwellings were refused by you on the grounds of everything, scale and density, out of keeping with surroundings and appearance, inappropriate design layout, lack of detailing and harming of the street scene, inappropriate as a backdrop to an historic village centre.

 

The setting of the old school, a heritage asset, will be harmed to an unacceptable degree was also mentioned and the design was not of a high quality.  Designs have been tweaked, but really nothing's changed.  At the last meeting here the developer did our job for us by showing the semi aerial projection which has again been shown.  At the last meeting there were audible gasps from yourselves when you saw the sheer size of the buildings. 

 

At the site visit recently, some misinformation surfaced about the height of the houses. One of your number claimed that the apex of the roof would be in line with the top of the large rubble pile currently near to plot 5. This is very wrong. The top of the pile does not even reach the bottom of the second floor windows, a height pole was mentioned by ourselves, but no one bought one onto the site again at the site visit. There were concerns that the heritage asset, the oldest school, would be obscured by the proposed dwellings. It could be seen that the giant fence alone obscures the view from the public footpath. The buildings of Plots 2 3 4 and 5 would completely obliterate any such views of Waddingham’s, finest building.

 

If Waddingham does have to have new housing, could you please tonight ensure that such housing meets the local needs? We don't need these houses thank you”.

The Chairman thanked Mrs Grafton for her comments and invited Mr Metcalfe, the second registered objector, to address the Committee. He made the following statement.

“Good evening and thanks to Karen.

 

There's a lot being said about this development, so I thought I'd go back to a few single, simple basics the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (CLLP) puts forward, albeit, likely to be changed.

 

So I picked out a couple of statements - couple of vision statements, the first one being growth in homes and jobs will be closely linked with new infrastructure such as schools, roads, health facilities and open space provision planned and provided for at the same time as the new buildings.

 

This development is one of the largest, in fact is the largest in Waddingham for over a decade. and is the latest, as Karen mentioned, a succession of applications at the site which bar the outline one were all refused, including on appeal, fundamentally on the grounds that Karen mentioned – scale, ecology and water management.

 

None of the infrastructure issues have been addressed and this application is eroding the open space set aside in the previous applications by encroaching on these open areas or including them within the curtilage of the Gardens, thereby putting them at risk, as well as affecting the ecology of the wildlife on the site.

 

The main B1205 through the village has become increasingly busy, and the junction between it and High Street to the access road is blind to both pedestrians and vehicles.

 

Another vision statement - growth will be focused at Lincoln Sleaford and Gainsborough, that villages will not be left behind with appropriate and sensitive development to ensure they remain sustainable, thriving communities.

 

The natural and historic environment will be protected with new development, taking into account the surroundings of the area.

 

As Karen has already mentioned, this scale and appearance does not reflect the surrounding area.  The site is surrounded by historic buildings stretching back to the 1830s, or even earlier.  These building in some cases, have relatively low level elevations, and as the site rises from east to west the new houses will tend to be dominant.

 

The key thing, looking at the CLLP objectives, is that the housing stock will meet the housing needs of Central Lincolnshire.  It is unclear how the development will really meet the needs of the local community.  There has been little change in the profile of Waddingham since the publication of the Community Links report in 2013.

 

At the moment there are around 252 detached and semi-detached houses in Waddingham, with just 19 terraced.  This means that many pensioners have difficulty downsizing whilst wanting to stay in the village with friends and family.  The terraced houses are largely unsuitable because of stairs.

 

In order to support a sustainable community, development needs to include more single storey houses.  The net effect of this is that there has been a net increase in migration out of the village and this has led to the closure of several key services, e.g. book shop, post office primary healthcare etc”.

 

The Chairman thanked Mr Metcalfe for his comments and invited Councillor J. Summers to address the Committee in his role as Ward Member. He made the following comments.

 

“Thank you, Chairman, there have been a couple of pertinent points raised tonight, in particular the reference to people wishing to downsize.

 

When you stand on the village green in the central point of the village and look up in that direction, then it is a fact that those properties will tower above everything else and will give the impression that it's the most outstanding, important, part of the village.  There is some doubt about the accuracy of the measurement of the apex of the new properties and how that does actually relate to those next to next to the site, it would be useful if, if that could be clarified.

 

Due to the very serious threat of flooding in the centre of the village, any future development within the village of Waddingham, must have appropriate levels of mitigation in order that the situation is not made worse.

 

There are some very important facts which should be taken into account.  One millimetre of rainfall equals one litre per square metre.  The proposed a tank holds 92,000 litres which doesn't take long to amass in a thunderstorm.

