Agenda item

Report No: DEV/FH/17/018

Erection of 67 dwellings (including 20 affordable dwellings) together with public open space, as amended

Erection of 67 dwellings (including 20 affordable dwellings) together with public open space, as amended

This item was originally considered by the Development Control Committee on 3 September 2014 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 September 2014 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;

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

  iv.        The ability of the Council to demonstrate a five-year land supply of deliverable housing sites;

    v.        The adoption by the Council of the Joint Development Management Policies document in February 2015;

  vi.        The submission of a number of additional planning applications proposing large scale housing development at and around Lakenheath village;

 vii.        Enactment of CIL Regulation 123 which led to a requirement for the off-site public open space contributions being omitted from the S106 Agreement;

viii.        Adoption of new parking guidance by Suffolk County Council, replacing the 2002 Suffolk Advisory Parking Standards; and

  ix.        Amendments to the proposal made by the applicant to address changes in circumstance relevant to public open space, car parking provision and surface water drainage requirements.

Members conducted a site visit prior to the meeting.

The Committee were advised that there were still some minor ‘snagging issues’ to be resolved in respect of highways (as made reference to in Paragraph 86 of Report No DEV/FH/17/018), which were considered negligible enough to be delegated to Officers to confirm with the Highways Authority following the submission of further details with the applicants.  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 119, this was subject to the receipt of confirmation from the Highways Authority that they had no reasonable objections to the amended details.

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 amendments made to the plans since September 2014, principally with regard to the public open space element (the number of dwellings within the scheme remains the same); and

·         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 2014).

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

Following a question from Councillor Brian Harvey, the Case Officer reiterated that Highways had carried out a cumulative impact assessment of all relevant applications, they had not been solely considered in isolation.

Councillor Peter Ridgwell raised a question with regard to NHS Trust S106 contributions.  In response to which, the Officer drew attention to Paragraph 12 of the report which explained that due to the ‘pooling restrictions’ set out in the CIL Regulations the Trust had confirmed that they did not wish to request developer contributions from this application.  Instead they would request contributions from the three largest schemes which had been put forward for Lakenheath.

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

Upon being put to the vote and with 11 voting for the motion and with 2 against it was resolved that

Decision

1.        Following receipt of confirmation from the Local Highway Authority of no reasonable objections to the planning application, full planning permission be GRANTED subject to:

        A. The completion of a S106 agreement to secure:

·         Affordable housing: 30% provision.

·         Education contribution (towards land and build costs for a new primary school).

·         Pre-school contribution (towards a new pre-school facility to be co-located with the new primary school).

·         Open space maintenance commuted sum (in the event the Public Open Space on site is subsequently transferred to the Council for maintenance).

·         Contribution towards strategic village green infrastructure provision (off site).

·         Libraries contribution.

        And

        B. subject to conditions:

·         Time limit (3 years for commencement)

·         Materials (use of those proposed)

·         Water efficiency measures (triggering the ‘optional’ requirements of the Building Regulations)

·         Bin and cycle storage strategy for the affordable units (details to be approved and thereafter implemented)

·         Public open space (strategy for future management and maintenance, unless specifically required by clauses in the S106 Agreement)

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

·         Retention and protection of existing trees and hedgerows during construction

·         Ecology (securing ecological enhancements at the site)

·         Construction management plan, including waste minimisation and recycling.

·         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)

·         Means of enclosure (to be submitted for the dwellings and outer boundaries of the site.

·         Noise mitigation (to internal rooms)

·         Fire Hydrants (details to be submitted and agreed)

·         Water efficiency measures

·         As recommended by the Flood and Water Management team at Suffolk County Council.

·         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).

2.   In the event of the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory) recommending alternative (reduced) S106 Heads of Terms from those set out above on the grounds of adverse financial viability or other factors pertaining to the deliverability of the development, the planning application be returned to the Development Control Committee for further consideration.

3.      In the event the applicant declines to enter into a planning obligation in full or in part to secure the Heads of Terms set out above for reasons considered unreasonable by the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory), the application be returned to the Development Control Committee for further consideration.

Following conclusion of this item the Chairman permitted a short comfort break.

Councillor Louise Marston left the meeting at 7.40pm on conclusion of this item.