Agenda and minutes

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

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 1 July 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 Carole Cockburn, Mary Foryszewski, Pat Frost, Michael Goodridge, Christiaan Hesse, Anna James, Stephen Mulliner, Chris Storey and Liz Wheatley.

Councillors Jim Edwards, Jenny Else, Val Henry and Julia Potts 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 disclosures in relation to matters on the agenda.

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.

Proposal

Erection of 140 dwellings together with new vehicular access, car parking and landscaping (as amended and amplified by additional information and emails received 08/05/2014, 10/06/2014, 18/06/2014, 20/06/2014, 26/06/2014, 07/07/2014, 28/08/2014, 11/11/2014, 12/11/2014, 16/01/2015, 25/02/2015, 09/03/2015 and 21/04/2015) at  Land At Lower Weybourne Lane,  Badshot Lea

Recommendation

That, subject to completion of a S106 agreement to secure: 40% affordable housing, infrastructure contributions including secondary education and environmental improvements, transport improvements, off-site highways works and for the setting up of a Management Company to manage on-site play space, open space and SUDS, and subject to consideration of any further representations or consultee responses and conditions, permission be GRANTED.

Proposed development

Erection of 140 dwellings together with new vehicular access, car parking and landscaping (as amended and amplified by additional information and emails received 08/05/2014, 10/06/2014, 18/06/2014, 20/06/2014, 26/06/2014, 07/07/2014, 28/08/2014, 11/11/2014, 12/11/2014, 16/01/2015, 25/02/2015, 09/03/2015 and 21/04/2015) at  Land At Lower Weybourne Lane,  Badshot Lea.

With reference to the report circulated with the agenda, Officers presented a summary of the planning context for making a decision on the application, and the proposed development including site plans and the layout. Officers outlined the determining issues, including matters of technical judgement in relation to flooding and highways, and those matters of a more subjective nature.

Officers drew attention to the Update report, including clarification of the weight to be given to Policy C2 as a housing supply policy; additional representations received from objectors; and points of clarification from the applicant in relation to the proposed pedestrian phase to the traffic light junction in Badshot Lea, the pedestrian/cycle link to Badshot Park, the electricity sub-station, and the updated drainage strategy.

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:

Cliff Watts - Objector

Cllr Jeremy Ricketts – Farnham Town Council

David Neame (Agent) and Andy Traves (applicant’s drainage engineer)

Cllr Nabeel Nasir also addressed the Committee, in his capacity as Ward Councillor.

Discussion

Committee members concerns were focussed on a number of issues:

- Notwithstanding the lack of objections from consultees, Members had concerns regarding the capacity of the local roads to cope with the additional traffic movements that the development would generate; the risk of flooding on the site, and the risk of flooding to the neighbouring residential areas as a result of development of the application site; and the lack of local infrastructure, including schools and GP surgery, to provide basic amenities without necessitating a car journey.

- Members were concerned that this application did not respect the views of the local community, in that this was the least preferred site for development in Badshot Lea identified as part of the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan process.

- The application, if approved would absorb a substantial amount of the remaining SANG capacity at Farnham Park, which could prevent other applications coming forward on more acceptable sites, particularly brownfield sites. In addition, Members had some doubts that the effectiveness of SANG as mitigation for the impact of development on the SPA had been adequately demonstrated.

- Members referred to the impact of the proposed development on the Farnham and Aldershot Strategic Gap, and on the encroachment and urbanisation of the countryside. They felt that the scale of the proposal was over-development of the site, which could amount to a 25% increase in the population of the village; the layout of the proposed estate raised concerns about the safety of there being only one access road; and the presence of 3-storey buildings was felt to be incongruous and over-bearing in the rural setting.

The Development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.