Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 24 October (to be laid on the table half an hour before the meeting).

The Minutes of the last meeting held on 24 October 2016 were agreed as a correct record and signed.

To receive apologies for absence.

Where a Member of the Committee is unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Area Planning Committee may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Stephen Mulliner and John Ward.

Councillors Patricia Ellis and Simon Inchbald were in attendance as substitutes.

To receive from Members declarations of interests in relation to any items included on the Agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

Councillor Mary Foryszewski declared a non-pecuniary interest in planning application WA/2016/0517 as she was a member of Cranleigh Parish Council and sat on the Cranleigh Parish Council Planning Committee that had considered the application.

Councillor Mike Band also declared a non-pecuniary interest in both applications as he was representative of the Surrey Hills ANOB Board.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from members of the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

There were no questions from the public received.

Proposal

Hybrid application: Part Outline application for the erection of up to 254 dwellings with access from The Street Tongham and emergency access from Grange Road, provision of open space, including children's play areas, sustainable urban drainage system and associated works. Access only to be determined at Outline; Full application for change of use from agricultural land to use as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and associated works on land to the east of Tongham Road to serve the proposed development and surrounding area, including access, pathways and associated landscaping (this application is a cross boundary application; please also see Guildford Borough Council application 16/P/00222, the majority of the site falls within Guildford Borough Council) at  Land At North End Of Tongham Road,  Runfold (as amended by updated SANG LEMP (landscape ecological management plan) and letter of intent received 25/7/2016; SANG outline LEMP costs, SANG outline capital costs schedule, Revised SANGS plan (rev K) received 6/6/2016, Revised master plan (1613_10e) received 12/4/2016 and as amplified by Ecology letter received 2/8/2016, SANG delivery email received 28/7, Archaeological assessment received 28/7/2016, Highways modelling information received 11/3/2016; Travel plan, SANG Letter from Natural England, and response to SCC Highways comments received 11/3/2016 and Heritage Assessment received 9/3/2016, and additional ecology information received 02/08/2016 and 04/08/2016)

Recommendation

That permission be REFUSED

Please note: Cllr Christiaan Hesse arrived late to the meeting during this item. As a result, he did not take part in the debate or the vote.

Proposal

Hybrid application: Part Outline application for the erection of up to 254 dwellings with access from The Street Tongham and emergency access from Grange Road, provision of open space, including children's play areas, sustainable urban drainage system and associated works. Access only to be determined at Outline; Full application for change of use from agricultural land to use as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and associated works on land to the east of Tongham Road to serve the proposed development and surrounding area, including access, pathways and associated landscaping (this application is a cross boundary application; please also see Guildford Borough Council application 16/P/00222, the majority of the site falls within Guildford Borough Council) at  Land At North End Of Tongham Road,  Runfold (as amended by updated SANG LEMP (landscape ecological management plan) and letter of intent received 25/7/2016; SANG outline LEMP costs, SANG outline capital costs schedule, Revised SANGS plan (rev K) received 6/6/2016, Revised master plan (1613_10e) received 12/4/2016 and as amplified by Ecology letter received 2/8/2016, SANG delivery email received 28/7, Archaeological assessment received 28/7/2016, Highways modelling information received 11/3/2016; Travel plan, SANG Letter from Natural England, and response to SCC Highways comments received 11/3/2016 and Heritage Assessment received 9/3/2016, and additional ecology information received 02/08/2016 and 04/08/2016)

Officers introduced the application to the Committee and outlined its unique nature. The site lies partly within the area of Waverley and the partly within Guildford Borough Council’s area. A detailed assessment of the proposed housing element in terms of its principal had not been carried out as this fell within the Borough of Guildford. However, an assessment of the impact of the residential element upon Waverley had been included. Officers considered it a material consideration that the associated Guildford application had been refused permission on 17 October 2016.

The absence of a completed legal agreement to secure the long term management of the SANG and of a legal agreement to secure contributions for off site highway works had not demonstrated that the proposal would effectively limit the significant impacts of the development.

Officers therefore considered that the adverse impacts of the development would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies of the NPPF.

The Committee echoed the concerns of officers and agreed with their recommendation to refuse planning permission.

Decision

RESOLVED that permission be REFUSED

Public speaking

In accordance with the Council’s arrangements for public participation at meetings, the following made representations in respect of the application, which were duly considered:

Mrs Jane Terry - Agent

Proposal

Erection of up to 125 dwellings together with public parkland with mixed use including orchard, food growing and wildlife habitat and associated works (details pursuant to WA/2016/0848) (as amplified and amended by Construction Environmental Management Plan received 13/04/2016; Appendix D of Sustainable Drainage Plan rec’d 14/04/2016; Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Impact Assessment, plans, email, accommodation schedule, transport statement rec’d 27/06/2016; Bedroom size schedule rec’d 11/08/2016; plans received 18/08/2016 and 19/08/2016 and plans received 13/10/2016, 14/10/2016 and 20/10/2016) 

Recommendation

That, subject to the consideration of any further representations and consultation responses, the Reserved Matters be AGREED subject to conditions 1-20 and informatives 1-5 in the agenda report.

Proposal

Erection of up to 125 dwellings together with public parkland with mixed use including orchard, food growing and wildlife habitat and associated works (details pursuant to WA/2016/0848) (as amplified and amended by Construction Environmental Management Plan received 13/04/2016; Appendix D of Sustainable Drainage Plan rec’d 14/04/2016; Tree Protection Plan and Arboricultural Impact Assessment, plans, email, accommodation schedule, transport statement rec’d 27/06/2016; Bedroom size schedule rec’d 11/08/2016; plans received 18/08/2016 and 19/08/2016 and plans received 13/10/2016, 14/10/2016 and 20/10/2016) 

Officers began their presentation with a brief outline of the background. The application sought the approval for reserved matters following the outline approval of WA/2014/1038 which had subsequently been varied by way of a section 73 variation of condition application (WA/2016/0848) which effectively approved the principle of up to 125 dwellings on the application site. As such, the principle of development for housing had been approved and was not a matter to be considered at the meeting.

The matters which Members were being asked to consider were those reserved at outline stage including access, appearance, scale, landscaping, and the layout of the proposed development. Following amendments sought after the deferral of the application by the Committee on the 14 September 2016, the Committee were further considering those changes.

In terms of matters relating to drainage, officers reiterated that at outline stage, Thames Water had concluded that there was not capacity in the network to accommodate the proposed development and required an impact study to be undertaken to determine how foul flows from the development could be managed. Members accepted a Grampian style condition which prevented any development commencing until full details of the on and off site foul drainage works had been agreed.

These conditions remained on the outline permission which must be read in conjunction with the reserved matters application and therefore the conditions did not need to be re-applied.

The applicants had been undertaking modelling work and completed a capacity check. That information had been submitted as part of the information for the Council to consider and the developer believed that there was capacity in the network to link into the sewage system. This had not been formally discharged but it was with the Council and the information had been provided to Thames Water to finalise and agree.

As for surface water drainage, the Local Flood Authority were satisfied that the requirements under the outline approval had been met and that the surface water drainage design had already been discharged formally. However, further conditions had been applied to secure the final detailed drainage and management requirements as set out in the Report. As such, those matters were not for determination at the meeting.

In addition, the matter of the impact on water quality and compliance with the water framework directive was considered at the outline stage and accepted by the Committee.

Moving on to the detail of the application, officers explained that the application had been deferred at the meeting on 14 September 2016 following a number of concerns  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.