Agenda item

Field OS 6967, Grantham Road, Bottesford

Reference:	19/00573/REM
Location:	Land off Grantham Road, Bottesford
Proposal:	Approval of reserved matters related to appearance, landscaping, layout and scale attached to outline approval for the erection of 60 dwellings and provision of drainage infrastructure/public open space and associated works

 

The Assistant Director for Strategic Planning and Delivery addressed the Committee and provided a brief summary of the application and how it had evolved through liaison with the developers and Parish Council to reach its current, improved, proposal.  He also updated the Committee on the following issues that had been raised since despatch of the agenda and which would need to be included in the decision, should the application be approved :

 

·         an amended plan had been received from the developer specifying the sight lines around the junction where the site transferred from the public to private road

 

·         a response from the Highway Authority had been received which indicated satisfaction with the scheme subject to conditions relating to parking,  turning, surfacing of the highway, setting back of garage doors etc

 

·         amendments to the following conditions :

 

condition 1 –  updated plans

condition 2 –  materials omitted – fine details – time limited etc

condition 3 –  delete as condition 1 covers landscaping

condition 4 –  delete due to duplication

condition 5 –  delete reference to traffic management as this was included in the outline application

 

With regard to access arrangements, conditions in the outline permission required a footpath connecting the site to the village.

 

Pursuant to Chapter 2, Part 9, Paragraphs 2.8-2.28 of the Council’s Constitution in relation to  public speaking at Planning Committee, the Chair allowed the following to give a four minute presentation :

 

·         Sally Smith, Planning Manager for Bellway Homes Limited

 

·         Bob Bayman, Chairman, of Bottesford Parish Council 

 

Following questions from Members, Mr Bayman confirmed

 

·         The Parish Council had previously worked with the County Council to install lower speed limits for the school etc and had contributed to the cost and would be prepared to again for this development should the County Council offer this

 

·         Councillor Pritchett, Ward Councillor

 

The Committee agreed to suspend the public speaking procedure rules to allow the applicant to respond to the Parish Council’s comments and Members questions. 

 

Ms Smith of Bellway Homes confirmed

 

·         The footpath was a planning condition on the outline application

·         The developer was working with the Highway Authority to install a 2 metre wide footway which was a technical obligation on the developer before any of the dwellings were occupied on the site

·         The developer was prepared to work with the Parish Council to extend the 30 mph from the village to the development

·         With regard to the attenuation pond, condition 14 of the outline application required a surface water scheme and a number of the plans had been submitted and it was for the Council to determine and discharge this condition

·         The levels around the pond were not as steep as the drawings showed

·         Traffic routing was being dealt with as part of a planning condition and plans had been submitted to the Council.  She confirmed that no construction traffic would go through the village and it had been routed to access and egress via the A52

·         The company would be happy to work with Ward Councillors and the Parish Council to finalise the traffic management plan and attenuation ponds to reach the most mutually beneficial solution

·         The footpaths and highways were part of the adopted highway and as such the Highway Authority would be responsible for their maintenance

 

Public speaking procedure rules were resumed.

 

The Assistant Director responded that the developer was required to build a footpath under the outline permission.  Also access issues had already been approved as part of the outline application and could not be considered as part of this application, so addressing such issues would need an alternative approach to simply conditions.

 

During discussion the following points were noted :

 

·         Electric car charging points were included in some of the garages to ensure the infrastructure was available, this was included as part of the agreed arrangements with Bellway and was not needed as a condition

·         Members were supportive to extend the 30mph speed limit and there was a suggestion to make a financial  commitment if this was needed.  It was felt that the lower speed limit was need to protect the community and the Council should insist on this by supporting the Parish Council and take the lead if necessary

·         Officers were thanked for working with the developer to achieve a sympathetically pleasing design which suited a rural setting and included green space with amenity value

·         The comments of the Parish Council were appreciated being the guardians of the local voice along with the Ward Councillors

·         Members were keen that a feature was made of the attenuation ponds

 

Councillor Chandler proposed to approve the application and Councillor Illingworth seconded subject to the additional information received since despatch of the agenda and with a new resolution as follows which Councillor Chandler accepted :

 

The Council to act as facilitator and support the Parish Council to relocate  the 30mph speed limit from the village to the east of development.

 

RESOLVED that

                           

(1)  application 19/00573/REM be APPROVED, in accordance with the conditions in the report amended to include the matters listed below :

 

·         inclusion of the amended plan specifying the sight lines around the junction where the site transferred from the public to private road

 

·         amendments to the following conditions :

 

condition 1 –  updated plans to most recent version

condition 2 –  materials omitted – fine details – time limited etc

condition 3 –  delete as condition 1 covers landscaping

condition 4 –  delete due to duplication

condition 5 –   delete reference to traffic management as this was included in the outline application

 

(Unanimous)

 

REASONS

 

The application site is allocated for housing and outline planning permission for the development has been granted.  The principle of the access and the number of units proposed were debated, considered and approved by Members at the outline stage.

 

The proposal as revised would result in a form of development that would now be sympathetic  to the character of the locality by virtue of its appearance, landscaping, layout and scale and would not unduly compromise residential amenity or be prejudicial to highway safety.  For these reasons, the proposal is considered to comply with Policy D1 of the Melton Local Plan which requires all new development to be sympathetic to the character of the area in which the site is located and comply with the aims and the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

(2)  the Council to act as facilitator and support the Parish Council to relocate  the 30mph speed limit from the village to the east of development.