Agenda item

            That reserved matters permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning, the additional highway condition in the late observations and subject to the applicant entering either into a Section 106 agreement, providing a unilateral undertaking or the making of an advance payment which provides the following:-

- Ensure payment of a commuted sum payment in lieu of on site public open space provision of £8063, such sum to be used to upgrade existing open public open spaces within the locality.  This sum shall be paid upon the occupation of the fifth apartment. 

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 and drew Member’s attention to the additional condition in the late observations.  He said that the figures reported in paragraph 7.02 were incorrect and that the proposal was for a total of eleven properties as follows:-

- four x two bed

- two x three bed

- a terrace of three

- and two bungalows.

Mr. T. Bignell spoke against the application and said that Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd had not been fair with the residents about how they would be affected by the application.  He referred to the design of the properties and said that the dwellings were intended to be used to house independent disabled adults and would be akin to a transit camp.  He said that the development would not bring young people into the area and would not bring new life into the village.  Mr. Bignell felt that the applicant was not putting the needs of local people first and suggested that part of the site could have been used as a village hall.  He felt that the entrance to the site could not cope with the anticipated increase in traffic and that the access road was just wide enough for two vehicles to pass.  He felt that the development of the site would restrict deliveries to the local shops and would create problems for emergency vehicles and said that the road was narrow and uphill.  He requested that the application be refused and that only a building to benefit all of the village should be approved.      

Councillor Chris Bithell proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  Councillor Bithell said that the application already had outline planning permission from 2006 and 2010.  He felt that the decision to allow the application had been well established and that it should be permitted.  Councillor Christine Jones welcomed the application and said that there was a need for more supported living facilities in Flintshire. 

Councillor Mike Peers queried the density on the site as based on a density of 30 dwellings per hectare, he said that there should be 17 dwellings on the site.  He referred to the payment for open space provision and queried whether this should have been included in the Section 106 agreement as Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd were a non-profit making organisation.  He also queried why permitted development rights were to be removed. 

In response to the comment from Mr. Bignell about the properties not being for local people, the officer said that the development was a 100% affordable housing scheme and if the properties were not needed by disabled people then they would be made available to local people.  On the issue of the removal of permitted development rights, this was intended to protect the amenity of properties from future developments.  He explained that for open market developments, the requirement for open space provision was £1100 per dwelling but this was reduced for 100% affordable sites to £733 per dwelling and he confirmed that this policy had been applied consistently on other applications.  On the issue of density, he advised Members that there was a wide variety of housing in the area and that the density applied was in accord with the area and complied with the Unitary Development Plan.  In response to a further query from Councillor Peers about whether the residents in the properties would be able to have a garden shed if permitted development rights were removed, the Development Manager said that the residents would need to apply for planning permission so that the impact could be assessed. 

            RESOLVED:

            That reserved matters permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning, the additional highway condition in the late observations and subject to the applicant entering either into a Section 106 agreement, providing a unilateral undertaking or the making of an advance payment which provides the following:-

- Ensure payment of a commuted sum payment in lieu of on site public open space provision of £8063, such sum to be used to upgrade existing open public open spaces within the locality.  This sum shall be paid upon the occupation of the fifth apartment.