Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/16/1897/REM, reserved matters planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

The Head advised that this first phase development was on the same site detailed at Minute 478.  He detailed the roundabout access off Farnham Road and stated that the application was for 91 dwellings of which 22 or 24.2% would be affordable.

Members were reminded that based upon the legal agreement requirement of 25% affordable housing, this site would provide marginally under this percentage.  Officers were comfortable however, that the other phases of development would ensure that the overall affordable housing provision would be 25%.

The Head confirmed that this scheme met the aspiration of delivering a high quality development which had been established at the outline stage.  Councillor K Warnell made a number of points in support of the application.  He was concerned however, that the site would be isolated from the Bishop’s Stortford town centre until ASR sites 1-4 were completed.

The Head confirmed to Councillor J Goodeve that the site managed itself in terms of parking provision for the affordable housing units as this part of the site had a dedicated access and associated parking area.  Councillor K Warnell was assured by Officers that contributions towards public transport provision had been addressed by the outline application.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the Committee accepted the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Building Control as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/16/1897/REM, reserved matters planning permission be granted subject to the following amended conditions:

1.        Approved plans (2E103)

2.        Materials of construction (2E111)

3.        Refuse disposal facilities (2E241)

4.        Prior to first occupation of any dwelling details of the management and maintenance of the communal amenity spaces shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall thereafter be carried out and maintained in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure adequate provision of maintenance and management of roads, footways and amenity areas and in the interests of public safety.

5.        All hard and soft landscaping shall be carried out in accordance with the approved drawings unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Any trees or plants that, within a period of five years after planting, are removed, die or become, in the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, seriously damaged or defective, shall be replaced as soon as is reasonably practicable with others of species, size and number as originally approved, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation.

Reason: To ensure the provision, establishment and maintenance of a reasonable standard of landscaping in accordance with the approved designs, in accordance with policies ENV1 and ENV2 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and national guidance in section 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

6.        Prior to the commencement of above ground works, detailed plans of the proposed footpath links to be created between the site and adjoining areas as shown on drawing A_A_PL_100 Rev M shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA and the agreed footpath links shall be made available for use prior to the first occupation of the development.

Reason: To ensure appropriate pedestrian links in accordance with policies ENV1 and TR1 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

Informatives

1.        Outline Permission Reference (07OP)

2.        Outline Planning permission for the development of site ASR5 has been granted under Local Planning Authority ref 3/13/0886/OP dated 1 June 2016.  A separate full planning permission (ref 3/16/1252/FUL) has been granted for the construction of new and realigned road junctions to Farnham Road and Hazelend Road which differ from those permitted under the outline permission referred to above and which are required to enable the development of land at ASR5, Bishop’s Stortford for residential and other purposes and the development of other land for the provision of supporting educational infrastructure.  For the avoidance of doubt, regardless of the implementation of the full permission referred to above in relation to access, the LPA will take any implementation of this reserved matters permission as constituting the commencement of development in relation to the outline proposals in relation to which a legal obligation and conditions apply (subject to any details set out in the legal agreement determining commencement).  In those circumstances, the conditions applied to 3/13/0886/OP and the associated legal planning obligation agreement will come into force, and which the Local Planning Authority will seek to enforce in full.

Summary of Reasons for Decision

East Herts Council has considered the applicant’s proposal in a positive and proactive manner with regard to the policies of the Development Plan (Minerals Local Plan, Waste Core Strategy and Development Management Policies DPD 2012, the ’saved’ policies of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007); the National Planning Policy Framework and in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.  The balance of the considerations having regard to those policies is that permission should be granted.