To determine the application.
Minutes:
The Committee had regard to its inspection of the site (as agreed in accordance with the Site Inspection: Policy and Procedure (minute P19/04 refers)) during its deliberations.
Graham Smith presented the application to Members and explained as it is an outline planning application, the applicant only has to provide an indicative layout and this demonstrates that they can accommodate up to 169 houses and includes provision for play areas and SUDS features. The proposed access into the site complies with engineering requirements as sought by the local highway authority. Mr Smith presented the overhead slides to Members and outlined details including the footpath from the existing housing which goes around the site. The site is a brownfield site on the edge of Whittlesey and is considered a sustainable location. The proposal cannot provide policy compliant levels of signing for affordable housing and the applicant has provided a viability assessment which has been assessed by the Section 106 Officer who has agreed its findings and therefore the significant education request from County Council. The application is recommended for approval subject to conditions attached and signing of the Section 106 Agreement.
Members received a presentation in accordance with the public participation procedure from Mr Struan Power, from Taylor Wimpey. The application has been submitted in line with the allocation for residential development under Policy LP11 of the Local Plan. The application will deliver new homes on the brownfield site and provides a range of family housing comprising of 169 homes. The homes will provide spacious gardens and surrounding open space and there will also be a children’s play area on the site. The subsequent reserved matters application will be submitted without delay.
Councillor Mrs Laws asked Mr Power whether he was present when Taylor Wimpey presented to Whittlesey Town Council in 2016. Mr Power confirmed he was present at that meeting. Councillor Mrs Laws commented that although Whittlesey Town Council are not objecting to this application because they would like to see the site come forward, several things were mentioned at the meeting in 2016, which she does not think that Taylor Wimpey have taken into consideration. One of these items is over intensification and at the time Councillor Mrs Laws recalls the proposal was for 160 houses as opposed to 169. The Town Council thought that 120 homes would be adequate. At the south of the site there are bungalows and it was requested at the time from local residents that bungalows would be built at that location. The third item was that a pedestrian footway would be constructed from Diana Close and this would not be opened up for vehicles. Councillor Mrs Laws asked what has happened to those three points.
Mr Power responded to Councillor Mrs Laws that as far as he has been involved with the project the scheme has always been for 169 units and the layout before Members today is the same layout that was presented to Whittlesey Town Council in 2016. Mr Power takes on board the comments regarding density but the calculations show it to be 14 houses per acre and 35 per hectare and they do not feel it is over intensification, it is making best use of land that is available it is an allocated site and is capable of delivering up to 169 homes. With regard to the footpath and Diana Close, Wimpey do not control the land that is outside and they are providing connections to the nature reserve and upgrading the 400 metre loop that runs through there. With regard to the bungalows, there are bungalows at the northern edge at Bellmans Grove and also at the north eastern end of the site, however, at the reserved matters stage the layout will be determined.
At this point in the meeting the Chairman advised Members that there would now be a fifteen minute recess to allow them time to review the confidential papers that were being tabled.
Members debated several points in relation to the information in the confidential papers.
Proposed by Councillor Connor, seconded by Councillor Sutton and decided that the application be:
APPROVED as per the Officer’s recommendation.
(Members resolved to exclude the public from the meeting for this item of business in so far as it related to confidential papers tabled at the meeting on the grounds that it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972)
(Councillor Mrs Laws and Councillor Miscandlon registered in accordance with Paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct on Planning Matters, that they are Members of Whittlesey Town Council but take no part in planning matters)