Agenda and minutes

Members received an additional paper with relation to Agenda Item 7 – Appliction 15/05904/FU – Former White Bear, Dewsbury Road, Tingley which included representations from a local Ward Councillor.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors A Smart and C Towler.

Councilor S McKenna was in attendance as a substitute.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2015

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2015 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding an application for the demolition of public house and erection of two storey restaurant with drive through and associated car parking and landscaping

The report of the Chief Planning Officer presented an application for the demolition of a public house and erection of two storey restaurant with drive through and associated car parking and landscaping.

Members attended a site visit prior to the hearing and site plans and photographs were displayed and referred to during the discussion on the application.

Further issues highlighted in relation to the application included the following:

·  The site was located at Tingley roundabout close to the junctions of Dewsbury Road and Bradford Road.

·  There had been a history of similar applications at the site that had been refused.

·  There was an ongoing appeal from the applicant regarding a previously refused application.

·  The proposal was for a mixed class use of A3 restaurant/café and A5 takeaway/drive through.

·  There would be an agreement with the applicant for payment for improvements to bus stops.

·  The site was brownfield and was largely surrounded by residential properties.

·  The building on site had previously been used as a pub/restaurant and was now vacant and in a poor state of repair.

·  Proximity to residential properties was shown.

·  Protected trees on the site would be retained.

·  Access arrangements to the site were shown including pedestrian access.  The site was a main pedestrian access for students at Woodkirk Academy.

·  Members were shown a previous application that was dismissed on appeal.  The Inspector had not considered that the principle of the development was the main issue but the harm to residential amenity.  The applicant had sought to address this concern through revised applications.

·  Access to the site could be obtained from both Bradford Road and Dewsbury Road with exit only on to Dewsbury Road.  These would both require visibility improvement works.

·  There would be 40 parking spaces on site with spaces for 12 bicycles.

·  The floor space would be half that of the existing building.

·  There had been 317 letters of objection and 4 letters of support.  Objections focussed on highway safety, harm to residential amenity, litter and there was also a land ownership issue.  Objections had also been received from local Ward and Town Councillors.

·  Members were informed that the site could still be used for use as a public house or supermarket for 24 hours a day without further permission.

·  Following amendments to earlier applications which included moving the location within the site for the new building, the inclusion of acoustic fencing and reduced hours of operation on a weekend it was felt that these would have a reduced impact on amenity and the application was recommended for approval.

A local resident addressed the Panel with objections to the application.  These included the following:

·  This was the wrong location for this kind of operation.  There had been thousands of complaints regarding this and similar applications due to the impact it would have on local residents.

·  Car parking at the site was inadequate.

·  Hundreds of children accessed the site on the way to and from school.

·  The local authority had responsibility for public health and could refuse  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding a reserved matters application for 23dwellings with landscaping and laying out of access roads and sewers.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer presented a reserved matters application for 23 dwelling houses with landscaping and laying out of access roads and sewers at Nethertown Farm, Old Lane, Drighlington.

Site plans and photographs were displayed and referred to throughout the discussion of the application.

Further issues highlighted in relation to the application included the following:

·  Outline planning was approved for the site in March 2015.

·  The site was currently occupied by a farm and had a number of authorised and unauthorised buildings. 

·  The application was for 23 dwellings with an area of land set to one side as greenspace.

·  The proposed dwellings equated to less than the maximum volume and height of what was approved at the outline application.

·  There would be 15% affordable housing contribution which would equate to 3 dwellings.

·  Each dwelling would have a different design with a mix of farmyard and courtyard styles to reflect the history of the site.  This would also include bungalows.

·  There would be off site highways works.

·  The dwellings would be a mix of stone and brick.  Materials would be conditioned.  There would be a dry stone wall effect to the frontage.

·  The application was recommended for approval.

A local Ward Councillor addressed the Panel with concerns regarding the application.  These included the following:

·  The outline application was based on 19 dwellings.. this application had an increase in floor space and volume.

·  The outline application had planning benefit calculated via a Section 106 agreement prior to the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy.  It was requested that the application be deferred so a recalculation could be made.

·  In response to questions from Members the following was discussed:

o  The outline application was agreed so the site would be improved and unauthorised buildings be removed.  This application did not reflect what was agreed at the outline application.

The applicant’s representative addressed the Panel.  The following issues were highlighted:

·  Although the site was greenbelt, development was permitted providing there was no further impact on openness as the land had previously been developed.

·  The proposals did not exceed the volume or height of the buildings that was agreed at the outline application.

·  Although there were more dwellings they were generally of a smaller size and the layout was very close to the indicative layout of the outline application.

·  In response to questions from Members, the following was discussed:

o  Affordable housing had been located where it had on the site in order to make it more affordable.  These properties would likely be discount for sale properties.

Further to comments and questions from Members, the following was discussed:

·  All properties would have at least two parking spaces with the exception of the middle property on the block of three affordable housing units.

·  There was a preference for all affordable housing to be social rented.

·  Further concern regarding the increase in dwellings following the outline application and the impact on openness.

RESOLVED – That the application be approved in principle  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.