Agenda item

Report No: DEV/WS/24/012

Reserved matters application - submission of details under DC/15/2483/OUT - means of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the construction of 363 dwellings in total (including 109 affordable homes) and associated car parking; access roads; playing pitch; landscaping; open space; play areas; sustainable urban drainage (SuDS) and infrastructure

Reserved matters application - submission of details under DC/15/2483/OUT - means of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the construction of 363 dwellings in total (including 109 affordable homes) and associated car parking; access roads; playing pitch; landscaping; open space; play areas; sustainable urban drainage (SuDS) and infrastructure

This planning application was referred to the Development Control Committee following consideration by the Delegation Panel.

Bury St Edmunds Town Council objected to the proposal, which was in conflict with the Officer’s recommendation of approval, subject to conditions as set out in the supplementary ‘late papers’ issued after publication of the agenda, and inclusive of minor amendments to drawing/map numbers and one additional condition to cover the submission of samples of external facing and roofing materials to the Planning Authority.

Speaker:      Neil Hall (agent) spoke in support of the application

During the debate the Committee posed a number of questions which the Principal Planning Officer responded to as follows:

Timeline of delivery of open space – further work on the precise timeline was still to be undertaken, but Officers and the applicant were very mindful of future occupants’ desire for the open space to be ready as soon as possible;

Parking standards – Members were assured that standards were met and even exceeded in some areas of the development;

Room sizes – the Principal Planning Officer confirmed that all the affordable housing within the scheme met the standards and even exceeded them in some dwellings;

Electric vehicle charging points – this had been agreed as part of the outline application; and

Section 106 Agreement – this had been agreed following outline approval and prior to the Reserved Matters application being submitted.

A number of Members referenced the management of the open space to be provided. Councillor Jon London asked if would be possible to include a clause to enable the management company, who managed the open space, to wind up after a set period and transfer the management of the open space to the Town Council.

The Service Manager (Planning – Development) could not confirm whether the management arrangements for open space had been secured through the outline consent and undertook to update the Chair and Vice Chairs accordingly once this information was ascertained.

The Service Manager (Planning – Development) also reminded the Committee that the Planning Authority could not dictate whether open space was adopted by the Council or by other means such as a management company. it could only seek to ensure that measures were put in place to adequately manage such areas in the future.

The Service Manager (Planning – Development) also reminded the Committee that the Planning Authority could not determine what was the most appropriate way to manage open space, it could only seek to ensure that some form of management was put in place.

Councillor Mike Chester proposed that the application be approved, as per the Officer recommendation. This was duly seconded by Councillor Phil Wittam.

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

Decision

Planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1             The temporary access onto Sicklesmere Road, opposite plot 77, shall be used solely for and in association with the sales of the properties hereby approved only. Before the first dwelling is occupied details shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority detailing how the access will not form a vehicular link to the rest of the development hereby approved. At no time shall be the temporary access be used by construction vehicles or staff. The approved details shall be implemented in their entirety before the first dwelling hereby approved is first occupied.   

The temporary access onto Sicklesmere Road, opposite plot 77, shall cease to be used before the 211^st dwelling hereby approved is first occupied. The full details specifying how the access will be blocked up shall be submitted to and approved in writing before the 150^th dwelling is first occupied by the Local Planning Authority. The approved details shall be implemented in their entirety before the 211^st dwelling is hereby occupied.

 2       The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and documents, unless otherwise stated.

3        The areas to be provided for the storage and presentation for collection/emptying of refuse and recycling bins as shown on Drawing No. 013 Rev A shall be provided in their entirety before the occupation of the dwelling that they serve, and shall be retained thereafter for no other purpose.

 4       There shall be no occupation of any dwelling until the area(s) within the site shown on Drawing no. 012 Rev A for the purposes of loading, unloading, manoeuvring and parking of vehicles and bicycles serving that dwelling has/have been provided and thereafter the area(s) shall be retained, maintained and used for no other purposes.

 5       A timetable/ phasing plan of the of all the hereby approved pedestrian and cycle routes shall be submitted to and agreed with the Local Planning Authority before any above ground works start on the hereby approved first dwelling. The hereby approved pedestrian and cycle routes shall be implemented in accordance with the agreed timetable and thereafter retained, maintained and available for use by the general public.

 6       No dwelling shall be occupied until the carriageways and footways serving that dwelling have been constructed to at least Binder course level or better in accordance with the approved details.

7        Details of the equipment for the three separate Play Areas hereby approved shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before any works above ground level commences on the hereby approved first dwelling. The submitted details shall include an implementation timetable for each Play Area. The approved details shall be implemented in accordance with the timetable approved and thereafter maintained and retained as play areas.

8        The visibility splays serving the hereby approved road junction(s) must be formed prior to the junction they serve is first used by the general public. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part 2, Class A of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 as amended (or any Order revoking and re-enacting that Order) no obstruction over 0.6 metres high shall be erected, constructed, planted or permitted to grow within the area of the visibility splays.

 9       All mitigation measures and/or works shall be carried out in accordance with the details contained in the Ecological Mitigation Strategy (Wood, June 2022)

 10     Within 4 months of development commencing on site, a "lighting design strategy for biodiversity" shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The strategy shall:

a.    Identify those areas/features on site that are particularly sensitive for biodiversity and that are likely to be disturbed by lighting;

b.    Show how and where external lighting will be installed (through the provision of appropriate lighting contour plans and technical specifications) to demonstrate that areas to be lit will not disturb or prevent the above species using their territory or having access to their breeding sites and resting places.

All external lighting shall be installed in accordance with the specifications and locations set out in the strategy, and these shall be maintained thereafter in accordance with the strategy. No other external lighting be installed without prior consent from the Local Planning Authority.

11      The Protective fencing shown in the Arb Method Statement on drawing TR01 sheet 4 Rev V1 shall be installed before development commences on site and must be retained on site throughout the construction period.

12      Within 4 months of the hereby approved development commencing on site a phasing plan for the approved landscaping shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved landscaping shall be implemented in accordance with the approved phasing details thereafter. 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.

13      No development above slab level for any dwelling shall take place until samples of the external facing and roofing materials for that dwelling have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.