Agenda item

Planning application for residential development for 9no. dwellings,surface parking and associated landscaping

Planning application for residentail development for 9no. dwellings, surface parking and associated landscaping.

The responsible planning officer confirmed that there was no update on this application.

Note: As per the recently agreed rule, all Objectors, Supporters/Applicants, Town and Parish Councils and also Ward Councillors must register if they wish to speak at the Committee by 5pm on the Monday of the week of the meeting. As Councillor Brockway did not register to speak by the deadline, the Chair’s permission was sought which was given on this occasion and she was invited to speak.

Councillor Brockway advised that she was asked to speak against the application. She agreed with the officers that this application was very finely balanced. Councillor Brockway stated that Burton Waters was an excellent and unusual concept offering safe and secure living in a very pleasant surroundings.

The application sought to convert a potential business premises into housing. This was however not supported by the Parish council, other local members and Councillor Brockway herself. The biggest concern was that the proposed development was not a sustainable development due to lack of facilities with no schools, church, childcare facilities, village hall or doctors being available and only a few specialist/business shops which did not supply the daily living essentials being available. The location of the premises within the Burton Waters development was pointed out, highlighting that there was need for more successful businesses in the area and not for more houses. It was therefore felt that there was no need for this development. Councillor Brockway quoted the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (CLLP) policy LP1 (not a sustainable development) and LP4 (houses not needed/housing supply is already present) as the grounds for asking the committee to reject the application.

Officers clarified that there were currently no buildings on the site and the applicant’s own chartered surveyors recommended that due to lack of demand it would not be viable to bring these units forward. In terms of sustainability, the CLLP (policy LP2) designated Burton Waters as a tier 5 medium village within the settlement hierarchy and it was considered to be a sustainable location for limited residential development contrary to some of the representations received as per the report.

Councillor McNeill asked for clarification regarding the sequential test, which relates to residential development in areas at high risk of flooding, the relevance of the previous local plan and whether this development was additional to the identified allocation within the CLLP five year plan and therefore the committee was being asked to consider it as an exceptions request. Further issue raised related to employment land being sacrificed for housing.

Officers confirmed that the previous local plan was no longer a material planning consideration. The site has a permission for B1 offices. The applicant had shown that despite continued long term marketing, no significant interest had been received. The applicant’s chartered surveyor’s recommendation, which was quoted directly in the report, was against the development of these units due to the lack of demand and the potential holding costs. For that reason, a small number of additional dwellings were proposed for consideration to avoid a ‘rather strange’ undeveloped area.

Councillor Cotton described the development of the plan relating to this area, highlighting the location of the site, pointing out the additional cost paid by the residents on top of the council tax at Burton Waters. Councillor Cotton agreed with many of the comments put forward by Councillor Brockway relating to lack of local facilities, limited shops, lack of doctors and schools in the area - making a reference to the Ward Councillor summary in the report - and questioning again the sustainability of the proposed development as well as highlighting the lack of local support and lack of allocation in the CLLP in this area which should be followed. There was therefore deemed to be no need for this over-allocation as there was no merit in this development. The possibility of a site visits was mentioned.

Officers clarified that the application posed no change to Burton Lane End and the existing development was permitted under the previous local plan.

Councillor McNeill queried the officer’s recommendation in the report. This stated that the case was finely balanced. The recommendation was to support the application (see page 12 of the report) despite exceeding the anticipated growth levels for Burton Waters listing the reason for this. Conversely, the report stated that it was open to Members to determine that the exceedance of growth outlined in LP2/4 was unacceptable and refuse planning permission on this basis.

Having considered the above recommendations, it was proposed that Burton Waters had its necessary level of housing to meet the CLLP and the application should therefore be refused on that basis (LP2/4).

The above recommendation was proposed, seconded and voted upon and it was AGREED that the application be REFUSED.