Agenda item

3/19/0408/FUL - Erection of 23 dwellings (9 affordable dwellings) including associated highway works, landscaping, utilities, drainage infrastructure and car parking at Land at Stortford Road (R/O 12-18 Town Farm Crescent), Standon

Recommended for Approval

Minutes:

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/19/0408/FUL, subject to a legal agreement, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

 

The Service Manager (Development Management), on behalf of the Head of Planning and Building Control, summarised the details of the application and detailed the relevant planning history.  He drew Members’ attention to a number of typographical errors in the report and said that Officers would be drafting additional conditions regarding electric vehicle charging points and broadband provision.

 

The Service Manager said that condition 13 had been amended as this had required the submission of an energy statement.  He summarised the key details of the energy statement that had now been received and emphasised that this document was one of the best he had seen. 

 

The Service Manager emphasised that the provisions of the energy statement exceeded the requirements of building regulations as encouraged but not required by policy CC2 in respect of the mitigation of climate change.

 

Members were advised that the predicted water usage would equate to 107.8 litres per person per day and this was compliant with the District Plan Policy WAT4 target requirement of 110 litres of water per person per day.  Officers would amend condition 13 in order to fix the scheme to the report submitted.

 

The Service Manager summarised the main issues for Members to consider and he drew Members’ attention to the infrastructure and planning obligations as detailed in paragraph 8.32 and the recommendation.  He said that the conclusions in respect of planning balance were summarised in section 9 of the report submitted.

 

Mr Kwan addressed the Committee in support of the application.  Councillor T Stowe sought clarification in respect of a discrepancy in the drainage details between the outline application for 15 dwellings and this full permission application.  He referred in particular to drainage infiltration ponds, ditches, trenches and basins.

 

Councillor J Jones commented on paragraph 8.27 and the suggestion of a condition by Herts Ecology for the protection of Roman snails.  He said he could not see a condition in the report as suggested by Herts Ecology.  He referred to paragraph 8.32 and the infrastructure and planning obligations.  He said that he was concerned that £3233 towards the children’s area at Bishop’s Stortford library was included given that the nearest libraries were in Buntingford and Ware.

 

Councillor J Jones said that the point made by the Service Manager in respect of an additional condition regarding broadband should be worded to include the requirement for the installation of fibre broadband to the property.  Councillor Jones also believed that section g of condition 5 should include the wording ‘during the construction phase’.

 

Councillor B Crystall commented on responses from consultees and referred in particular to the views of East Herts Conservation and Urban Design regarding the lack of a pedestrian linkage to the pathway to the north of the proposed development and a lack of inviting pedestrian routes into Standon.

 

Councillor Crystall commented on highways safety and the safety implications for residents of an agricultural access onto the road.  He referred to mud being left on the road should a tractor exit the field onto the highway.  He said that Herts Ecology had referred to external field boundary hedges as additional habitat in this area.  He referred to an ecological management plan and said that as badgers and hedgehogs were in the area, would it be possible for mammal ramps to be provided at night if excavations were to be left exposed after dark.

 

Councillor C Redfern expressed concern that the proposed development was in conflict with the Standon Neighbourhood Plan.  She said that she shared the concerns that had been expressed in a letter from Standon Parish Council.  She expressed concern that the affordable housing provision could be reduced on viability grounds as this provision had not been included in the conditions.

 

Councillor Redfern referred to parking on the other side of the main road as not being clearly defined for the residents who lived on that side of the highway.  Councillor D Andrews, as the local ward Member, expressed concerns about the encroachment on the amenity of the residents on the eastern side of Town Farm Crescent.  He said that parking could be an issue as residents of the properties on the south side embankment parked on the other side of the A120 in a layby.  He stated that the proposed footways in place of a field entrance would be rapidly occupied by residents’ cars.

 

Councillor Andrews said that he whilst he welcomed the condition regarding contractor vehicles, he was concerned how this condition could be implemented.  He also welcomed the affordable housing but was concerned that this had not been conditioned.  He referred to the minor matter of the site falling outside the village boundary.

 

Councillor D Andrews said that whilst he welcomed funding for libraries, children in Standon could not utilise the library in Bishop’s Stortford as the last bus to Standon was the one they would already be using to get home from school.  He believed that children from the village would gravitate towards Ware or Buntingford.

 

The Service Manager confirmed that the matter of affordable housing was covered in the Section 106 legal agreement.  Members were advised that controlling parking on the proposed access road by condition was very difficult as this was in effect free parking on the highway and any such condition would be unenforceable in any event.  He said that the scheme did meet the Council’s parking standards.

 

The Service Manager stated that the Sustainable Urban Drainage Solution (SUDS) matters were subject to a very detailed design and this was covered by conditions 8, 9 and 10 and was based on the submissions of the lead local flood risk authority for a natural infiltration design.

 

Members were advised that the Section 106 contributions for library provision could only be utilised towards planned schemes but Officers could talk to the County Council to clarify the position.  The Service Manager referred to standard conditions regarding high speed fibre broadband and the Construction Management Plan, the details of which had to be submitted for approval before development could commence.

 

Members were advised that the conservation area urban design team were happy with the proposed design parameters and the proposed changes to the footway.  The Service Manager stated that Herts Ecology matters were all dealt with via an informative.  Members were advised that UK wildlife laws and current EU laws gave far more protection to existing species than the planning system.

 

The Service Manager referred to the Standon Neighbourhood Plan and advised that the current plan did have a village boundary line that encompassed this site meaning that the limits of this development would become the new village boundary.  A condition in respect of Herts Ecology matters could not be imposed if this related to an area outside the control of the applicant.

 

The Service Manager confirmed to Councillor D Andrews that the matter of concrete hard standing in the field to prevent mud and other materials building up on the highway would be picked up as part of the Section 106 legal agreement.  He also responded to a number of further queries from Members in respect of broadband, libraries and the position of Herts Ecology.

 

The Chairman exercised his discretion and allowed Mr Burge to address the Committee in objection to the application.  In response to a comment from Councillor J Jones, the Service Manager advised that would not be an undue impact on neighbouring properties.

 

It was moved by Councillor B Deering and seconded by Councillor I Kemp that the application be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report submitted.  After being put to the meeting and a vote taken the motion was declared CARRIED.  The Committee accepted the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Building Control as now submitted.

 

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/19/0408/FUL, subject to a legal agreement, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report submitted.

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