Issue - meetings

Erection of 24 dwellings, associated parking and access road.

Phillip Oddie, a local resident, spoke on behalf of The Willow Farm Action Group, in objection to the application.

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the report and provided an update as summarised below.

He recommended that an additional condition be added in respect of a further protected species survey for a mature ash tree to be removed to the site entrance.  The recommended condition was;

Prior to the commencement of development, a protected species survey shall be completed in respect of possible bat roosts for the Ash Tree to the site entrance, which is intended to be removed.  The survey shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and any mitigation approved in the report shall be undertaken.

He added that since publication of the committee report a number of emails had been received from the Willow Farm Action Group and a local resident expressing concern about the application and the committee report in particular, relating to the loss of a tree to the site entrance, whether the impact on protected species had been explored, including on hedgerows, whether a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) was required and also whether impacts on residential amenity had been suitably assessed, including whether neighbour letters had been appropriately summarised.

He explained that an additional condition was recommended in respect of exploration for the potential of bats in the Ash tree which was being removed, that the specimen was not considered worthy of a preservation order and that its removal was supported.  He added that the layout indicated existing hedgerows would be retained as per the proposed drawings and a landscaping scheme secured through condition 4.  

He added that whilst no LVIA had been submitted in support of the application, one had been undertaken as part of allocating the site for residential development within the Local Plan, which concluded that the site was of medium landscape sensitivity.

He added that in respect of the comments from neighbours, statutory consultees and the impacts on residential amenity, these had been accurately summarised and covered within the officer report and raised no new issues.

He added that concern had been raised about the Human Rights Act and whilst recent case law established that Article 8 (Human) Rights were important, it should not be assumed that any would outweigh the importance of having coherent control over town and country planning.

He concluded that the application be recommended for approval as outlined  in the report with an additional condition relating to the requirement for a protected species survey.

Councillor Lawrence joined the meeting.

Councillor Barnfather proposed a motion that the application be deferred to a future meeting until the applicant had produced a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, so that the committee were fully informed of the impact of the development on existing properties and on the quality of life of the residents of those properties, before a decision was made. 

The motion was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53