Agenda item

Application:

20/01061/FUL

Details:

Demolition of agricultural buildings and the garage to No 125 Marlborough Road; Proposed development consisting of 473 new dwellings (single and two storey dwellings (inclusive of 35% affordable housing) and inclusive of the conversion of the Coach House into pair of semi-detached dwellings; (leading to a net gain of 472 dwellings), single storey café and two storey doctors surgery and B1 office space with associated site infrastructure (inclusive of roads, parking,

photovoltaic pergolas, garages, bin and bikes stores, below ground foul waste pump, electric substations, surface water detention basins and swales, landscape and ecological mitigations and net biodiversity enhancements); Proposed vehicular accesses off Bullen Road and Appley Road; Proposed public open spaces, Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace and Allotments; Proposed three public rights of way; Proposed access, parking and turning for No 125 Marlborough Road and associated highways improvements (Revised plans, revised drainage strategy and flood risk, additional highway technical note and updated appendix S to highway chapter of environmental statement)(readvertised application)

Land South of Appley Road North of Bullen Road and East of Hope Road (West Acre Park), Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Site Visits:

The site visit was carried out on Friday, 21 April 2023.

Public Participants:

Mr M Gaskin – on behalf of Objectors

Mr S Cooke – on behalf of Ryde Town Council

Mr I Delaney - Applicant

Additional Representations:

An additional letter of objection had been received by the Local Planning Authority, following the publication of the report, which were summarised in the update paper.

Comment:

Councillor M Lilley spoke as Local Member for this item.

The Chairman outlined the process he would follow taking the issue regarding the curlew’s first, however he would not restrict discussion on the whole application, a vote was taken and the result of which was:

RESOLVED:

THAT the committee agreed with the Chairman’s process.

Questions were raised regarding the length of time it would take for the mitigation to be suitable habitat for the curlews and would the development be delayed to allow time for this to be completed, Planning Officers advised that it would take time to build up the area, the mitigation land would be available prior to IOW46 being lost, the area would be monitored for up to ten years, the land could be adapted if required.

The Committee asked when the objection from Natural England was submitted, they were told that the Local Planning Authority had received notification on 24 June 2022, the site was not a designated site and the map used had not been created until 2020. It was considered unreasonable to expect the developer to know of the designation. Conversations with Natural England and the developer commenced to mitigate the impact once it had been brought to their attention. It was noted that comments were received and considered up to the date when the decision was issued.

Prior to the three-hour point in the meeting, a proposal to extend the meeting until 8pm (to allow sufficient time for the remaining agenda items to be considered) under Part 4B(6) (Duration of meetings) of the Council’s Constitution.

RESOLVED: THAT the meeting be extended up to one hour.

A proposal to reject the proposed development on grounds that the mitigation measures were unsatisfactory to demonstrate there would not be any harm to the Curlew’s and no was consideration was given to alternatives to the loss of the habitat.

A named vote was taken, the result of which was:

For (5)

Cllrs D Adams, C Critchison, C Jarman, P Spink, N Stuart

Against (6)

Cllrs D Andre, P Brading, G Brodie, M Oliver, M Price, C Quirk

A proposal to agree with the officer’s recommendation subject to the inclusion of 71% affordable housing for rent and for more specific wording to be included within the legal agreement for the mitigation land, which was duly seconded.

A named vote was requested the result of which was:

For (6)

Cllrs D Andre, P Brading, G Brodie, M Oliver, M Price, C Quirk

Against (5)

Cllrs D Adams, C Critchison, C Jarman, P Spink, N Stuart

Decision:

The Committee had taken into consideration and agreed with the reasons for the recommendation as set out under the paragraph entitled Justification for Recommendation of the report and

RESOLVED:

THAT the application be approve the application be approved subject to the additional 71% of 35% affordable housing being affordable rent and the curlew habitat being provided prior to the development past the area currently shown as phase A on the relevant drawing number