 

The site is approximately 8,000 square metres, which means a 25 millimetre or one inch rainfall event will deliver 75,000 litres of water on that site within 24 hours and that means that the tank will be almost full.

 

In the last year, at Glentham we have experienced 50 millimetres of rain in 24 to 36 hours and that equates to 150 litres on a similar sized site.  The tank will have a maximum discharge rate of 2 litres per second and I would like to propose that the discharge rate should be reduced to 0.7 litres per second, which would give approximately three days for the tank to empty, allowing three days for any future floodwaters to subside without this facility development impacting upon any future flooding.

 

I'd also like to be assured that the future maintenance and replacement costs of the associated equipment does not fall upon the Parish, itself or the future residents of the development, simply because this application is being imposed upon them, assuming that it is approved this evening.

 

As the site falls away to the east, one also wonders how the surface water will run uphill as opposed to running onto neighbouring properties, as the site falls quite dramatically down to the east, as everyone would have seen at the site visit”.

 

Note:              Councillor J.Summers left the Chamber at 7.05 pm.

 

The Chairman invited a response from the Planning Officer who indicated that drainage to the site had been discussed at length at the site meeting and that it was considered that the risk of flooding was low.  It was confirmed that the ridge height measurements were accurate.  As this was not a “major development” it was not necessary to consult Anglian Water but they would need to be approached in relation to connection to the drainage system.  A material consideration when considering applications was that the development should not increase flooding elsewhere and in this context, it was felt that the development complied with planning policy.

 

Members voiced their concerns regarding management of the flood risk and drainage system, however it was noted that the conditions in place with the application would address those concerns raised. It was also noted that there were no objections from, for example, the Conservation Officer. Members were understanding of the concerns raised by the objectors, however, it was commented that there had been measures put in place to alleviate those concerns.

 

Having been proposed and seconded, the Chairman to the vote and it was agreed that planning permission should be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

 

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

 

1.    The development hereby permitted must 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.    No development must take place until full details to protect the existing trees and their root protection areas to the north west of the site adjacent to plot 7 and The Payhouse, High Street have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved protection measures must be installed prior to the commencement of development and retained in place until the development has been fully completed.

 

Reason: To safeguard the existing trees on or adjacent the site during construction works, in the interest of visual amenity to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP17 and LP21 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

3.    No development must take place until details of the type and position of two integrated bat boxes and two integrated bird boxes, as per the recommendations of the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) Report by Crow Ecology dated 20th September 2022has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved boxes must be installed prior to occupation of the dwelling the box is attached to and must be retained as such thereafter.

 

Reason: In the interest of nature conservation to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP21 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

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

 

4.    With the exception of the detailed matters referred to by the conditions of this consent, the development hereby approved must be carried out in accordance with the following proposed drawings:

 

• 9_101 Rev 05 dated 8^th November 2022 – Site Plan
• 9_004 Rev 02 dated 20^th October 2022 – Plot 1, 4 and 6 Elevation and Floor Plans
• 9-005 Rev 03 dated 3^rd November 2022 – Plot 5 Elevation and Floor Plans
• 9_006 Rev 00 dated 8^th June 2022 – Plot 3 Elevation and Floor Plans
• 9_003 Rev 01 dated 8^th November 2022 – Plot 7 Elevation and Floor Plans
• 9_002 Rev 00 dated 8^th June 2022 – Plot 2 Elevation and Floor Plans

 

The works must be carried out in accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and in any other approved documents forming part of the application.

 

Reason: To ensure the development proceeds in accordance with the approved plans and to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework, local policy LP17, LP25 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036, Policy 8 and 9 of the Draft Waddingham and Brandy Wharf Neighbourhood Plan and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

5.    No development above ground level must take place until the following external materials for the proposed dwellings hereby approved have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:

 

• Sample panel of stonework and mortar with mortar finish and specification.
• Sample panel of brickwork and mortar with mortar finish and specification.
• Roof material sample and colour finish.
• Windows and doors including colour finish.
• All rainwater goods including the colour finish.

 

The development must be completed in strict accordance with the approved details and retained as such thereafter.

 

Reason: To ensure the use of appropriate materials in the interests of visual amenity, the character and appearance of the site and the area including preserving the setting of the nearby listed buildings to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policies LP17, LP25 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036, Policy 8 of the Draft Waddingham and Brandy Wharf Neighbourhood Plan and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

6.    The development hereby approved must be completed in strict accordance with the Specification for a Scheme of Archaeological Monitoring and Recording dated May 2021 by PCAS Archaeology.

