Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Lead for Planning

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Lead for Planning, detailing the above application for Hybrid planning application - full planning application for 212 dwellings (Class C3) served via access from Abbotts Lane and Upper Hill Street; strategic landscaping and earthworks; temporary car parking; surface water drainage and all other ancillary and enabling works. Outline planning application for new residential development up to 478 units (Class C3); ancillary Class E development up to 950sqm of floorspace; strategic landscaping and earth works; surface water drainage and all other ancillary infrastructure and enabling site works with means of access to be taken from the connections from Abbotts Lane and Upper Hill Street (part of the full application) for consideration; all other matters (layout, appearance, scale and landscaping) reserved for subsequent approval.  The application was recommended for approval.

The Late Representation report included a summary of additional representations received, an update on Highway contributions and additional/amended conditions to clarify the outline and full elements of the application.

The Committee considered two petitions objecting to the application, one bearing 97 signatures and one bearing 49 signatures.  The petitions were sponsored by Councillor G Lloyd, a Sherbourne Ward Councillor. Councillor Lloyd addressed the Committee in respect of the petitions, together with one of the petition spokespersons.  The other petition spokesperson and two further registered speakers who were objecting to the development had statements read out at the meeting on their behalf. 

A registered speaker supporting the application, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Councillor Welsh and the applicant’s representative spoke in support of the application.

The Committee was also informed that the applicant had secured grant funding which, if utilised would provide some affordable housing. The Committee was however advised that the application before them was on the basis that no affordable housing would be provided (based on a viability assessment which had been reviewed by an independent company) and on that basis, the grant funding cannot be treated as a material planning consideration.

Following consideration of the report, all submissions and matters raised at the meeting, the Committee expressed concerns that the proposal represented an overdevelopment of the site which was contrary to the Local Development Plan and that the numbers of the unit (in excess of the numbers stated in the Local Development Plan), scale, mass and height were unacceptable, specifically in respect of the proposed towers.  They also considered that there was insufficient parking on the site which would impact on the wider area including potentially high numbers of delivery vehicles needing to access to the site.

In respect of air quality, the Committee were concerned about the potential adverse health impact that a rise in vehicle emissions would have on residents and children at the two schools in the vicinity.

In addition, the Committee were concerned that the application was proposing zero affordable housing on the site.

RESOLVED that planning permission for Application OUT/2021/3576 be refused for reasons that the proposal was an overdevelopment of the site and considered unacceptable in terms of scale, massing and height and impact on air quality The parking provision was insufficient given the scale of the proposal. The housing mix was unsuitable with no family housing with gardens  and the Committee were not persuaded that it was acceptable to have no affordable housing on the site. 

(Note:  Cllr G Lloyd, having supported petitions objecting to the application, did not participate in the discussion and voting on this matter)