Issue - meetings

Recommended for Approval.

The Director for Place recommended that in respect of application 3/24/0284/OUT, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the late representations that had been received and set out the designation of High Cross as a group two village. Members were advised that the application had been reassessed under policy GBR2, and it was of note that the site was not within the village boundary. A number of amendments to the report were summarised by the Principal Planning Officer.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the application for outline planning permission with all matters reserved apart from access. She presented a series of parameter plans and slides that covered the location of the site in the context of the surrounding area. Members were advised of the main planning issues that were pertinent to the application. Of particular note was that the site was rural land beyond the green belt and there were no landscape designations on the site.

Members were shown an indicative masterplan for the site and a plan showing the bridleways and public rights of way that were referenced in the landscape and visual impact assessment. The heritage context of the site was also set out for the committee.

Members were reminded that landscape, layout, appearance and scale were not for consideration at this stage. The committee were able to consider the access to the site as well as the pedestrian access to the school.

Jacqueline Veater addressed the committee in objection to the application. She was asked a number of questions by the Development Management Committee.

Thaddaeus Jackson-Browne and David Baker-Brook addressed the committee in support of the application.

Councillor Andrews addressed the committee as the local ward Member. He was asked questions by the Development Management Committee.

Questions were asked regarding whether the site had been submitted to the call for sites, and also in relation to the identified local need and whether the housing was for local needs and also whether lower end of substantial harm meant substantial.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the situation was ever changing in respect of the call for sites. She said that in terms of local need the need was across the district as a whole and there was no request specifically that this site be reserved for local needs. Members were advised that the harm was less than substantial harm otherwise the scheme would more likely have been recommended for refusal.

The Principal Planning Officer explained that the site was not part and parcel of the listed buildings, and the expanded comments of the conservation officer were helpful in that regard. The site was in the wider locality of the village church and the school but was not part of what made the character of those buildings special.

Members were advised that the open space and the proposed SUDS provisions to the south of the site would now provide a very large gap between a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 331