Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for residential development comprising 111 dwellings

(report attached)

  Officers presented an application from developers Barrett and David Wilson which sought planning permission for the development of 111 houses on a greenfield site close to Wetherby.

  The presentation included plans and photographs of the site.

The site lies to the north-east of Wetherby between the A1(M) and the Sandbeck Lane Industrial Estate. The site had been allocated as Employment land within the UDP it splits into two sections one to the north and one to the south with the site bisected by the access road which spurs off from an existing roundabout.

Members were informed that a bridle path located on the site would be re-routed around the site.

The development would consist of two storey and three storey dwellings with some of the two storey dwellings having dormers. The properties would front onto the motorway therefore the gardens would shield the properties from traffic noise. There is acoustic fencing in place however this would need to be increased.

Members were shown drawings and photographs of other developments in Leeds by Barrett and David Wilson. The proposed development would use materials in a mixture of brick and stone.

Officers were of the view that the layout was acceptable with open space to the northern area of the development but were of the view that the south of the development could also use open space to balance the site.

The developers propose to build 39 affordable houses however the size of these dwellings falls short of national standards also the gardens are not always private.

Members discussed the proposals, with the main issues being raised relating to:

·  the parking up of HGVs on A168 and the associated nuisance and environmental issues arising from this and the need for a scheme to be delivered to address these problems in the interest of existing and future residents

·  housing mix and that locally there was a need for small dwellings with smaller gardens to enable older, local residents to downsize but remain in the area

·  the proposed layout with concerns that a number of dwellings fronting on to the roundabout

·  the affordable housing; its siting; concerns that those dwellings which did not meet the Government’s space standards were the affordable housing provision; the importance of community cohesion; that providing cramped dwellings did not help with this and the likelihood of Registered Social Landlords (RSL) wishing to manage such small units on a long-term basis.  The Head of Planning Services referred to a meeting between the Chair of North and East Plans Panel and the developer on space standards in general, in view of comments made at a recent City Plans Panel, which had resulted in a useful exchange of views.  The developer’s view was that the house types on this site and the one at Station Road, Methley, were those taken up by Housing Associations and that to reach the new space standards would take time and that there was a lead-in time for the introduction of these.  Members were also informed that whilst the smaller affordable housing types fell short on space, there were issues about how much a RSL would pay; land values and viability and that similar discussions would be needed with the other volume house builders.  As a way forward if acceptable to Panel, as part of the defer and delegate process, Officers could work with the applicant on the issue of house types.  Concerns continued to be raised about the size of the affordable housing properties, together with the lack of private garden space which some of these properties also experienced

·  the importance of adopting the space standards at the earliest opportunity

·  boundary treatments; the need to avoid long timber fences adjacent to highways and for hedges to be considered rather than fences

·  that the current proposed layout was an improvement on the original proposal but that questions remained about the moving of the open space to the centre of the development, especially in view of the informal play space being sited there which could prove unpopular with residents. That the proposed siting of the open space related well to neighbouring open land.

·  that officers should be commended for their work as the revised scheme was a significant improvement over the original submission

·  that further work was required on the bus shelter and real-time display on Deighton Lane to ensure its location and design was appropriate

·  that the installation of any photovoltaics on dwellings should be controlled by condition

Members considered how to proceed

RESOLVED – To defer and delegate approval to the Chief Planning

Officer as set out in the recommendation in the submitted report, subject to the prior completion of a Section 106 Agreement relating to affordable housing; bridleway; details to improve bus stops/displays to be agreed; provision of Metro cards; greenspace and travel plan monitoring.  Additionally, revisions to the design and layout of the scheme; delivery of a scheme to prevent HGVs parking along the A168 to be discussed with the applicant and Ward Members; careful consideration of the bus stop provision and real-time displays to ensure they were sited appropriately to serve a purpose and that the design of the affordable housing units and other house types be reviewed so that an appropriate standard of accommodation was provided together with well designed, attractive house types