Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor Andrews.  It was noted that Councillor Bull was substituting for Councillor Andrews.

The Chairman welcomed Members and the Public to the meeting and detailed the categories of attendee that were present at the online meeting.  He introduced each Member and Officer in attendance at the meeting.

The Chairman said that the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 came into force on Saturday 4 April 2020 to enable councils to hold remote committee meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic period. This was to ensure local authorities could conduct business during this current public health emergency.  This meeting of the Development Management Committee was being held remotely under these regulations, via the Zoom application and was being recorded and live streamed on YouTube.

To receive any Members' declarations of interest.

Councillor Buckmaster declared a personal interest in application 3/18/2735/FUL, on the grounds that she was a volunteer for two organisations which could benefit from the Section 106 agreement, in that she was Chairman of the SYPRC Committee which ran the Bullfields Centre and was a volunteer for Sawbridgeworth Library.

Councillor Page declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in application 3/20/0245/FUL, on the grounds that the application was on land previously owned by Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club, which would be involved in a proposed biodiversity mitigation area. He said that his wife was a member and a shareholder of Bishop's Stortford Golf Club. He was moved to a virtual break out room whilst this application was considered.

To confirm the Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on:

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Councillor Ruffles proposed, and Councillor Buckmaster seconded, a motion that the Minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.  Councillor Bull abstained from voting as he was not present at the meeting on 25 June 2020.

Councillor Beckett proposed, and Councillor Kemp seconded, a motion that the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.  Councillor Crystall abstained from voting as he was not present at the meeting on 12 August 2020.

RESOLVED – that (A) the Minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2020, be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman; and

(B)   the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2020, be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Recommended for Approval

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/20/0245/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to a legal agreement and the conditions detailed in the report now submitted. It was also recommended that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning and Building Control to finalise the detail of the legal agreement and conditions.

The Principal Planning Officer, on behalf of the Head of Planning and Building Control, drew Members’ attention to the late representations summary and details of specific schemes for the Section 106 funding. Members were advised that these details should be added to the recommendation in respect of the Section 106 legal agreement.

The Principal Planning Officer said that not all of the objections had been included in the report or the late representations as Officers only ever included a short summary of objections as these were available in full elsewhere. She said that the impact of the new driving range was not being considered as this was the subject of a separate planning application.

Members were advised of a request that all construction traffic be routed through the golf course. The Principal Planning Officer said that a condition requiring a construction and management plan was proposed as part of the application. She confirmed that it was not reasonable to condition access across the golf course as this was not within the ownership of the applicant and there was access directly to the site.

Members were advised that the two accesses would comprise two cul-de-sacs with a central small green area which contained a footpath link to allow access from one side of the development to the other. The Principal Planning Officer said that the two access ways were located between existing properties from Manor Links and would be adopted by the highway authority.  The minor roads would be private and would be a shared surface and the proposed dwellings that backed onto the existing bungalows on Manor Links would also be bungalows.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the layout plan accorded with the site masterplan and she detailed the breakdown of the proposed housing mix. She also detailed the percentage of rental and shared ownership dwellings and the proposed locations of the tenure mix.  She described the design as appropriate to this location and said that there would be 66 percent shared ownership dwellings and 34 percent rental properties within the proposed 40% affordable housing.

Members were advised that the proposed designs were appropriate to this location and the bungalows had been designed so that all accommodation was on the ground floor with some limited usable loft space.  The Officer said that some of these units had been redesigned so that loft conversion was less likely.  She said that there should be no significant overlooking of the bungalows on Manor Links.

The Principal Planning Officer said that permitted development rights would be removed to prevent dormers or roof additions in future without planning permission.  She highlighted a number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 156.

Recommended for Approval

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/18/2735/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to a legal agreement and the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.  It was also recommended that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning and Building Control to finalise the detail of the legal agreement and conditions.

The Principal Planning Officer, on behalf of the Head of Planning and Building Control, referred to the late representations summary list that had been provided. She referred to the response of the Highway Authority to a query she had raised regarding the highways implications of the proposed development. She said that there were no plans to reduce the speed limit of 30 mph. She also referred to the matter of bus stops within the carriageway on the main highway and the issue of a signalised junction.

Members were advised of concerns regarding the sustainability of the development in terms of the lack of solar panels and the lack of suitable infrastructure proposals. The Officer also referred to the matter of improvements to the A1184 prior to construction and a request that these matters be raised with the developer.  Members were advised that all of these matters had been covered in the Committee report.

The Principal Planning Officer said that this was a hybrid application that was part full and part outline for two thirds of the SAWB4 strategic site in the District Plan which was located to the north of Sawbridgeworth.  She said that phase one was the full application for eighty five dwellings and the outline application at phase two was for up to ninety nine dwellings to the eastern side of the site.

Members were advised that the phase one full application site had been designed around an L shaped open space which coincided with the existing areas of trees within the site. The Officer said that most of the site was agricultural grazing land which included a small area of trees which would be retained. The application included a spine road that would also run through phase two and the Officer said that application included a variety of house types and sizes.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the proposed development was generally in accordance with the adopted masterplan.  She detailed the location of the affordable housing and summarised the proposed building heights of two and two and half storey dwellings and a part 3 storey flatted block situated close to the southern site boundary.

Members were advised that the orange markers on the plan indicated the location of affordable rented units and the blue markers were for the shared ownership units. The Officer said that forty percent of the dwellings in total would be affordable in accordance with policy. She said that the affordable housing was not concentrated in one area and was spread in groups around the site. She advised that these units were intended to be tenure blind.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the proposed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157.

(A)  Appeals against refusal of Planning Permission/ non?determination.

(B)  Planning Appeals Lodged.

(C)      Planning Appeals: Inquiry and Informal Hearing Dates.

(D)     Planning Statistics.

RESOLVED – that the following reports be noted:

(A)   Appeals against refusal of planning permission / non-determination;

(B)       Planning Appeals lodged;

(C)       Planning Appeals: Inquiry and Informal Hearing Dates

(D)      Planning Statistics.