Agenda item

Report No: DEV/FH/17/016

 

Hybrid planning application -  1) Full application for the creation of a new vehicular access onto Station Road, and entrance to a new

primary school, 2) Outline application for up to 375 dwellings (including 112 affordable homes), and the provision of land for a new primary school, land for ecological mitigation and open space and associated infrastructure (as amended)

Hybrid planning application -  1) Full application for the creation of a new vehicular access onto Station Road, and entrance to a new primary school, 2) Outline application for up to 375 dwellings (including 112 affordable homes), and the provision of land for a new primary school, land for ecological mitigation and open space and associated infrastructure (as amended)

 

This item was originally considered by the Development Control Committee on 3 August 2016 when Members determined that the application be granted.

 

The planning application was returned to Committee in order to enable Members to consider material changes in circumstances that had occurred since the August 2016 determination, these being:

     i.        The Council’s submission to the Planning Inspectorate of the ‘Single Issue Review’ and ‘Site Allocations’ Development Plan Documents;

    ii.        The completion of a cumulative traffic assessment for the village; and

   iii.        The recent publication of noise contour information by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (on behalf of the Ministry of Defence).

 

The Committee were also advised that following the resolution to grant planning permission in August 2016 the Secretary of State issued an ‘Article 31 Holding Direction’ in respect of this application, which prevented the Planning Authority from granting planning permission for the development, in order to enable the Secretary of State to determine whether or not to ‘call in’ the application for his own determination.

 

Accordingly, whilst Officers were continuing to recommend that the application be approved, subject to the completion of a S106 agreement and conditions as set out in Paragraph 75 of Report No DEV/FH/17/016, this was subject to the Secretary of State confirming withdrawal of the Holding Direction and/or deciding not to call in the planning application.

 

Members conducted a site visit prior to the meeting.

 

As part of his presentation to the meeting the Principal Planning Officer – Major Projects drew attention to the following:

·         The two supplementary document bundles that related to this application, as made reference to earlier in the meeting;

·         The correct site map which had been emailed separately to Members prior to the meeting (the wrong version had been attached to the published agenda);

·         The most recent noise contour mapping – the Committee were advised that following the noise contours having been updated the application site now fell within the defined boundaries (this wasn’t the case when the application was considered in 2016);

·         The ‘nesting buffer’ and the boundaries that had been updated in respect of this, however, the application site remained unaffected; and

·         Other determined and pending planning applications for Lakenheath and the current status of each.

 

Speaker:      Councillor Hermione Brown (Lakenheath Parish Council)                     spoke against the application

 

Councillor Brian Harvey made reference to the tabled correspondence in relation to the cumulative traffic study and voiced concerns with regard to the estimations made reference to within the documentation.  In light of this supplementary paper he felt unable to support the planning application.

 

In response, the Case Officer explained that Highways had carried out their own assessment of the roads/junctions in question, this included a cumulative impact assessment of all relevant applications, and in light of which they concluded that that with appropriate mitigation the application before Members would not have a severe impact on the highway network.

 

Councillor Peter Ridgwell voiced concern with regard to the position of the access off Station Road that would be used to travel to/from the primary school within the scheme.  The Officer explained that whilst the position of the school had moved from the North of the site in initial plans to the South, the access had always remained at the same point.  The Committee were also advised that the 30mph speed limit had been recently extended along Station Road and now covered the whole frontage of the application site.

 

Councillor Ridgwell also asked if consideration had been given to the promotion of Lakenheath Railway Station in view of the expansion of Lakenheath village.  The Case Officer explained that railway operators had not requested this and it was therefore unreasonable for the Planning Authority to request this.

 

Councillor Louise Marston, as Ward Member for Lakenheath, spoke in support of the planning application.  She explained that over half of the village fell within the same noise contour as the application site.  Furthermore, she pointed out that the existing primary school fell within a higher noise contour than the application site and the school was unable to be entirely mitigated due to the age of the building.

 

Councillor Marston moved that the application be approved, as per the Officer recommendation, and this was duly seconded by Councillor Simon Cole.

