Agenda item

Field 3957, Manor Road, Easthorpe

Applicant: Mr Andy Norris

Location: Field 3957, Manor Road, Easthorpe

Proposal: Proposed residential development.

 

The case officer (JL) stated that:

 

• Further details of the flood compensation scheme have been submitted, with the following slide showing the field where this is proposed to be located.
• A condition is included to restrict height of development – the application is for outline permission and the elevations are indicative.
• LCC Ecology and Highways have raised no objection to the application. LLFA and EA are satisfied, subject to inclusion of conditions, including finished floor levels.
• The proposed flood alleviation details have been included in the report – this would involve digging down in the relevant field which would allow overflow near to the culvert, reducing water flow to further down stream in Easthorpe/ Bottesford.

 

Councillor Bayman was invited to speak, but was not present.

 

Ian Sparrow, as an objector, was invited to speak, and stated that:

·         He is a resident of Muston Lane, which is lane serving the application site

·         Access to the site is off Muston Lane

·         The new development would overshadow Muston Lane, and ruin all views

·         In response, all residents would build large fences to create privacy from the new development

·         The development is outside the village curtilage

·         There is no need for local housing in the area

·         Wildlife in the area will suffer

·         There is a sewage issue in Easthorpe, and in Muston Lane in particular

·         Muston Lane is very narrow and not suitable for development

·         There are highways and traffic issues with the site

·         Muston Lane has flooded, and this new development will only make that worse

A Cllr sought clarification on the fencing issue.

Mr Sparrow responded that neighbours to the development will be forced to build large fences to protect their privacy from the overshadowing from the new development.

A Cllr queried how often the site flooded.

Mr Sparrow responded that Muston Lane has flooded twice in the last 20 years.

 

Clive Wicks, as the agent, was invited to speak and stated that:

·         The development is of very high quality

·         The scheme has the support of both the LLFA and Highways Authority

·         Environment Agency have no issues with the scheme

·         New hedgerows will be planted on the site, and the original hedgerow will be retained

·         2 starter homes are within the scheme

·         The scheme is close to the village

·         The houses are only two stories with roof space

·         The floor levels on the site are higher to reduce flood risk on site

·         There is no contamination risk from this site, unlike other local sites

·         The scheme will redirect water from the village

·         The scheme is sustainable, and encourages members to support officer recommendation for approval

 

Cllrs had no questions for Mr Wicks.

 

The Case Officer responded to matters raised:

·         The height and number of storeys can be limited through conditions of approval

·         This is an outline application; elevation and siting are only indicative and would be the subject of reserved matters if approved.

·         There are no objections raised by the LLFA, Environment Agency, Highways Authority or Ecology Issues

·         There is a flood alleviation scheme included in the plans

 

Cllr Chandler stated that there is a sewage issue in the area, but this comes from Muston, and is a utility issue rather than a planning issue. There are hedgerows included within the scheme, so it is possible to condition against new fencing in the conditions for approval. This is a small site so will allow for individual design that will be welcomed within the area, and can condition for no dormer windows within the scheme. The scheme includes a flood alleviation scheme that is needed in the area and 2 starter homes. Cllr Chandler proposed to permit the application, subject to an additional condition to limit the development to two stories.

 

Cllr Holmes seconded the motion to permit, and agreed to the extra condition.

 

A Cllr queried whether planning permission would be needed for the installation of Velux windows.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Planning and Regulatory Services responded that this is included in condition 15, which does not allow development of over two stories.

 

A Cllr stated their agreement with the condition for no dormer windows, yet believed that a condition on no fencing would be onerous, particularly as parents want fencing with small children in the garden.

 

The Case officer (JL) stated that a specific condition can be implemented for no dormer windows, and that Permitted Development Rights would be removed by condition 15. Fencing would be resolved at a reserved matters application stage, and the current layout is indicative as it is only an outline application.

 

A Cllr stated that home owners can build their own fences at a later stage if they want or need to.

 

A Cllr sought clarification on condition 5.

 

The Case officer (JL) stated that condition 5 is a highways condition, and to help visibility and meet visibility splay requirements.

 

A Cllr queried the hedge and road figures of 2.4m

 

The Case officer (JL) stated that this means that the visibility splays are calculated from 2.4m back from the junctions (rather than height), and anything within the splay must have a maximum height of 0.6m, as it mentioned in the conditions.

 

A Cllr stated that fencing may be necessary to stop and restrict livestock from the surrounding area.

 

A Request was made for the Ward Councillor to be involved with the scheme and design of the scheme at reserved matters stage.

 

A vote was taken on the motion to permit.

 

11 Councillors supported the motion.

0 Councillors opposed the motion.

0 Councillors abstained from the vote.

 

The motion passed unanimously. The application was permitted.

 

DETERMINATION: APPROVED: in accordance with the recommendation in the report and an additional condition limiting the houses to 2 storey.

 

REASONS:

The proposed development will provide up to 6 dwellings, with two of these properties proposed to be starter homes and of a considerably smaller size than the other 4 proposed dwellings. It is considered that the proposed development does not provide a good mix of housing size due to the number of larger properties proposed. The Agent has stated that the larger houses are proposed so to attract potential business owners for the new business units to be built in Bottesford (Orston Lane).  In preparation for the local plan, the housing need for the Borough has been assessed and it is considered that there is more of a demand for two and three bed properties. However as the application is for outline permission only (with indicative elevations provided), it is possible to restrict the size and heights of the dwellings to be submitted at reserved matters stage by means of a condition.

A sequential test has been submitted for the application which has considered the availability of other sites in the Easthorpe and Bottesford area. This concludes that there are not other sites that may be available for development, at a lesser risk of flooding. It has been demonstrated that flooding issues on the application site can be overcome through the design of the site, including raining the levels of the houses to a level above 1:100 year flood risk. (In accordance with the proposed conditions by the EA and LLFA). Additionally the applicant has proposed including a flood alleviation scheme on a site known locally as Paceys Field which they consider would have wider benefits for Bottesford further downstream which is considered to bring wider public benefits and as such the Exception Test can be passed.

In conclusion, the proposed development is in a sustainable location, can overcome the flooding issues and would provide sustainability benefits to the wider community, due to the inclusion of two starter homes.