Agenda item

Further to minute 144 of the Plans Panel East meeting held on 5^th January 2012 where Panel deferred consideration of an application for a residential development comprising 88 houses, to consider a further report of the Chief Planning Officer

(report attached)

  (Having previously declared personal and prejudicial interests, Councillor Grahame withdrew from the meeting)

  Further to minute 144 of the Plans Panel East meeting held on 5^th January 2012, where Panel deferred determination of an application for a residential development comprising 88 houses at Temple Point Austhorpe LS15, the Panel considered a revised report

Plans, photographs, graphics, including a fly-through and precedent images were displayed at the meeting

Officers presented the report and informed Panel that the scheme had been revised and now comprised 86 houses

Details were provided on:

·  the design and materials

·  the noise mitigation measures provided

·  the discussions with Ward Members on the S106 contributions, with affordable housing and education contributions being the top priorities

  At this point, following exclusion of the press and public, the Panel considered the supplementary report which provided financial information in respect of the viability of the scheme.  Officers from the Asset Management Section of City Development who were in attendance, responded to questions from Members

  The Head of Planning Services reminded Members that the site was originally to be used for an office development and that the application for the residential scheme was made jointly by the landowner and developer and referred to the balance of national planning policy which was to encourage economic growth.  If approved, the scheme would provide some affordable housing although this would not be at the level of the current policy

  Members discussed the following matters:

·  the interim affordable housing policy and the discussion on this at Executive Board

·  concerns that a precedent could be set by agreeing to contributions which were so far short of what should be provided

·  the list of figures provided and the items they related to

·  the usefulness of having detailed financial information, even if it was necessary to consider this in private

The Panel considered the information provided and sought advice from

the Panel’s Legal representative who stated that viability was a material planning consideration and that there was a balance to be struck between enabling the development to commence and the benefits flowing from that and the provision of the usual S106 contributions

Having noted the information and the comments now made, the

press and public resumed their seats in the meeting

  Members commented on the following matters:

·  the level of S106 contributions being provided, with there being disappointment that these were so much – i.e. £1m less  than required by policy - even the lower level of affordable housing as set out in the interim policy

·  the need for affordable housing and that whilst the Council was seeking to be helpful and supportive in the current economic situation by reducing the level of affordable housing, that what the developer was proposing in this case did not meet the requirements

As the Panel was minded to refuse the application, in line with the

protocol for speaking at Plans Panels, the Chair invited a representative of the applicant to address the Panel

  Members considered the information provided

  RESOLVED -  i)  To defer and delegate refusal of the application to the Chief Planning Officer based on the concerns raised in respect of the applicant’s failure to meet the S106 contributions in line with policy requirements

ii)  That all future applications which related to viability

issues, where the usual S106 contributions were not being met, should be accompanied by a separate, exempt report, providing financial information for Panel’s consideration

  (Following consideration of this matter, Councillor Grahame resumed his seat in the meeting)

  (Councillors Finnigan and Fox left the meeting at this point)