Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 24 June 2015 (to be laid on the table half an hour before the meeting).

The minutes of the meeting which took place on 24 June 2015 were confirmed.

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.

There were apologies for absence received from Councillors Pat Frost, Michael Goodridge, Stephen Hill, Nick Holder, David Hunter and Peter Isherwood. Councillor Patricia Ellis attended as a substitute.

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 the application as she was a member of the Cranleigh Parish Council Planning Committee.

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 149 dwellings and associated works with access onto Horsham Road. This application affects footpath 378.

Recommendation

That subject to the completion of a S106 agreement to secure the provision of 40% affordable housing and the provision of a Local Equipped Area of Play, highway and transport improvements, footpath improvements and infrastructure including education, and environmental improvements and the setting up of a Management Company to manage open spaces, the play area and SuDS scheme and subject to conditions 1-25 and informatives 1-19 on pages 68 to 79 of the report, permission be GRANTED.

Proposed development

Outline application for the erection of up to 149 dwellings and associated works with access onto Horsham Road.  This application affects footpath 378, as amended by additional plans rec’d 25/2/15; additional Agricultural Land Classification Report rec’d 17/3/15 and 8/4/15 and as clarified by emails dated 22/5/15, 12/6/15, 15/6/15 and 17/6/15 at  Land At 106 & Chantreys Bungalow & Land To South West Of Horsham Road,  Cranleigh

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 planning principle and technical assessment, and those matters of judgement; and reported on information received following publication of the agenda which was detailed in the Update report. This included two minor amendments to conditions 3 and 25 and additional comments from the Applicant. There had been 4 additional letters of representation but these did not raise any new material considerations.

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 noted in the presentation that the Cranleigh Society had written to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations, asking that that he re-screen the proposal. The National Planning Case Work Unit had advised officers that the Secretary of State was deciding whether or not to use his discretionary power to re-screen the application. Officers advice was that the application would not be EIA development but they had revised the recommendation to be subject to the Secretary of State’s decision. The Committee was shown diagrams of the proposed improvements to the Downs Link and pedestrian access works along the Horsham Road and were provided with information about the indicative mix of dwellings for the site.

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:

·        Liz Townsend and Malcom Telsen – Objector

·        Chris Rees – Supporter

Having heard the Officers’ presentation as well as the representations from the objectors and the applicant and supporter, Members were invited to ask any further questions or to seek clarification on areas of concern from the officers.

The Committee discussed the location of the site and some Members felt that the proposal would result in an urbanising impact  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.