Agenda item

Report No: DEV/FH/17/017

Residential development (up to 81 dwellings, as amended)

Residential development (up to 81 dwellings, 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 to 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; and

 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.

Members conducted a site visit prior to the meeting. 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 115 of Report No DEV/FH/17/017.

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 comments made by the Council’s Public Health and Housing Officers (as set out in Paragraph 17 of the report) in confirming that they continued to retain no objections to the application; 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

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

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

Decision

1.        Outline 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, including:

·         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)

·         Surface water drainage scheme.

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

·         Water efficiency measures

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