Agenda item

3/12/2063/FP – Recommended for Approval.

Dean Goodman addressed the Committee against the application.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that, in respect of application 3/12/2063/FP, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

Councillor K Crofton, as the local ward Member, stated that these garages were unsuitably narrow for modern day usage and had suffered for many years from a lack of investment and maintenance.  He pointed out that the proposed development was outside the Benington village envelope.

Councillor Crofton commented that the traffic survey for Three Stiles did not reflect the true car parking situation.  As a consequence, Town Lane was also regularly blocked with parked cars making the collection of refuse and recycling an issue for the refuse crews.

Councillor Crofton emphasised that the Council’s Landscape Officer had recommended refusal on the basis of the poor layout of the proposed development.  The Officer had also raised concerns in relation to the character of the area in terms of plot sizes, overdevelopment and the failure of the dwellings to assimilate well into the size and shape of the site.

Councillor D Andrews stated that he agreed with most of the objections to this application that had been summarised in paragraph 5.4 of the report now submitted.  He was particularly concerned that a road width of 3.2 metres was too narrow for a modern ambulance, refuse vehicle or fire appliance.

Councillor Andrews commented that he was particularly concerned in respect of the location, height and the access arrangements for the proposed development.  He referred to the inevitable conflict between traffic, parked cars and children as there was no footpath provision in this location.

The Director advised that planning policy ENV1 was a general policy in respect of the relationship and the impact of a proposed development on the existing street scene, as well as the impact on residents’ amenity.  He stated that policy TR7 was less relevant in this case as this site already benefited from parking provision.

Members were reminded that policy TR7 was more relevant to sites where new housing was being proposed with insufficient parking provision.  Members should weigh up the ability of the applicant to deliver a modest number of additional housing units whilst bearing in mind that many residential areas suffered from a degree of parking pressure.

Councillor D Andrews proposed and Councillor K Crofton seconded, a motion that application 3/12/2063/FP be refused on the grounds that the proposed development would result in the loss of existing parking provision and was therefore contrary to policy ENV1 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and the National Planning Policy Framework.  The proposed development also failed to respect the existing form and character of development in the area and was therefore contrary to policies ENV1 and OSV2 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this was declared CARRIED.  The Committee rejected the recommendation of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/12/2063/FP, planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.           The proposed development would result in the loss of existing parking provision and thereby increase the demand for on-street parking in an area where there is already significant demand and limited capacity.  As a result the proposal would be harmful to the amenities of existing residents, contrary to policy ENV1 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.           The proposed development fails to respect the existing form and character of development in the area, particularly with regard to the access roadway which is unsatisfactory in terms of length and width to serve residential development.  It would thereby be contrary to policies ENV1 and OSV2 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Summary of Reasons for Decision

In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2012 (as amended), East Herts Council has considered, in a positive and proactive manner, whether the planning objections to this proposal could be satisfactorily resolved within the statutory period for determining the application.  However, for the reasons now detailed, the proposal has not achieved an acceptable and sustainable development in accordance with the Development Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.