Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment).

                        The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) 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 explained that the site was currently vacant and overgrown.  All matters of detail were reserved for future consideration.  An indicative layout had been provided for the ten properties on the site, but this was not binding.  

            Councillor Chris Bithell proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.

            The Local Member, Councillor Peter Curtis, spoke against the application and said that the objections from Holywell Town Council, and his own concerns, had been reported.  He raised concern at the number of conditions attached to the recommendation and felt that the proposal for ten four bedroom properties would lead to an overdevelopment of the site.  He commented on the traffic generated by fans attending Holywell Town Football Club which was near to the site and raised concern about whether there was any contamination in the area due to previous uses of the site.  Councillor Curtis was also concerned about the issue of drainage and commented on a number of other developments in the area.  He felt that the application should be refused but that if it was approved, a section 106 agreement should be included for payment in lieu of on site play and recreation provisions.  He felt that the site was not the correct location for the proposal and asked that the Committee defer the application for a site visit. 

            Councillor Gareth Roberts spoke against the application and concurred with the comments of Councillor Curtis about the parking problems in the area.  He felt that the land which was owned by the Council should be converted back to a level piece of land so that it could be used as a car parking area to alleviate the problems.  He added that Holywell Town Football Club had spent £50,000 on works in the area. 

            Councillor Derek Butler agreed that there were drainage issues in the area and in referring to the comment by Councillor Roberts about the Council owning the land, suggested that Holywell Town Council or Holywell Town Football Club could purchase the land.  Councillor Owen Thomas concurred with Councillor Roberts about the problems of parking in the area particularly when visiting the nearby hospital or doctor’s surgery.  Councillor Richard Jones felt that Councillor Butler’s suggestion on the issue of land transfer should be taken up with the Chief Officer (Organisational Change). 

            In response to the comments made, the officer advised that the issues raised about Holywell Town Football Club were not relevant to the Committee’s determination of the application.  He confirmed that the site still had extant permission for 15 properties and explained that the current proposal for 10 properties was not an overdevelopment of the site and it complied with the Council’s standards.  The previous uses of the site had been considered and the conditions imposed would adequately address any concerns.  Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales had been consulted and neither had raised any objections to the proposal subject to conditions.  The officer explained that a Section 106 agreement for payment in lieu of on site play and recreation provisions could not currently be pursued as the Council owned the land.  However, if the land was sold in the future, these contributions could be sought as a condition of the sale of the land and this was clarified in the late observations. 

            In summing up, Councillor Chris Bithell said that the site had extant outline permission and was in the settlement boundary so there no reason to refuse the applicaiton.  No objections had been received from statutory consultees and the proposal was not an overdevelopment of the site.                     

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment).