Agenda item

Field OS 0002, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray

The Assistant Director for Planning and Delivery addressed the Committee and provided a summary of the application. He  advised that since despatch of the agenda an update had been received from the Highways Authority being a small criticism which could easily be conditioned and its content  would have no impact on the remainder of the application.

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:

·         Mr Galij, Planning Director, North Midlands Division, Barratt David Wilson Homes

It was confirmed by the Legal Advisor that in his view condition 5 was proper and not ultra vires as stated by the agent. It was explained that a condition for the protection of residential amenity relating to the timing of construction activities on site was usual in planning applications.

During discussion the following points were noted:

·         It was felt to not be unreasonable to extend the Saturday hours to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

·         It was mentioned that the application had been vastly improved since it was last presented to the Committee but there were still concerns as to the tandem parking and the potential for parking on pavements and roadsides by those with families and visitors, which was felt to be a  symptom of the whole development being too close and needing more care to make it a pleasant place to live

·         Traffic calming and screening and frontages had been improved

·         There was a discussion as to whether road widths could be increased which could ease the on-street parking situation and there could be staggered passing places

·         It was noted that road widths were as expected for a development such as this with the spine road being wider than the subsidiaries. The agent advised that the road widths were in line with the Leicestershire County Council’s requirements and no negative comments had been received from the Highways Authority on the road network

·         Other Members expressed support for tandem and double parking and in their experience this was not a problem on a residential estate and at times it encouraged drivers to take more care and was a speeding deterrent

·         It was understood that the County Council usually only objected where there were severe circumstances and this situation was more about the cramped design all the way around the development and how it would look and feel in 20-30 years

·         There was the opportunity to continue to work with the developer to achieve a desirable development to attract people to want to live and work in the Borough

Councillor Illingworth proposed the recommendation in the report to approve the application. Councillor Douglas seconded as she felt there was a need for this type of smaller style development which often brought good community cohesion. The vote was lost with 4 in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention. Councillor Cumbers requested her vote for the motion be recorded.

Councillor Higgins proposed to defer the application for communications with the developer to continue to address concerns around parking arrangements to mitigate as far as possible the need for on-street parking, to review the density of the built form, introduce more greenery and a feeling of spaciousness and to blend in the affordable housing so as to feel part of the estate. Councillor Posnett seconded the motion.

RESOLVED

That application 19/00245/REM be DEFERRED for communications with the developer to continue to address concerns around parking arrangements to mitigate as far as possible the need for on-street parking, to review the density of the built form, introduce more greenery and a feeling of spaciousness and to blend in the affordable housing so as to feel part of the estate. 

(10 in favour, 1 abstention)