Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for 26 dwellings with access road, hard standings and landscaping at land off Walton Road, Walton, Wetherby

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out an application for 26 dwellings with access road, hard standings and landscaping at land off Walton Road, Walton, Wetherby.

Members had visited the site earlier in the day, photographs and plans were shown throughout the presentation.

Members were informed of the following points:

·  An outline application had been presented to Panel in 2017, and Members resolved to grant planning permission. The formal decision notice has not been issued as the associated legal agreement is still under discussion;

·  Homes England own this site and had gone into partnership with Chartford Homes for this site;

·  This site forms part of a wider piece of land owned by Homes England which wraps around the application site;

·  This scheme is on the boundary of the SAP which is due to be adopted in July 2019;

·  The development is for 26 dwellings with a single access point – this application includes 3 extra dwellings from that previous presented in outline;

·  The proposed dwellings are consistent with space standards H9 and meet accessibility policy;

·  The dwellings do fall short on the requirement set out in the Core Strategy in respect of carbon emissions. However, the proposal will achieve an improvement over and above the requirements set out in Building Regulations. It was a suggestion that this could be dealt with under a condition;

·  The site is classed as white land;

·  Proposed dwellings are 2 storey houses of brick and render build with tiled roofs;

·  Provision of affordable housing to be the 2 bed units;

·  This development meets local plan for density.

Cllr. Lamb who had requested that the application be brought to Panel for determination attended the meeting and informed the Members of the following:

·  He had been in support of the proposal for 23 dwellings however he was frustrated by the revised plan and was of the view that the 2 sites owned by Homes England would have been better if there had been a master plan for both sites;

·  The extra 3 houses caused concerns in relation to parking. Section 7 of the submitted report indicated that the driveways were not long enough and this may cause an issue with refuse collection and visitor parking;

·  He supported the housing mix in this scheme;

·  He was of the opinion that the loss of trees was unnecessary;

·  The previous scheme had indicated a play area and equipment whereas the revised scheme did not;

·  He would like to see sustainable properties;

·  He was of the view that the original scheme had been better.

Members were advised that parking provision had now been addressed in relation to the driveways.

K Broadbank on behalf of the applicant attended the meeting and advised the Panel of the following:

·  The driveways had been lengthened and widened providing at least 2 parking spaces per dwelling;

·  The previous scheme had a resolution to grant planning permission;

·  There would be no loss of important trees as there was provision for planting;

·  No knowledge of play equipment, the open space was compliant with policy in Core Strategy;

·  Happy for a condition to be added in relation to Policy H10 accessible housing;

·  Locks and windows would comply with secure by design;

·  Planting could include larger trees and there would be no vehicle access to the green space;

·  Solar panels could be included;

·  Consideration would be given to changing the proposed fencing to hedges.

Members in considering the application discussed the following points:

·  The types of trees and the position of planting;

·  Provision of play equipment for use of both sites;

·  Parking issues for future residents;

·  Provision of affordable housing should be ‘pepper potted’ throughout the site rather than all set together.

The Legal officer advised Members in relation to S106 money and the Localism Planning Act.

RESOLVED – Members resolved to delegate approval of the application, subject to the prior completion of a Section106 Agreement (affordable housing, sustainable travel plan fund, and public transport infrastructure contribution), in accordance with the officer recommendation.

The following amendments to the terms of the permission were agreed:

·  Condition 16 amended to require details of renewable energy measures (to include use of solar panels) and details of scheme to restrict carbon emissions.

·  Condition 4, landscaping details, to include planting hedges to rear garden boundaries.

·  Add an informative to the permission requiring the planting of larger species trees to the public open space and trees appropriate to a residential environment to garden areas.

Members also requested:

·  That the affordable housing be ‘pepper potted’ across the development of the neighbouring and larger site.

·  That the play area be delivered as part of development of the larger site.