 

Upon being put to the vote and with 10 voting for the motion, 2 against and with 1 abstention it was resolved that

 

Decision

 

Subject to the Secretary of State confirming withdrawal of the Article 31 Holding Direction and/or deciding not to call in the planning application for his own determination, that outline planning permission be GRANTED subject to:

 

1) The completion of a S106 agreement to secure:

 

(a) Policy compliant affordable housing (30%)

 

(b) Land and construction contributions towards the construction of a new primary school (pro-rata to reflect the scale and impact of the housing element of the proposed development proposed)

 

(c) Pre-school contribution (up to £400,821)

 

(d) Libraries Contribution (up to £81,000)

 

(e) Public Open Space contributions:

        i)       Formula to be included in the Agreement to secure, at    reserved matters stage, policy compliant provision on site     within the parts of the site shown for housing on the submitted       Concept Plan, including future delivery and management of   those areas; and

        ii)       Provision, laying out, timing of delivery and           management / maintenance of the strategic open space and      reptile mitigation areas (which are to be provided over and    above SPD compliant levels).

 

(f) ‘Local’ highways mitigation contribution (including pedestrian crossing of Station Road, Footpaths and lighting works, temporary and permanent foot & cycle link from end of existing footpath connections to the school site, funding of works to extend the 30mph zone past the frontage of the site etc.), except as may be appropriately secured by means of a ‘Grampian’ planning condition.

 

(g) Travel Plan - payment of any appropriate and agreed financial contributions towards travel planning initiatives arising and agreed at the outline stage.

 

(h) SPA Recreational Impact Contributions, including i) monitoring of potential impacts upon the SPA from development (commuted sum to be calculated), ii) and iv) facilitating the construction of a pedestrian bridge across the drainage channel to the north of the site from within the application site.

 

(i) Health Contribution (up to £123,420)

 

(j) Any further clauses considered necessary by theAssistant Director (Planning and Regulatory).

 

And

 

2) Subject to conditions, including:

·         Time limit (3 years for commencement)

·         Materials (details to be submitted with the Reserved Matters)

·         Sustainable construction and operation methods, including water efficiency measures (further details to be submitted with reserved matters and thereafter implemented)

·         Bin and cycle storage strategy (to be submitted for approval with the Reserved Matters and subsequently implemented)

·         Public open space (strategy for future management and maintenance of all open spaces, unless provided for by the S106 Agreement)

·         Landscaping details (including precise details of new hard and soft landscaping)

·         Retention and protection during construction of existing trees and hedgerows

·         Ecology (enhancements at the site, reptile mitigation plan and any further survey work required)

·         Construction and environmental management plan

·         As reasonably recommended by the Local Highway Authority, including provision of the strategic highway improvements to the ‘Eriswell Road’ junction prior to the occupation of the first dwelling.

·         Contamination & remediation (further investigations and any remediation necessary and ground water protection measures)

·         Means of enclosure (details to be submitted with relevant Reserved Matters submissions)

·         Noise mitigation measures (separate conditions for the school and dwellings – precise details to be submitted with any reserved matters submissions)

·         Provision of fire hydrants

·         Waste minimisation and re-cycling strategy

·         Details of the foul and surface water drainage scheme (full details to be submitted with the Reserved Matters).

·         Archaeology (as requested by Suffolk County Council).

·         Reserved Matters submissions to generally accord with the approved Concept Plan.

·         Landscape and ecology management plan

·         Submission of open space plans with subsequent Reserved Matters submissions.

·         Details of pedestrian and cyclist links to be provided with Reserved Matters submissions, including linking the school site back into the village.

·         Further/updated arboricultural assessments to be provided with Reserved Matters submission/s.

·         As recommended by the Ecology, Tree and Landscape Officer (Ecological mitigation and enhancement)

·         Travel Plan measures (i.e. matters not addressed by the S106 Agreement)

·         Provision of public information/interpretation boards and information packs for residents with respect to avoiding impacts upon the Special Protection Area.

·         Any additional conditions considered necessary by the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory).

 

3.   That, in the event of;

i) The Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory) recommending alternative (reduced) Heads of Terms on viability grounds from those set out above; or

ii) the applicant declining to enter into a planning obligation to secure the Heads of Terms set out at above for reasons considered unreasonable by theAssistant Director (Planning and Regulatory);

the planning application be returned to the Development Control Committee for further consideration.