Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 June 2015 (to be laid on the table half an hour before the meeting).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 15 June 2015 were approved.

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 Peter Isherwood, Carole Cockburn, Pat Frost, Stephen Hill, David Hunter, Stephen Mulliner and Liz Wheatley. Councillors Jenny Else, Nick Williams and Jim Edwards 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.

There were no declarations of Interest.

There were no matters falling within this category.

The background papers relating to the following items are as set out in the reports included in the original agenda papers.

Proposed Development

Outline Application for the erection of up to 50 dwellings together with new access, parking, landscaping, open space, a children's play area and associated works with all matters reserved except access (as amended by letter dated 09/12/2014 and plan received 09/12/2014; amended by letter dated 02/01/2015 and received 05/01/2015 and revised flood risk assessment received 05/01/2015; amplified by information received 19/05/2015 and amplified by letter dated 26/05/2015) at Land At Furze Lane, Godalming

Recommendation

That, subject to the completion of a S106 agreement to secure the provision of 40% affordable housing, highway and transport improvements and infrastructure including education, play space, open space and recycling and for the setting up of a Management Company to manage open spaces and the SuDS scheme and subject to conditions 1 to 33 and informatives 1 to 16 on pages 74 to 88 of the Agenda Report, permission be GRANTED.

Proposed development

Outline Application for the erection of up to 50 dwellings together with new access, parking, landscaping, open space, a children's play area and associated works with all matters reserved except access (as amended by letter dated 09/12/2014 and plan received 09/12/2014; amended by letter dated 02/01/2015 and received 05/01/2015 and revised flood risk assessment received 05/01/2015; amplified by information received 19/05/2015 and amplified by letter dated 26/05/2015) at Land At Furze Lane, Godalming

The Chairman introduced the Officers present and referred Members to the proposed order of business for the meeting.

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 site and plans for the application. 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 response from the Lead Local Flood Authority who had reviewed the flooding information produced by the applicants engineers which resulted in a revised condition 21 (as noted in the update sheet). There were also 8 further letters of representation but these did not raise any new material considerations. Officers also advised of a further update that condition 10 be removed because this was covered by an other condition already.

Officers reminded the Committee that the application was reported to the meeting of the Joint Planning Committee on 21 April 2015 where Members resolved to defer the application to seek more information from Surrey County Council regarding drainage and flooding. Specifically, Members had wanted officers to seek the informal views of the Lead Local Flood Authority and more information in relation to the issue of potential contamination of the site from the land to the north of the application site. The report had been updated to include the relevant responses and further clarification in relation to these matters.

Officers advised the Committee that the application was for outline planning permission with all matters reserved except means of access and landscape. The Council’s preference was for previously developed land to be developed prior to green field sites. However, the Council was not able to identify a deliverable supply of housing sites from the identified sites that would sufficiently meet the housing demand for the next five years. This was a material consideration of significant weight in the assessment of the application.

The Committee was further advised that the proposal constituted a major development within the Area of Great Landscape Value but that development of this site of housing was a significant public benefit. As such, it was considered that there were exceptional circumstances in this case to justify the development within the AGLV. The proposal does not result in the loss or alienation of the best and most versatile agricultural land. The scheme delivers a substantial level of both market and affordable housing and it was considered that this would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.