Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding an outline application to erect residential development

Plans, photographs and graphics were displayed at the meeting.  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

Officers presented the report which sought approval for an outline application to erect a residential development on land at Bruntcliffe Road Morley LS27.  Members noted that a position statement had been considered in detail by Plans Panel East at its meeting on 9^th August 2012 with the minute from that meeting being included in the report before Panel. A copy of the report considered by Plans Panel East on 9^th August was appended to the report for Members’ information.  As the Morley area now fell within the remit of South and West Plans Panel, it was for this Panel to determine the application

A late representation from Morley Town Council was reported which raised concerns about the loss of employment land and that the removal of this should be dealt with through the Development Plan Panel process.  Concerns were also raised about the figures for the site areas of the various uses and those in the UDP, with the presenting officer clarifying these for the Panel. It was noted that Morley Town Council felt that given the discrepancies in the report before Panel, the application should be deferred or refused, with concerns also being raised that the issues highlighted by Plans Panel East had not been adequately dealt with

Officers updated Members on key elements of the application relating to noise and highways issues.  Ward Members had been consulted about highways matters with Councillor Elliott objecting to the proposals and Councillor Dawson remaining unhappy with the scheme

Members were informed that the contribution for bus stop improvements was £60,000 and not £20,000 as stated in paragraph 2.4 of the submitted report; that the amount for public transport improvements equated to £960 per dwelling, not £1226 per unit and that the greenspace contribution would be £244,000

The Panel heard representations from an objector and the applicant’s agent who attended the meeting

Members discussed the application and commented on the following matters:

• the possibility of a larger residential development in this area in view of the applicant’s representations to consultation on the Core Strategy
• the lack of school places in Morley both in primary and secondary schools
• public transport provision with concerns that the bus services were inadequate to serve the development
• the loss of employment land and that industrial land provided long-term jobs, whereas housing land created transitory jobs
• highways issues, particularly safety concerns at Bruntcliffe Road
• that the proposal did not comply with the UDP and in the interests of consistency with the decision taken on the applications at Daisy Hill (minute 56 above) this application should be refused

Proposals both for and against the Officer’s recommendation were made, seconded and voted upon

RESOLVED - To defer and delegate approval to the Chief Planning

Officer, subject to the specified conditions in the submitted report and following completion of a Section 106 Agreement to cover the following matters:

·  provision of Metro Cards - £73,154.40

·  bus stop improvement - £60,000

·  green travel plan

·  contribution to off-site highway works

·  contribution to education enhancements - £800,321

·  public transport improvements - £960 per unit

·  provision of 15% affordable housing (within 2 years)

·  provision of on-site greenspace – POS measures 0.78ha, the buffer planting between the residential allocation and employment allocation measures 0.56ha, the open area located between the most southerly residential dwellings and the M62 measures 0.72ha

In the circumstances where the Section 106 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