Agenda item

Report No: DEV/FH/18/021

Erection of up to 140 dwellings

Erection of up to 140 dwellings

The Principal Planning Officer explained this application sought outline planning permission with all matters reserved apart from the general location of two new vehicular accesses.

Member site visits had been previously undertaken by the Committee.  Lakenheath Parish Council objected to the proposal together with a number of village residents.

Officers were recommending that the application be approved, subject to conditions and the completion of a S106 Agreement, as set out in Paragraph 342 of Report No DEV/FH/18/021.

As part of his presentation the Officer made reference to:

·         Noise contour mapping – it was highlighted that this application fell within a different contour to the previous three applications;

·         The Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP); following the changes made to housing redistribution by Forest Heath District Council in February 2018 when Lakenheath’s distribution was reduced by 165 homes resulting in site SA8(b) being removed;

·         Flood maps;

·         The 30% affordable homes to be delivered via the scheme; and

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

Speakers:    Mr Derek Banks (Lakenheath resident) spoke against the application

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

Councillor Brian Harvey raised specific questions with regard to the layout of the site.  The Principal Planning Officer explained that as the application was in outline the layout provided was purely for illustrative means but did demonstrate that the site would not be high density and that the small area affected by flooding was likely to be left as open space.

Councillor David Palmer raised concern over the proximity of the site to the jet take-off area on Lakenheath Airbase.  The Officer advised the Committee that the Broom Road application site (which had been dismissed by a Planning Inspector, but not on noise disturbance grounds) was closer to the take-off area and the Inspector had not considered the noise from this proximity to be sufficient to refuse the application alone.

Councillor David Bowman proposed that the application be approved as per the Officer recommendation.  This was duly seconded by Councillor Brian Harvey.

Upon putting the motion to the vote and with 8 voting for, 1 against and with 3 abstentions, it was resolved that

Decision

Outline planning permission be GRANTED subject to:

1.   The completion of an Agreement (or equivalent) under S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to secure:

•    Affordable housing (30% - up to 42 dwellings)

•    Education contribution (Primary School – up to £ £655,970 towards build costs and up to £45,290 towards land costs)

•    Pre-school contribution (up to £129,052 for construction and up to £6,689 towards land acquisition costs)

•    Libraries Contribution (up to £30,240)

•    Public Open Space contribution (in accordance with the SPD and, if required, optional commuted sum for future management and maintenance of the space)

•      Strategic Highway Contribution - £44,248.87

•      (for sustainable links to village amenities – pro rata contribution)

·      SPA/SSSI Recreational Impact Contribution – circa £19,043.50

·      Health contribution to improve the capacity of the Lakenheath surgery and its branch at Hockwold

2.   And subject to conditions, including:

•  Time limit (3 years for submission of reserved matters and 2 further years for commencement following approval of the RM’s)

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

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

•  Public open space and SuDS (strategy for future management and maintenance of this infrastructure)

•  Landscaping (precise details of new hard and soft landscaping and a landscaping strategy)

•  Retention and protection of existing trees, shrubs and hedgerows to be retained (details to be provided with the landscaping scheme at Reserved Matter stage)

•  Ecological measures (including appropriate ‘refresher’ surveys)

•  Construction management plan (to include waste minimisation and recycling, tree/hedgerow protection measures/deliveries management plan, dust management, wheel washing, working hours (including deliveries and operation of generators, lighting scheme (if any), site compound/storage/staff parking areas)

•  As recommended by LHA (including any Travel Planning measures)

•  Contamination & remediation (further investigations and any remediation necessary)

•  Compliance with Building Control Requirements for reduced water consumption

•  Means of enclosure (to be submitted with Reserved Matters)

•  Noise mitigation measures and validation.

•  Provision of fire hydrant/s

•  Waste minimisation and re-cycling strategy

•  Details of the surface water drainage scheme (SUDS – full details to be submitted with the Reserved Matters).

·      Archaeology

In the event of the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulatory Services recommending alternative (reduced) Heads of Terms from those set out at above or not completed within a reasonable period, the planning application be returned to Committee for further consideration.