Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that in respect of application 3/15/0300/OUT, subject to a legal obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

The Director also recommended that the Head of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee and a minimum of one of the two local ward Members (whilst informing both ward Members at all stages of any relevant action or decision), be authorised to make amendments to the heads of terms and all related matters in relation to the legal agreement and to add or remove conditions and directives and make such changes to the wording of them as may be necessary to ensure a satisfactory development.

The Director advised that this was a hybrid application in that the full details of the residential element were available whilst the employment element was in outline form only.  Members were reminded of the history of the application and the Director confirmed that there had not been any particular change in circumstances or policy since Members last considered the outline application.

The Director referred to some additional transport modelling that had looked at the cumulative impact of residential development in and around Buntingford.  The junction of the A10 and London Road had been highlighted as a particular area of concern and the County Council was carrying out a feasibility study into works to address this issue.  The Section 106 agreement included a financial contribution of £329,400 towards capacity improvements for the A10/London Road roundabout and approach routes and a cycle path along London Road from the site northwards towards the Town Centre.

In response to Members’ comments, the Director reminded the Committee that the principle of the development had been established and many of the issues Members had raised had already been determined.  The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had applied a formulaic approach to the requested Section 106 figure and Officers had to apply the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) guidelines.

Members were reminded that the previous report on this scheme had highlighted an issue of viability in respect of this application.  This report had been included as an Essential Reference Paper to this latest report on this application. 

The Director assured Councillor J Jones that wording could be added to the Section 106 legal agreement for the provision of a community bus.  He also confirmed that there was provision for play space within the original outline application as well as improvements to the football club.  Members were assured that there was a mechanism in place for maximising the level of affordable housing on this site.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the Committee accepted the recommendations of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that (A) in respect of application 3/15/0300/OUT, subject to a legal obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted; and

(B)   the Director also recommended that the Head of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee and a minimum of one of the two local ward Members (whilst informing both ward Members at all stages of any relevant action or decision), be authorised to make amendments to the heads of terms and all related matters in relation to the legal agreement and to add or remove conditions and directives and make such changes to the wording of them as may be necessary to ensure a satisfactory development.