Agenda item

Land off Middle Lane, Nether Broughton

Cllrs Chandler and Botterill returned to the meeting at 7.02pm. Cllr Greenow left the meeting at 7.03pm for the duration of the application.

 

Applicant:     Mr Mark Greaves

Location:      Land off Middle Lane, Nether Broughton

Proposal:      Outline application for the erection of three dwellings

 

(a)      The Planning Officer (JL) stated that:

No late items to report.

 

·      Proposal for outline permission for 3 dwellings, all matters reserved, however details of the proposed access point has been included in the application.

·      Main issues to consider are the sustainability of Nether Broughton and the erection of these three dwellings.

·      Agent has provided options as to the type of dwellings to be constructed – not currently included as a condition or note to applicant but can be if the committee wish.

·      Proposal also includes the applicant “gifting” land to the rear of the application site to the Parish Council for community use.

 

(b) Cllr Phil Dorn, on behalf of the Parish Council, was invited to speak and stated that:

·         Historical land

·         Designated to be environmental land in the Neighbourhood Plan

·         Not supported by emerging or historical plans

·         Difficult to farm land

·         Agricultural machinery cannot access the land

·         Overgrown

·         Consistent with emerging plan

·         Remaining 2/3rds of the land to be donated to the Parish Council

·         Restoration work on pond

·         Undertake grass cutting and hedge maintenance for 5 years

·         Will meet requirements of footpaths and ramblers

·         Donation of the field will preserve the area

·         Benefits outweigh the harm

 

A Cllr asked if the land to be gifted has good access to it.

Cllr Dorn stated that there is access off Middle Lane to the development, and the footpath will be widened and used to give access for grass cutting machinery.

 

(c) James Caunt, an objector, was invited to speak and stated that:

·         Neighbourhood Plan is important and carries a large weight with the community

·         Direct conflict with plan

·         Site is allocated as local green space

·         Unsustainable - no shops, no school, reduced public transport

·         Nether Broughton already has a significant 36% increase in housing supply

·         No one is buying the current houses up for sale in the village

·         Gift of land is significant - minded to remove objection if timescale is shorter than three years, if the Parish Council is satisfied with having to maintain the land once the 5 years is up, materials not raised in conditions are not alluded to, and the size of houses is limited.

 

(d) Mark Greaves, the applicant, was invited to speak and stated that:

·        Longstanding part of community

·      Field not farmed due to cattle escaping and being infected due to dog fouling

·      Access, ecology, footpaths and rural character of site have been considered

·        Utilise 1/3 of the site

·        Dwellings respect the built form of Middle Lane

·        Would respect the rural character

·       Scale and size of dwellings not yet set as the application is outline

·        Site linked to the village centre by footpaths

·        No impact to adjoining properties

·        2/3 of field given to Parish Council to be preserved

·        Meets local need

·        Benefits outweigh harm

 

A Cllr asked if it could be conditioned that the donated land could not be built on.

 

The Head of Strategic Planning and Regulatory Services stated that the applicant can add any covenants in the process of transfer to the Parish Council, and there is no need for the Members to do so as any future development would require permission and would be controlled this way.

 

The Planning Officer (JL) responded to the objector's request for a shorter timescale and stated that the time period is a standard condition and it would not usually be reduced.

 

Cllr Holmes proposed to permit the application and stated it was nice to see an applicant giving something back.

 

Cllr Posnett seconded the proposal to permit and stated it is a good development, in tune with what people want and suitable size houses.

 

A Cllr stated that they were happy to support but would like to see the configuration proposed by the applicant that included bungalows.

 

Cllr Holmes stated she was happy to include this as a condition.

 

A vote was taken and it was unanimously decided the application should be permitted.

 

Determination: PERMIT, subject to the conditions as set out in the report and an additional conditions specifying that 2 of the dwellings must be bungalows.

 

REASONS: Whilst the provision of housing would contribute to the NPPF’s objectives of boosting housing supply, the Borough is considered to have an adequate housing land supply. Therefore the weight attached to provision is limited. Nether Broughton is considered to be a relatively unsustainable location for housing development. However due to the small scale of the development proposed, the contribution the development would make in supplying housing which has been identified as in need by the Draft Neighbourhood and Local Plan, proposed gifting of the land to the Parish Council for community use and recent approvals in the vicinity, it is considered that there are factors in balance in favour of the application.

On the balance of the issues, it is considered that the benefit the proposed development would have to housing supply and community use of the land, would outweigh the harm arising from the proposed development .