Agenda item

Application:

21/00357/FUL

Details:

Residential development comprising of 44 dwellings with access from Birch Close; access roads, parking and landscaping (revised drawings and corrected labels) (readvertised application)

Land to the East of Birch Close and North of, Solent Gardens, Freshwater.

Site Visits:

The site visit was carried out on Wednesday, 10 November 2021

Public Participants:

Huw Jenkins (Objector)

Mrs Frances Turan (Objector)

George Cameron (on behalf of Freshwater Parish Council)

Andrew White (Agent)

Additional Representations:

The Environment Act had become law since the report had been published which required environmental net gain to ensure developers leave the environment in a better state compared to the pre-development base line. The requirement was for developers to deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity. It was believed that planning conditions and associated legal agreement could include requirements of the Environment Act to achieve biodiversity net gain.

Comment:

Councillor Chris Jarman spoke as Local Member on this item.

Concern was raised regarding the foul and surface drainage within the area and if there was capacity for further housing, the Planning Officers advised that Southern Water had been consulted on the application as a statutory consultee and had raised no objection to the scheme.

The Committee asked questions relating to an access/footpath into the town centre from the site, Officers informed the Committee that if they believed it was required a condition could be attached to the planning permission.

Affordability of the proposed houses was raised with concern that they were not always affordable to everyone.

Concern was raised from Councillors regarding the Local Member’s role at the meeting, the Council’s Constitution Part 5 (Code of practice for Members and Officers dealing with Planning Matters (Local Councillors)) states that local members who sit on the planning committee by local convention may speak but will not vote on the issue, the Chairman advised that this was a local convention and not the law, therefore the Councillor concerned was entitled to take part in the debate and vote on the item being considered. Advice had been provided and it was the decision of the local councillor how they wished to take part.

The Committee questioned the biodiversity of the site and how the net gains were to be achieved, they were advised that the harm would be mitigated by retaining vegetation to encourage nesting birds and mammals to move to another location.

The Committee noted the level of development in the area with no additional infrastructure improvements, the site had become a habitat for small wildlife, the proposed plans had not identified landscaping and the committee asked if more could be conditioned to ensure landscaping was incorporated. Officers advised that a condition was in place for landscaping however this could be tightened to ensure adequate landscaping was included.

A proposal to accept the officers’ recommendation was proposed and duly seconded.

An amendment to include a condition for a formal walkway into the town centre was proposed, the proposer and seconder accepted the amendment. A vote was taken.

The vote was tied, therefore in accordance with the Council’s Constitution the Chairman gets a casting vote, the Chairman voted against the motion which duly fell.

A proposal to refuse the application was then proposed due to the loss of greenfield site, the ecological impact and the application fell outside the development boundary was made and duly seconded.

The Chairman took an adjournment to allow officers time to consider concerns and formulate a sustainable reason for refusal of the application based on the comments made.

Following the adjournment officers read out the proposed reason for refusal and in accordance with the Council Constitution a named vote was taken the result follows:

For (4)

Cllrs David Adams, Claire Critchison, Chris Jarman, Michael Lilley

Against (8)

Cllrs Michael Beston, Paul Brading, Geoff Brodie, Rodney Downer, Warren Drew, Martin Oliver, Matthew Price, Chris Quirk

The motion fell.

A proposal was made to grant the application subject to amending the affordable housing to all 14 units being affordable rented accommodation, strengthening the landscaping condition and inclusion of a condition to create a footpath to create links between the application site and the town centre, was made and duly seconded.

A vote was taken and the result was:

Decision:

RESOLVED:

THAT the application be approved to amending the affordable housing to all 14 units being affordable rented accommodation, strengthening the landscaping condition and inclusion of a condition to create a footpath to create links between the application site and the town centre

Conditions:

Application:

19/01544/OUT

Details:

Demolition of workshops and yard; outline for proposed residential development and the means of access (additional information)(readvertised application)

Land To The Rear of 162 To 182, Gunville Road, Carisbrooke.

Site Visits:

The site visit was carried out on Wednesday, 10 November 2021

Public Participants:

Jo Smith (Objector)

David Long (Agent)

Additional Representations:

The Environment Act had become law since the report had been published which required environmental net gain to ensure developers leave the environment in a better state compared to the pre-development base line. The requirement was for developers to deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity. Officers advised that they were satisfied that as an outline application, sufficient space was available on site to ensure net gain was achieved.

Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council had clarified their comments on the application given the length of time since they made their initial comments, two additional letters of representation had been received by the Local Planning Authority.

Comment:

Concern was raised regarding the removal of the pinch point and replacing it with a zebra crossing, they asked if an alternative could be considered, a signal-controlled crossing with raised plateau was suggested, officers advised that without costings of alternative highway improvements they were unable to assess the level of reasonableness with the request.

Island Roads also clarified that they would need to establish whether a combination of the signals and a plateau would be safe in isolation of any other highway measures.

It was noted that previous applications in this area had been refused by the Planning Committee due to highway infrastructure and likely traffic in the area and asked if it would be reasonable to secure highway improvement contributions from a number of developments in the area, opening of Taylor Road was suggested. Officers advised that they needed to establish if opening Taylor Road would help the situation and then a cost would need to be attributed to individual developments.

The Strategic Manager for Planning and Infrastructure advised that he believed there were a number of concerns being raised by the Committee which would need further investigation, deferral was suggested to enable staff to investigate and provide the information to the Committee, however when the application returned to the Committee for consideration it would be reasonable for the applicant to assume that the only issues for consideration would be the reasons for the deferral.

The Committee also asked if investigation into cycling provision on Gunville Road could be included in the development and a reduction in the speed limit investigated.

Concern was raised regarding the length of the meeting and the pressure to reach a decision.

A proposal to defer the application to allow the Local Planning Authority to investigate pedestrian safety, cycle links, speed restrictions and the reopening of Taylor Road.

In accordance with the Council Constitution a named vote was taken the result follows:

For (11)

Cllrs David Adams, Michael Beston, Geoff Brodie, Claire Critchison, Rodney Downer, Warren Drew, Chris Jarman, Martin Oliver, Matthew Price, Chris Quirk, Michael Lilley.

Against (1)

Cllr Paul Brading

Decision:

THAT the application be deferred to allow the Local Planning Authority to investigate the best way to ensure pedestriansafety, cycle links, speed restrictions and the re-opening of Taylor Road.