Agenda item

Proposal

Erection of 75 dwellings to include 27 affordable dwellings and associated parking, landscaping and open space, (details pursuant to outline permission granted under WA/2015/0478, together with the discharge of certain conditions imposed on this consent), the outline application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement; a statement of conformity to the original Environmental Statement has been provided with this application

Recommendation

RECOMMENDATION A          That, subject to conditions permission be GRANTED                                               for the reserved matters

RECOMMENDATION B          That, details pursuant to conditions 10, 11, 12, 23, 24                                               and 37 be AGREED

(Councillor Mary Foryszewski left the room for the consideration of this item)

Proposal

Erection of 75 dwellings to include 27 affordable dwellings and associated parking, landscaping and open space, (details pursuant to outline permission granted under WA/2015/0478, together with the discharge of certain conditions imposed on this consent), the outline application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement; a statement of conformity to the original Environmental Statement has been provided with this application.

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 and those matters of a more subjective nature.

Officers confirmed that the application sought approval of reserved matters following the grant of outline consent for 75 dwellings under reference WA.2015/0478.

The officers referred to the update sheet and advised that since the agenda had been published they had received a response from Environmental Health who had asked for further details in order to discharge condition 17 (Construction Environmental Management Plan). A response had also been received from Surrey County Highways who raised no objection to the discharge of conditions 5 and 6. 

The Committee heard from Councillor Liz Townsend at the meeting who, as a right, spoke for 4minutes (and came back at the end of debate) as the Ward Member for Cranleigh West.

The Committee considered the application and received legal advice regarding a letter that had been received by Members from the Cranleigh Civic Society threatening Judicial Review and also referred to not being able to speak on the application. It was confirmed that the public speaking scheme had not been triggered because there had not been 5 letters of support or 5 letters of objection to the application, hence why there was no public speaking.

The Committee noted that the principle of development on this site for up to 75 dwellings had been agreed at outline stage via granting of planning permission under WA/2015/0478. Councillor Stephen Mulliner was concerned by the design feeling like there were ghettos of affordable housing and was concerned by the height of the flats. Officers advised that the proposed layout was unregimented and allowed for a pattern of development that would be visually appealing, with spacing between buildings and a variety of building types. Officers considered that the adverse impacts would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the NPPF taken as a whole.

The Committee raised further concern about the ancient woodland and buffer zone, feeling that there was not enough space being allowed for. Officers advised that an appropriate buffer was achieved between the development and the Ancient Woodland and between the development and the Littlemead Brook. The proposal was considered unlikely to result in conditions harmful to ecology. However, they accepted that they could ask the applicant to put in a hedge row rather than fencing with the condition as follows:

“Notwithstanding the approved landscaping plans, the development hereby approved shall not be first occupied until full details of the appearance, scale and materials of the proposed boundary treatments have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, this must include details of any permanent boundary treatment to the adjacent ancient woodland. The approved boundary treatments shall then be installed prior to first occupation of each dwelling, or where they related to or enclose areas of public open space, prior to that area of public open space coming into use”

The Committee noted that with regards to the conditions submitted pursuant to the outline consent, it was considered that details pursuant to conditions 9, 11, 12 and 23 in relation to drainage were considered to be acceptable and officers advised verbally of an amendment to the recommendation to include condition 14 in the decision.

Following further discussion, the Committee moved to the recommendation A and the recommendation was approved as amended with 18 in favour and 1 abstention. Moving onto recommendation B, it was approved with 18 in favour and 1 against.

Accordingly, the decisions were as follows:

Decision A

RESOLVED to GRANT permission subject to amended condition 1 and deletion of condition 8 as noted in the update sheet and conditions 2 to 7, 9 and 10 (as amended above) within the committee report.

Decision B - That, details pursuant to conditions 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 23, 24, 36, 37 and 39 on outline planning permission WA/2015/0478 be AGREED.