Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 17 November 2014 (to be laid on the table half an hour before the meeting).

The notes of the meeting of the Joint Planning Committee which took place on 17^th November were confirmed and signed.

To receive apologies for absence and notice of any substitutions.

Where Members of the Committee are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Area Planning Committee may be called to attend.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Simon Inchbald, Elizabeth Cable, Paddy Blagden and John Ward. Councillors Jim Edwards and Adam Taylor-Smith attended 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.

Councillors Brian and Patricia Ellis declared non-pecuniary interests as the local ward members for the planning application being considered on the agenda.

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.

Proposed development

Outline Planning Application with the reservation for subsequent approval of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale (reserved matters) for the erection of up to 425 dwellings including affordable homes and associated works, and new access points onto Alfold Road and Knowle Lane. This application affects Bridleway 566 and is accompanied by an Environmental Statement at  Land South Of High Street Between Alfold Road and Knowle Lane,  Cranleigh (As amended by letters dated 03/06/2014 and 05/12/2014, plans received 04/09/2014, 07/10/2014, and 19/11/2014, and as amplified by email dated 10/07/2014, by letters dated 12/08/2014, 13/08/2014, by emails dated 03/10/2014 and 21/11/2014.

Recommendation

That, having regard to the environmental information contained in the application, the accompanying Environmental Statement and responses to it, together with proposals for mitigation, subject to the applicant entering into an appropriate legal agreement by 28/03/2015, to secure the provision of/contributions towards:  affordable housing, highway and transport improvements, highway drainage improvement along Alfold Road, education, libraries, playing pitches, provision and on-going maintenance of play space and other open space, sports/leisure centres, community facilities, recycling, environmental improvements, improvements to the Downs Link, policing and for the setting up of a Management Company, and subject to conditions, permission be GRANTED.

Outline Planning Application with the reservation for subsequent approval of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale (reserved matters) for the erection of up to 425 dwellings including affordable homes and associated works, and new access points onto Alfold Road and Knowle Lane. This application affects Bridleway 566 and is accompanied by an Environmental Statement

The Chairman introduced the Officers present and referred Members to the proposed order of business for the meeting. Members were reminded that the application had been reported to the Joint Planning Committee on 28 October 2014 when they resolved to defer the application to allow time for officers to address the concerns of the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) with regards to surface water flood risk and, since that meeting, the applicant had submitted further information and the Council had also received information from independent consultants Odyssey Markides who had been commissioned to assess the information.  

With reference to the report circulated with the agenda, Officers presented a summary of the planning history of the site, and the current plans and proposals. Officers showed pictures of the application site and plans for the application. Members were advised that the application sought outline permission for the development proposal with all matters reserved for future consideration except for access. It was the officers view that the scheme should be supported subject to the applicant entering into an appropriate legal agreement to secure contributions towards a number of different elements detailed in the report.

Officers outlined the matters of principle/technical judgement and those matters of judgement and advised members of information received following the agenda being published and detailed in the update sheet. This included a further 25 representations but these did not raise any additional material considerations, and comments from the Applicants. Furthermore, Members received a copy of a letter from the Secretary of State advising Members that if they were minded to grant the application if was possible that it may be called-in under Section 77 of the town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)

Following the officers presentation and before the Committee debated the application, in accordance with the guidance for public participation at meetings, each party was given the opportunity to speak for up to 5 minutes. The following people spoke to the application:

Objectors

Mrs Townsend and Adrian Clark

Cranleigh Parish Council

Cllr Ken Reed

Applicant

Adrian Brown

In accordance with the Council’s constitution, procedure rule 23, Councillors Nick Holder and Patricia Ellis spoke for 4minutes on the application before the Committee debated the application.

Having heard the officers’ presentation as well as the representations from the objectors, the Parish Council and the local ward Councillor, Members were invited to ask any further questions or to seek clarification on areas of concern from the officers.

The Committee raised particular concern about the possibility of flooding on the site and the completion of the sequential test. Members also raised concern about the loss of countryside beyond the greenbelt, the impact of additional cars on residential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To consider the following recommendation on the motion of the Chairman:-

Recommendation

That pursuant to Procedure Rule 20, and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the item, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified at the meeting in the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

To consider any legal advice relating to any application in the agenda.