Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 agreement, providing a unilateral undertaking or the making of an advanced payment which provides for the following:-

·         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £733 per dwelling (£16859) in lieu of on-site play and recreation facilities, to upgrade the existing children’s play area at Oakenholt. 

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.

The officer detailed the background to the report and explained that the application had been deferred from the previous meeting to allow the application to be publicised further.  This period had now elapsed and no further representations had been received.  The site had been granted approval under application 050300 and this application was to amend house types on this part of the site. 

Mr. J. Yorke spoke against the application and in referring to the Design and Access statement which he said referred to nine houses.  He sought clarification on whether the contribution for play provision was for the playground at Oakenholt or Albert Avenue as both had been mentioned in the report.  The Design Brief required affordable housing for young people to get on to the housing ladder and in line with Technical Advice Note (TAN) 2, he suggested that this should be pepperpotted through the site and not just be in one location within the site.  Mr. Yorke said that this application did not adhere to the condition required by 050300 as it was for social housing in one area of the site and suggested that these were not affordable homes. He expressed significant concern about the parking on Coed Onn Road and said that the Environment Impact Assessment was 13 years old.  Concern had been expressed by the Ecology Officer because of the requirement to remove 13 feet of top soil alongside a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  He referred to an email that had been sent by the Planning Strategy Manager to Local Members, Councillors Vicky Perfect and Paul Cunningham, which implied that approval of this application implemented the planning condition imposed on phase 3 that the link road from Coed Onn Road to the A548 would be provided; he queried why this was not evident in this proposal.  Mr. Yorke felt that this application was significantly different to those submitted in 1999, 2004, 2008 and other public exhibitions. 

            Councillor Ian Dunbar proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  He said that the area had planning permission for 23 dwellings and that this application was for the same number of dwellings but of different house types and the development would also link the proposal for the distributor road.  Councillor Christine Jones welcomed the inclusion of a special needs bungalow as part of the proposal. 

            The Adjoining Ward Member, Councillor Rita Johnson spoke against the application.  She said that the application was part of the Croes Atti design brief which included affordable properties to be pepperpotted throughout the whole site.  This application from a Housing Association was trying to change the site to 23 affordable homes was not part of the original application and suggested that this had not been adhered to.  The area was classed as phase 3 which required that the through road to the A548 was to be completed to a base level but now it was proposed that only between 15 and 25 metres length of this road was required.  

            Councillor Chris Bithell raised concern about the suggestion that the affordable housing would not be pepper-potted through the site as he felt that this could lead to segregation.  Councillor Alison Halford supported what Mr. Yorke had said about pepper-potting the affordable homes through the site and indicated that as it was a historic site, there was only a requirement for 10% affordable dwellings.  Councillor Carol Ellis commented on the road and sought clarification on the requirement for the provision of only 15 to 20 metres rather than the through road as conditioned in the previous planning permission. 

            In response to the comments made, the Officer said that 10% affordable housing was a requirement for the whole site which the developer was still bound by and added that this proposal was in addition to that requirement.  There was also a requirement as part of the original proposal to improve the junction of Coed Onn Road and the Croes Atti junction prior to any works commencing on site. 

            The Planning Strategy Manager said that Mr. Yorke had referred, in his objection letter and his address to Committee, to an email that he had sent to the Local Members which advised that the approval and subsequent implementation of this application totally initiated the part of the Phase 3 Section 106 agreement requiring full provision of the remainder of the estate link road through from Coed Onn Road to the A548.  The Planning Strategy Manager said that the email actually said was “that as a consequence of this application gaining permission and subsequently being implemented, the part of the Phase 3 Section 106 agreement requiring an access link into the Croes Atti site from Coed Onn Road would be triggered”.  It confirmed what the Planning and Highway officers had already advised Members.       

            Councillor Bithell referred to paragraph 7.09 on affordable housing and sought clarification on whether they would be spread throughout the site.  In response, the officer reiterated his earlier comments that the applicant was bound by the agreement to provide 10% affordable housing across the whole site.  The Development Manager advised that this application from a Housing Association was for 100% affordable dwellings on this part of the site, which was in addition to the 10% across the remainder of the site.  Councillor Marion Bateman sought clarification on whether this proposal for 100% affordable housing would all be in one location.  The Development Manager confirmed that it would be and asked Members to be mindful that if they were considering refusal of the application simply because it was for Housing Association properties, this would be difficult to sustain at appeal. 

            The Planning Strategy Manager said that there were three phases of development which had a condition to provide 10% affordable housing, so this application was in addition to that provision.  He reminded Members that the Housing Association provided quality homes and provided a range of affordability options for their residents which could include selling the properties to the occupiers as a shared equity option. 

            In summing up, Councillor Dunbar confirmed that pepperpotting of affordable homes was in place throughout the whole of the Croes Atti site.     

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) and subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 agreement, providing a unilateral undertaking or the making of an advanced payment which provides for the following:-

·         Ensure the payment of a contribution of £733 per dwelling (£16859) in lieu of on-site play and recreation facilities, to upgrade the existing children’s play area at Oakenholt.