Agenda item

To consider the applications listed below for planning permission

The Committee considered application 3/17/0848/FUL, which was a hybrid planning application for:-

 

·        Full application for 44 dwellings with associated roads, footways, amenity areas, parking, open space, a drainage pumping station and a sustainable urban drainage system with surface water attenuation ponds in the eastern sector of the site as well as the provision of a principal access road from Leigh road as per the scheme approved under ref 3/14/1097/FUL other than the amended surface water drainage arrangements and ; ·        Outline planning application for a First School of 1.2 hectares in extent with means of access via the road and footway system incorporated in the accompanying full application and other matters reserved :- all as part of the development provided for under Policy WWMC8 of the Christchurch and East Dorset Local Plan Part 1 - Core Strategy (2014)

 

at Leigh Road, Colehill, Wimborne.

 

The Committee were informed that the application had been referred to the Committee by the Head of Planning due to the scale of development and in the public interest.

 

With the aid of a visual presentation, and taking account the detail in the report, officers provided context of what the main proposals, principles and planning issues of the development were; how these were to be progressed; how the development would contribute to meeting housing needs; and what this entailed. The presentation focused on not only what the development entailed and its detailed design, but what effect it would have on residential amenity and the character the area, taking into account the policies against which this application was being assessed, including the Development Plan: Christchurch and East Dorset Core Strategy (Part 1) 2014, National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2019 and the Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework SPD 2020-2025, East Dorset New Neighbourhood Masterplan 2012 and accorded with policies on Housing Delivery, Affordable Housing and Housing Mix.

 

The officer provided a series of updates in that:

 

·        the application was within the Colehill and Wimborne East Ward

·         that the site was wholly within Flood Zone 2

·        that the trigger for a viability study was if the 44^th dwelling had not been commenced which would be secured by a legal agreement

·        that Dorset Waste Services had agreed with the officer assessment in paragraph 8.11 and

·        that Condition 2 had been clarified to read “….that the two speed reducing bends to the south west and the south east ”.

 

Plans and photographs provided an illustration of the location, orientation,

dimensions – form, bulk, size and mass - and appearance of the development

and of the individual properties, with examples being given of how typical

properties would be designed, along with their ground floor plans; how it

would look; proposed street scenes; the materials to be used; access and

highway considerations; environmental considerations; drainage and water management considerations, the means of landscaping, screening and open space provision; local amenity provision; what arrangements there were for the provision of the First School and the development’s setting within that part of Colehill/Wimborne Minster, the wider landscape, Dorset Heathland and Green Belt considerations, for the sports facilities of the school. The school site would be slightly elevated so as to better manage surface water and drainage. Whilst the application was being considered in the whole, the presentation focused on the three elements: housing, the school and the access arrangements – and how each would complement the others

 

Officers showed the development’s relationship with other adjacent residential

development and how the buildings were designed to be in keeping with the

characteristics of the established local environment. The characteristics and

topography of the site was shown and its relationship with the highway

network. Views into the site and around it was shown, which provided a satisfactory understanding of all that was necessary.

 

Moreover, with regard to financial information of the benefits of the proposal, the following were considered to be material to the application with contributions to be secured through Section 106 legal agreement:

• Affordable housing - £110,000

• Education - £235,200

• Education Land - £60,000

 

In summary, the officer’s assessment considered the acceptability of the proposal in relation to the Development Plan, taken as a whole, and all other materials considerations, with this being considered in relation to the social, economic, and environmental benefits to be provided by the proposal. Therefore, it was considered the proposal was acceptable in relation to material planning considerations with all significant planning matters having been appropriately, or adequately, addressed so this formed the basis of the recommendation being made by officers to approve the application.

 

The Committee were notified of written submissions and officers read these direct to the Committee – being appended to these minutes. Having heard what was said, officers responded to some of the pertinent issues raised, being confident that each one could be addressed by the provisions of the application.

 

One of the two Local Ward members, Councillor Maria Roe, took the opportunity to address the Committee, objecting on two grounds: flooding and highways. She raised concerns about how flooding might compromise the site and, whilst mitigation measures were proposed, as it was seen to be a floodplain, did not believe that consideration should be given to building there as parts of Wimborne Minster East were experiencing more frequent flooding  and seemingly the drainage system was unable to cope from the surface water when there was heavy rainfall. She considered there was a need to keep natural floodplains because they enable water to drain away naturally into the land. She was also concerned that the local road network capacity would be compromised too from this development.