 

Reason: To ensure implementation of an appropriate scheme of archaeological mitigation to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP25 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

7.    The local planning authority shall be notified in writing of the intention to commence the archaeological investigations in accordance with the approved written scheme referred to in condition 5 at least 14 days before the said commencement. No variation shall take place without prior written consent of the local planning authority.

 

Reason: In order to facilitate the appropriate monitoring arrangements and to ensure the satisfactory archaeological investigation and retrieval of archaeological finds to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP25 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

8.    No development above ground level must take place until full details of a scheme for the disposal of foul and surface water (including any necessary soakaway/percolation tests) from the site and a plan identifying connectivity and their position has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.  The Drainage Strategy will need to identify how run-off from the completed development will be prevented from causing an impact elsewhere.  No occupation of each individual dwelling must take place until its individual foul and surface water drainage connection has been fully installed in strict accordance with the approved details.  The approved drainage scheme must be retained as such thereafter.

 

Reason: To ensure adequate drainage facilities are provided to serve each dwelling, to reduce the risk of flooding and to prevent the pollution of the water environment to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP14 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

9.    No development above ground level must take place until full details and specification for the installation of a 1.8 metre wide footway to the east of the vehicular access, to connect the development to the existing footway network, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The works shall also include appropriate arrangements for the management of surface water run-off from the highway.  No occupation of the development must take place until the approved footway has been fully completed in strict accordance with the approved scheme.

 

To ensure the provision of safe and adequate pedestrian access to the permitted development, without increasing flood risk to the highway and adjacent land and property to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP14 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

10. No occupation of the development must take place until a comprehensive landscaping scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Details to include:

 

·         Type, height and position of all retained and new boundary treatments.

·         Material finish of all hardstanding (driveways, patios and paths).

·         Species, planting height, formation and position of new trees and hedging.

·         Retained and removed trees and hedging.

 

The development must be completed in strict accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure that appropriate landscaping is introduced and would not unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the site and preserve the setting of the nearby listed buildings to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework, local policies LP17, LP25 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036, Policy 8 of the Draft Waddingham and Brandy Wharf Neighbourhood Plan and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

11.No occupation of each individual dwelling must take place until the vehicular access, private access road and its individual parking spaces have been fully completed in strict accordance with site plan 9_101 Rev 05 dated 8^th November 2022 and retained for that use thereafter.

 

Reason: To ensure safe access to the site and available adequate off street parking to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework, local policy LP13 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036 and Policy 8 and 9 of the Draft Waddingham and Brandy Wharf Neighbourhood Plan

 

12.Apart from the bat, bird and owl boxes described in condition 3 of this permission the development hereby approved must only be carried out in accordance with the recommendations set out in section 7 and 8 of the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) Report by Crow Ecology dated 20th September 2022.

 

Reason: To respond to the enhancement recommendations of the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) Report by Crow Ecology dated 20th September 2022to accord to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP21 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

13. If during the course of development, contamination is found to be present on site, then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority) must be carried out until a method statement detailing how and when the contamination is to be dealt with has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The contamination must then be dealt with in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: In order to safeguard human health and the water environment and to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP16 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

14.The archaeological site work shall be undertaken only in full accordance with the written scheme required by condition 6.

 

Reason: To ensure the satisfactory archaeological investigation and retrieval of archaeological finds to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP25 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

15.Following the archaeological site work referred to in condition 14 a 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 to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP25 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

16.The report referred to in condition 15 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 to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP25 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

 

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

 

17. All planting or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping (see condition 10 above) must be carried out in the first planting and seeding season following 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 must 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.  The landscaping should be retained thereafter.

 

Reason: To ensure that all planting is provided within a timely manner and has the best opportunity to establish to accord with the National Planning Policy Framework, local policies LP17, LP25 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036 and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

18. Notwithstanding the provisions of Classes A and E of Schedule 2 Part 1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification) the dwelling (plot 7) hereby permitted must not be extended, altered and no buildings or structures shall be erected within the curtilage of the dwelling unless planning permission has first been granted by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To enable any such proposals to be assessed in terms of their impact on the external private amenity space of the occupiers in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and local policy LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036.

 

19. Notwithstanding the provisions of Classes AA of Schedule 2 Part 1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification) the dwellings (plot 1-7) hereby permitted must not be extended by an additional floor for the bungalows or up to two floors for the two storey dwellings unless planning permission has first been granted by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To enable any such proposals to be assessed in terms of their impact on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area and the setting of nearby Listed Buildings in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework, local policy LP17, LP25 and LP26 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036 and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

Note:              Councillor Summers returned to the Chamber at 7.26 pm.