Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

In the absence of the Chairman and Vice–Chairman, it was proposed by Councillor M Allen and seconded by Councillor J Cartwright that Councillor M Freeman be appointed Chairman for this item.  After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, Councillor M Freeman was appointed Chairman for this item.

Mr Rhodes and Mr Francis addressed the Committee in objection to the application.  Mr Lewis spoke for the application.

In respect of application 3/13/0886/OP, the Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that upon completion of the Section 106 agreement, planning permission be granted as detailed in the report now submitted.

The Director summarised the detailed information contained in the additional representations summary.  He referred in particular to the clause restricting the implementation of this application until an alternative school site had been secured.

The Director advised that, as the applicant was Hertfordshire County Council, the powers of enforcement would pass to East Herts as the County Council could not enforce against itself.  He referred to conditions regarding noise attenuation and the maintenance of access for emergency services.  Members were advised that the application delivered in terms of the funding sought for highways mitigation by the Highway Authority.

Councillor G Jones, as the local ward Member, stated that the key issue was whether there was sufficient secondary school provision elsewhere in Bishop’s Stortford and policy BIS7 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 was the only relevant policy.  He argued that there would not be sufficient provision elsewhere in the town and now was not the time to take the risk of releasing this site for housing.  Councillor G Jones concluded that he would like to see improved footpath links to the town centre and provision for open recreational space with walkways and cycle ways.

The Director reminded the Committee that there was the potential for another school site and Hertfordshire County Council was taking the necessary steps to secure this with a land swap agreement.  The County Council had also approved a planning application for a new secondary school.  The Director advised that controls were proposed to prevent development from taking place on this site unless alternative school provision had been secured.

Councillor K Warnell stated that most of the Bishop’s Stortford Silverleys and Meads Neighbourhood Plan policies had been met aside from policies HDP1 and HDP4.  He stressed that the traffic modelling had not taken account of all the relevant roundabouts and the proposed development would result in more traffic than was apparent from the Officer’s report.

The Director advised that modelling clearly showed that the amount of traffic using Patmore Close was very small in the context of the overall traffic volume on Hadham Road.  Members were reminded that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was very clear that an objection on traffic grounds could not be sustained unless the traffic impact was going to be severe.  The Director emphasised that the emergency services were satisfied so long as there was active traffic management during construction.

In reply to a query from Councillor J Kaye, the Director confirmed that the NHS had a recent policy of seeking Section 106 contributions from developers.  A new strategy for the release of new capacity for Bishop’s Stortford was being developed and an analysis of the current situation had revealed that existing surgeries had some, albeit limited, spare capacity and were not turning patients away.

In response to a query from Councillor T Page, the Director advised that the highway authority was content with the proposed access arrangements as were the emergency services.  Councillor J Cartwright commented that this site was much better suited to housing than a school use and the traffic impact of a school would be significantly more severe.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the Committee accepted the recommendations of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now detailed and as further amended by the details set out in the additional representations summary.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/14/2144/OP, the recommendations of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now detailed be approved and as further amended by the details set out in the additional representations summary.