Agenda item

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 and amended by letter dated 02/01/2015 and received 05/01/2015 and revised flood risk assessment received 05/01/2015).

Recommendation

That, subject to the completion of a S106 agreement to secure the provision of affordable housing, highway and transport improvements, community facilities, education, libraries, playing pitches, play space, open space, sports/leisure centres, recycling and other environmental improvementsand for the setting up of a Management Company, permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions detailed in the agenda report attached.

APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION – WA/2014/1330

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 and amended by letter dated 02/01/2015 and received 05/01/2015 and revised flood risk assessment received 05/01/2015) at Land At Furze Lane, Godalming.

The Chairman introduced the Officers present and referred the Committee 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 reference to the proposals acceptability with Local Plan Policy H3 and clarification on the designation of the site. Details of an offer to be subject to a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 were presented together with the advice of the Council’s external consultant regarding the Flood Risk Assessment. In response to the comments received from the external consultant there was an amendment to Condition 24 concerning a Sustainable Drainage Scheme (SUDS). An additional Condition 34 was proposed regarding detailed plans of the external surfaces of the emergency and maintenance access from the application site to Furze Lane. As a result of correspondence received and matters arising following the preparation of the Agenda, a revised recommendation from Officers was made, as detailed in the Update Sheet.

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 significantly and demonstrably outweigh the adverse impact on the character of the Countryside Beyond the Green Belt and AGLV. The proposal adequately mitigated its impact on local infrastructure and demonstrated in terms of flood risk that the development would be safe for its lifetime.

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:

Mr Juan Alvarez – Objector

Mr Charles and Mr Richard Betteridge – Supporters

Councillor Andrew Wilson, as Ward Councillor also spoke on the application.

Having heard the Officers presentation as well as the representations from the objector and supporters, Members were invited to ask any further questions or to seek clarification on areas of concern from the Officers.

The Committee was concerned about drainage and the possibility of flooding that would be caused by the development due to its position adjacent to Flood Zone 2. Members enquired about Surrey County Council’s role as the recently instituted statutory consultee on flooding and expressed a desire to wait for its comments before taking the application any further. It was noted that a challenge to the flood map had been made by the Applicant and that a decision had not been reached about it. Members were also concerned about possible contamination from land to the north of the application site that had a history of recorded complaints of illegal waste and vehicle storage / dumping in the area.

Officers reminded Members that although Surrey County Council had become the lead local flood authority on 15 April 2015, under law they only held responsibility for commenting on applications submitted after that date. Officers however did agree that if it was Members will, the Committee could ask them to provide a report and await their response to the request. Members were also advised that this was only an outline planning permission application and that the Council’s Pollution Control Officer had assessed the site as safe in principal, providing that contaminated land conditions were imposed. This would allow a full assessment of the nature and extent of any contamination on the site to be made and for a detailed remediation scheme to be developed.

During the discussion it was proposed, seconded and agreed that the application should be deferred until further information about drainage and flooding had been obtained.

Decision

Resolved to DEFER a decision on the application for more information from Surrey County Council regarding drainage and flooding.