 

 

Formal consultation had seen an objection from Colehill Parish Council, regarding concerns about flood risk and lack of sufficient parking and from Wimborne Minster Town Council who, whilst not objecting, had raised issues they considered required attention. Public objections received related to parking and highway considerations, flooding and the development’s effect on amenity.

 

The opportunity was then given for members to ask questions of the presentation and what they had heard, in seeking clarification of aspects so

as to have a better understanding in coming to a decision.

 

Some important points raised, some of which they considered still required clarification, were:-

•    how access arrangements and traffic flows would be managed and what effect there would be on the highway network and how this had been assessed

•    how flooding, surface water and drainage issues would be satisfactorily managed, particularly in respect of the area around Leigh Road, which already experienced issues before, very recently in some cases

•        how the elevation of the school site might impact, both positively and negatively, on drainage and water management

•    the connectivity of the site to Wimborne and Colehill and to local amenities

•        what considerations had been given to building within the Green Belt and the implications for this

•        what energy efficient measures were being applied

•        an assurance that the management and a maintenance of the development’s internal road network would be achieved satisfactorily and would be of adoptable standards

•        an assurance that trees would be retained wherever possible and practical

•        that the attenuation pond would be routinely managed, maintained and monitored, as necessary

•        how the S106 contributions would be applied and allocated and particularly how the affordable housing element of the application could be best applied

 

Officers addressed the questions raised – and what clarification was needed - providing what they considered to be satisfactory answers, which the Committee understood to be, and saw, as generally acceptable.

 

Of importance was that officers considered the flooding, water management and drainage issues of the development, and particularly the school, to be addressed by virtue of conditions and by the elevation of the land on the school site and, having assessed the available evidence thoroughly, were confident that those concerns relating to water management could be satisfactorily addressed, with sufficient mitigation arrangements being built into the conditions.

 

Similarly given the assurance by the Highways Officer that the highway and traffic management issues could be successfully accommodated as part of the development and having analysed the evidence in respect of this, officers were satisfied that this had been suitably assessed.

 

Officers informed members that if practicable green energy provision would be given consideration and applied as necessary generated from renewable, low-carbon, and decentralised energy sources, with district heating and/or power facilities being considered too.

 

Officers were confident that regarding those issues and concerns raised by Members the application of the conditions and informative notes to any grant of permission would satisfactorily address all of those issues. 

 

Members were advised that whilst the attenuation pond would not necessarily be routinely managed, it was in the interest of residents to report any issue they considered required attention.

 

From debate, the majority of the Committee considered the proposal to be acceptable - understanding the fundamental issue of housing land supply, and in making the best use of the land available – and considered that this development would significantly contribute and could be seen to be a betterment in meeting the identified housing supply need within Dorset and should be seen to be beneficial, an asset to the town and to the needs of its residents. The benefits of the town having a new first school were evident too.

 

Having had the opportunity to discuss the merits of the application and an

understanding of all this entailed; having taken into account the officer’s report

and presentation; the written representations; and what they had heard at the

meeting, in being proposed by Councillor Barry Goringe and seconded by

Councillor Mike Dyer, on being put to the vote, the Committee agreed unanimously - by 9:0 - to be minded to grant permission, subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 13 of the officer’s report and in the officer’s presentation update, with the enactment of their ‘minded to’ decision being made by the Service Manager for Development Management and Enforcement.

 

Resolved

1a)That planning permission be minded to be granted, subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 13 of the report and in the officer’s presentation update, and the completion of a legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) in a form to be agreed by the Legal Services Manager to secure the following:

• Affordable housing - £110,000

• Education - £235,200

• Education Land - £60,000

 

Or

 

1b) Refuse permission if the legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) is not completed by 6 months from the date of the Committee or such extended time as agreed by the Head of Planning.

2)Having taken into consideration the Committee’s minded to decision, the

delegation to the Service Manager for Development Management and Enforcement to be authorised to grant permission be enacted, as per 1 a) and b) above.

 

Reasons for Decisions

 

•                   The delivery of housing on an allocated site to meet the District’s needs

•                   The provision of land for a First School on an allocated site to meet the District’s needs

•                   The offer of appropriate financial contributions to off-set the proposal’s impact in relation to education services, protected heathland and affordable housing

•                   The siting, scale, and design of all buildings are considered appropriate to the site and its surroundings

•                   It is considered that the proposal would not give rise to any significant adverse impacts in any respect, and that the proposal accords with the Development Plan as a whole, and is acceptable in all material respects