Agenda item

Report No: DEV/SE/19/027

Planning Application - (i) 1no. dwelling; (ii) 1no. ancillary outbuilding and (iii) improvements to existing vehicular access

Planning Application - (i) 1no. dwelling; (ii) 1no. ancillary outbuilding and (iii) improvements to existing vehicular access

At the meeting of the Development Control Committee on 7 March 2019 Members resolved to defer consideration of this application in order to allow Officers additional time in which to consider the further study that had been undertaken on the site and subsequent comments from Historic England in response to that study.

The application had been originally referred to the Committee following consideration by the Delegation Panel; having been referred to the Panel because the Parish Council objected to the proposal.

A Member site visit was held prior to the 7 March 2019 meeting and a supplementary ‘late paper’ was issued after publication of the agenda.

The Senior Planning Officer advised Members that the day before the meeting a further archaeological report concerning the Lidgate Castle Pond/Mere, produced by John Rainer of Suffolk Archaeology Field Group, was submitted to the Planning Authority and Historic England.

The Officer explained that he made direct contact with Historic England in respect of the report and had received an email in response which he read out to the Committee.  In summary, Historic England stated that: “although interesting, nothing presented warrants their reassessment [of the planning application]”. 

In light of this response, Officers considered there to be no reason to further delay determination of the application and were continuing to recommend that it be approved subject to conditions, as set out in Paragraph 19 of Report No DEV/SE/19/027.

Speakers:    Professor Paul Watchman (on behalf of objecting Lidgate residents) spoke against the application

                   Councillor John Whitefield (Chairman, Lidgate Parish Council) spoke against the application

                   Dean Pearce (agent) spoke in support of the application

Councillor Mike Chester made reference to the historical importance of the site and suggested that a further deferment might be prudent.

Councillor John Burns raised questions in respect of condition No 17.  The Service Manager (Planning – Development) explained that it was a standard condition requested by Suffolk Archaeology and which contained nationally used terminology.

Councillor Ian Houlder spoke in support of the application and proposed that it be approved, as per the Officer recommendation.  This was duly seconded by Councillor David Roach.

Upon being put to the vote and with 13 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention, it was resolved that

Decision

Planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1.       The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than 3       years from the date of this permission.

2.       No development above slab level shall take place until samples of the external materials to the house and outbuilding have been shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

3.       The dwelling hereby approved shall not be occupied until the area(s) within the site shown on Drawing No. 18/25/03 for the purposes of [LOADING, UNLOADING,] manoeuvring and parking of vehicles has been provided and thereafter that area(s) shall be retained and used for no other purposes.

4.       The dwelling hereby approved shall not be occupied until the existing vehicular access has been improved, laid out and completed in all respects in accordance with SCC Drawing No. DM02 (access over footway); and with an entrance width of 4.5 metres. Thereafter the access shall be retained in the specified form.

5.       Prior to the dwelling hereby permitted being first occupied, the vehicular access onto the B1063 shall be properly surfaced with a bound material for a minimum distance of 10 metres from the edge of the metalled carriageway, in accordance with details previously submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

6.       The areas to be provided for storage and presentation of Refuse/Recycling bins as shown on Drawing No. 18/25/03 shall be provided in its entirety before first occupation of the dwelling and shall be retained thereafter for no other purpose.

7.       Before the development is commenced details shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority showing the means to prevent the discharge of surface water from the development onto the highway. The approved scheme shall be carried out in its entirety before the access is first used and shall be retained thereafter in its approved form.

8.       Gates shall be set back a minimum distance of 5 metres from the edge of the carriageway and shall open only into the site and not over any area of the highway.

9.       Before the access is first used visibility splays shall be provided as shown on Drawing No. 18/25/03 with an X dimension of 2.4m and a Y dimension of 59m and thereafter retained in the specified form. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part 2 Class A of the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification) no obstruction over 0.6 metres high shall be erected, constructed, planted or permitted to grow within the areas of the visibility splays.

10.     No development above ground level shall take place until a scheme of soft landscaping for the site drawn to a scale of not less than 1:200, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include accurate indications of the position, species, girth, canopy spread and height of all existing trees and hedgerows on and adjacent to the site and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection during the course of development. Any retained trees removed, dying or becoming seriously damaged or diseased within five years of commencement shall be replaced within the first available planting season thereafter with planting of similar size and species unless the Local Planning Authority gives written consent for any variation.  The works shall be completed in accordance with the approved plans and in accordance with a timetable to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority.

11.     All planting comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the commencement of the development (or within such extended period as may first be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority). Any planting removed, dying or becoming seriously damaged or diseased within five years of planting shall be replaced within the first available planting season thereafter with planting of similar size and species unless the Local Planning Authority gives written consent for any variation.

12.     Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order amending, revoking or re-enacting that Order), the dwelling shall not be extended in any way, and no structures shall be erected within the curtilage of the dwelling.

13.     Before occupation of the dwelling hereby approved biodiversity enhancement measures will include the renewal of the post and rail fencing around the perimeter (note 8 on dwg.18/25/03) with no gravel board to allow the passage of amphibians, reptiles and mammals through the fence at ground level as not create a barrier into or out of the site.  Any such measures as shall be installed and thereafter retained as so installed. There shall be no occupation unless and until the biodiversity enhancement measures to be installed have been installed.

14.     The dwelling(s) hereby approved shall not be occupied until the optional requirement for water consumption (110 litres use per person per day) in part G of the Building Regulations has been complied with and evidence of compliance has been obtained.

15.     The site demolition, preparation and construction works shall be carried out between the hours of 08:00 to18:00 Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 08:00 to 13:30 Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

16.     The mitigation measures as laid out within the flood risk assessment by G. H. Bullard & Associates LLP dated March 2018 shall be implemented in full prior to first occupation of the dwelling hereby approved and shall remain thereafter unless the Local Planning Authority gives written consent for any variation.

17.     1. No development shall take place within the area indicated [the whole site] until the implementation of a programme of archaeological work has been secured, in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation which has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

The scheme of investigation shall include an assessment of significance and research questions; and:

a. The programme and methodology of site investigation and     recording

b. The programme for post investigation assessment

c. Provision to be made for analysis of the site investigation and recording

d. Provision to be made for publication and dissemination of the analysis and records of the site investigation

e. Provision to be made for archive deposition of the analysis and records of the site investigation

f. Nomination of a competent person or persons/organisation to undertake the works set out within the Written Scheme of Investigation.

g. The site investigation shall be completed prior to development, or in such other phased arrangement, as agreed and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

2. No buildings shall be occupied until the site investigation and post investigation assessment has been completed, submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, in accordance with the programme set out in the Written Scheme of Investigation approved under Condition 1 and the provision made for analysis, publication and dissemination of results and archive deposition.

18.     Prior to operational use of the site, at least one electric vehicle charge point shall be provided at reasonably and practicably accessible location.  The Electric Vehicle Charge Point shall be retained thereafter and maintained in an operational condition.  Charge points shall be Fast (7-22KW) or Rapid (43KW) chargers.