Agenda item

Erection of 38 retirement living apartments with communal facilities, car

parking & landscaping.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the application for the erection of 38 retirement living apartments with communal facilities, car parking and landscaping on the site of the former Mountjoy School.

A slide of the location plan showed the proposed site plan with access off Flood lane, 28 car parking spaces to the rear of site, proposed 1 and 2 bed apartments and nearby listed buildings. An aerial photo showed the wider area that included Morrisons, Sydney Gale House and Palmer's Brewery. Amendments made during the application process included widening of the landscape buffer.

Updates to the wording of the recommendation and conditions 8 and 10 had been included in an update sheet that was circulated to the committee at the meeting.

Four further representations in support of the application had been received that raised no new reasons other than those that were already included in the report.

The Highways Officer stated that the footway fronting Flood Lane would be widened to 2m, with little traffic on the east of the site where it became narrower.  The parking arrangements were compliant with the Adopted Local Plan and evidence provided by the applicants suggested that people living in the 2 bedroom properties would not necessarily have 2 cars.  There were good bus routes in the area with links to cycle routes.

Carla Fumgovi, the agent, spoke in support of the application.  She said that the scheme had been significantly amended since it was first proposed and would be in keeping with the area.  It would provide better accommodation for older people in the context of an aging local population.  In addition, a contribution to affordable housing would be made.

Cllr Sarah Carney, Bridport Town Councillor, stated that the Town Council had strongly objected to this application on two previous occasions.  She asked the Committee to view the proposal in the context of child poverty, unaffordable rents and a shortfall in key worker housing in the area and that an affordable housing scheme would be more appropriate.  The report did not have regard to the climate emergency or the local or neighbourhood plans.

Although some members were disappointed that this was not an affordable housing scheme, the contribution towards affordable housing was seen as beneficial in providing appropriate housing elsewhere in the locality rather than on a site for sheltered accommodation.

Members were also concerned about flooding, particularly in light of the condition in relation to a flood warning and evacuation plan.  It was explained that the amended recommendation was subject to the holding objection being withdrawn by the Flood Risk Management Team and that such a condition was common to ensure there were mitigation measures in place in the event of a flood.

Members questioned the need for retirement homes in the context of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan which had a policy for retirement living based on proven need when there was an abundance of retirement flats in the area, some of which were vacant.  However, there was a demonstrable need for affordable and social housing which should be a priority on a council owned site.

The Development Manager advised that ownership of the site could not influence the decision.  The affordable housing policy requirement of 35% was to be made as a financial contribution that had been supported by the housing team and there was no reason to refuse the application on this basis from a planning point of view.

Members felt that Adopted Local Plan Policy ENV4 should also be a consideration in respect of listed buildings around the application site which was also in the AONB.

Slides were revisited that showed the relative heights of surrounding buildings including the Palmer's Brewery and Sydney Gale House.  The design and layout of the scheme had been amended as a result of comments and Conservation, Landscape and Urban Design Officers considered the proposal to be acceptable.

The AONB was a wider landscape issue, however, as this was a site where there are buildings around it, the proposal was unlikely to be considered harmful in landscape terms. 

Proposed by Cllr Louie O'Leary, seconded by Cllr Susan Cocking.

Decision: That authority be delegated to the Head of  Planning to grant planning permission subject to the holding objection being withdrawn by the Flood Risk Management Team and any amendments to surface water drainage conditions requested by the Flood Risk Management Team and the completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 (as amended) in a form to be agreed by the Legal Services Manager to secure the following:

An affordable housing Contribution of £295,111 index-linked using RPI from the date of this committee report together with conditions and their reasons (as amended in the update sheet) outlined in the appendix to these minutes.