Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Obligation, Unilateral Undertaking or advance payment of:-

            (a)       £1,100 per dwelling in lieu of on-site play provision and

(b)       an educational contribution of £24,514 towards the provision of primary school places at Mountain LanePrimary School.  

If the obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as outlined above) is not completed within six months of the date of the committee resolution, the Head of Planning be given delegated authority to REFUSE the application. 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning in respect of this application.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.  Additional comments received since the preparation of the report were circulated at the meeting. 

                        The officer detailed the background to the report which was a resubmission following the withdrawal of a previous application 050497 on 15 May 2013 for the erection of 12 dwellings at this location.  This followed particular concerns by officers, Members and the Town Council that the scale/form of development being proposed was out of character with the site/surroundings and represented overdevelopment of the site at this location. 

                        Councillor Mike Peers, the local Member said that the applicant had listened to the concerns raised and had amended the application to take account of those issues.  The main issue had been about parking near to the entrance to the development but the amended plans had repositioned a number of parking spaces to serve the dwellings in proximity to the site entrance and this was now acceptable.  Another area of concern had been about the existing boundary but condition 12 had been included to alleviate those concerns.  A 1.8m high close boarded fence along the length of the common boundary with existing properties at Pemba Drive was also to be introduced as part of the proposal.  Councillor Peers, having earlier declared an interest in the application, left the meeting prior to the debate. 

            Councillor Neville Phillips proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  Councillor Phillips referred to paragraph 7.16 about the development increasing pressure on Mountain LanePrimary School.  He felt that Westwood School was closer to the development than Mountain LaneSchool and added that WestwoodSchool had spaces available.  In response, the officer said that discussions had taken place with colleagues in the Education Department and that the distances from the development to the schools had been measured and Mountain LaneSchool was the closest.  The Development Manager added that this had been the finding based on a formula used to calculate the distances and that Westwood School had been approximately 10 metres further from the development than Mountain Lane School. 

            Councillor Richard Jones felt that it was unfair to charge the developer £25,000 for 10 metres when Westwood School had capacity.  He felt that parents from the development would choose to send their children to Westwood School because it had spaces.  The Head of Planning said that the charge was imposed based on which school was the closest to the development not on the school that parents would choose to send their children to.  He emphasised that Mountain Lane School was the closest to the development. 

            Councillor Derek Butler suggested that the monies be split between the two schools.  Councillor Carol Ellis felt that parents should be encouraged to walk their children to school and asked whether the calculations were based on a journey by car or on foot.  The officer said that he understood that it was based on the journey on foot.  

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Obligation, Unilateral Undertaking or advance payment of:-

            (a)       £1,100 per dwelling in lieu of on-site play provision and

(b)       an educational contribution of £24,514 towards the provision of primary school places at Mountain LanePrimary School.  

If the obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as outlined above) is not completed within six months of the date of the committee resolution, the Head of Planning be given delegated authority to REFUSE the application.