Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

Mr Reid addressed the Committee in objection to the application.  Miss Cass spoke for the application.

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/15/2217/OUT, subject to the signing of the Section 106 legal agreement detailed in the report, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

Councillor R Brunton, as the local ward Member, addressed the Committee regarding a number of local issues and concerns.  He referred to the poor access and drainage as well as the history of flooding.  He urged Members to refuse the application or apply the conditions suggested by Hunsdon Parish Council if they were minded to approve the scheme.

The Head of Planning and Building Control summarised the application and detailed the relevant policy background to the proposed development.  He advised that Members should approve planning permission unless the adverse impacts of an application clearly outweighed the benefits.  The Head reiterated the lack of a 5 year housing land supply and stressed that there were no relevant changes to policy or material planning considerations since the application had been refused at the October 2015 meeting of the Committee.

The Head detailed the change to the proposed drainage solution and the robust position of Hertfordshire Highways in that there was some capacity on the local roads and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was explicit in stating that this impact had to be severe before an application could be refused on highways grounds.

The Head advised Councillor T Page that Members did not need to revisit the issues that had been addressed when the application had been previously considered unless there had been any changes in circumstances.  Officers were not aware of any changes and Members should focus the debate on the issues on which they had based their previous decision to refuse.

Councillor T Page was advised that Officers had not been able to establish whether the financial contribution towards health care facilities was required and this had not therefore been included in the Section 106 legal agreement.  Councillor K Warnell expressed a number of concerns regarding drainage and the maintenance of the proposed underground storage.  He also expressed concerns regarding the highways issues relevant to the application.

The Head of Planning and Building Control advised that the applicant remained willing to undertake works offsite to mitigate existing drainage problems.  He advised that the scheme would not increase the pressure on the drainage system beyond the status quo with the existing greenfield site.

The Head commented that the provision of a piped drainage solution with underground storage tanks did not represent as sustainable a strategy as was proposed in the previously refused application but was nevertheless an acceptable drainage solution.  He advised that the parking survey had been conducted solely to ascertain how much road space was available for residents’ parking.  He detailed the conditions that were being sought by Hunsdon Parish Council.

The Head of Planning and Building Control responded to a number of further queries and concerns from Members regarding the proposed development and the planning conditions.  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 3/15/2217/OUT, subject to the signing of the Section 106 legal agreement detailed in the report, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.