Agenda item

Further to minute 54 of the Plans Panel East meeting held on 11^th August 2011 where determination of an application to layout access and erect residential development was deferred to enable further discussions to take place on the issue of viability, to consider a further report of the Chief Planning Officer

(report attached)

  Further to minute 54 of the Plans Panel East meeting held on 11^th August 2011, where determination of an application to layout access and erect residential development at the former Optare site on Manson Lane Crossgates LS15 was deferred to enable further discussions to take place on the issue of viability, the Panel considered a further report of the Chief Planning Officer

  Officers presented the report and outlined the application and background to it.  Appended to the report was a comparison table showing the levels of planning contributions as at September 2008, when Panel deferred and delegated approval to Officers following the completion of the S106 Agreement and those currently being proposed.  Whilst the level of affordable housing being offered had reduced from 25% to 15% (for the first phase of development) in line with the interim affordable housing policy, additional obligations relating to public transport and employment and training, and increased contributions in respect of education and greenspacewould be provided and that local employment/training initiatives had been secured, with Members being informed that the Skills Service would lead on organising this, with the majority of the jobs being created in the construction industry

  Members commented on the following matters:

·  the need to involve local NHS providers early in the process on the proposals for additional residential development to ensure services were in place

·  concerns that the developer could wait for almost 2 years – the time limit attached to the provision of affordable housing at 15% in the first phase – and then begin development, having ‘banked’ the lower level of affordable housing provision with concerns that the policy was not sufficiently robust to protect the Council in this matter

·  the possibility of reducing the timescales for commencement on site from 2 years to 1 year

The Head of Planning Services stated that the Council had an interim

affordable housing policy in place which specified a two year period, with this having been agreed by Executive Board, with this policy being reviewed in the next few months.  Mr Sellens also explained that some level of commitment was sought from developers and this had to be more than a technical start

  RESOLVED -  To defer and delegate approval to the Chief Planning Officer subject to the conditions set out in the submitted report and the completion of a S106 to include the following:

  Affordable housing

-  at 15% for phase 1 (i.e. pre Manston Lane Link Road) if commenced within 2 years of approval

-  thereafter in accordance with the policy in force at that time

Education contributions

-  Primary School - £2,972 per family house

-  Secondary School - £1,791 per family house

Public transport contribution

-  £1,033 per 3 bed house and larger

-  £310 per flat and/or 2 bed house

Greenspace (Children’s play area):

- £604.55 per house

- £97.50 per flat

Greenspace

- 10% of the site area to be provided on-site (including maintenance)

  - £57,821 contribution towards off-site improvements

Local employment and training initiatives

Public transport infrastructure contribution (£23,000)

Off-site highway works

Travel plan and monitoring fee

Metro cards

In the circumstances where the S106 has not been completed within 3 months of the resolution to grant planning permission, the final determination of the application shall be delegated to the Chief Planning Officer