Agenda item

Residential development to provide 200 new homes across private and affordable tenures, with public open space and play space, the protection of the existing route of the Wilts and Berks Canal and the provision of land to allow for a realigned route, on-site car and cycle parking and improvements to site access and egress.

The officer presented his report on an application to build a residential development to provide 200 new homes across private and affordable tenures with public open space and play space, the protection of the existing route of the Wilts and Berks Canal and the provision of land to allow for a realigned route, on site car and cycle parking and improvements to site access and egress. Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and planning history are detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting.

Updates received since the report was published

The make up of the affordable properties will now be:

1 bedroom = 12 units (as per report)

2 bedroom = 43 units (as per report)

3 bedroom = 16 units (4 fewer than report)

4 bedroom = 9 units (4 more than report)

(these have been agreed with the Council’s affordable housing team)

Councillor June Stock, representing Grove Parish Council, spoke objecting to some aspects of the application: the parish council is concerned about traffic and schooling.

Mrs K Goodchild, Paul Dunwoody and Norman Spooner, local residents, spoke objecting to the application.

Andrew Wagstaff (Dandara), the applicant’s agent, spoke in favour of the application.

Further to questions from the committee to officers, it was confirmed that:

• The 2.5 storey buildings were now set away from Denchworth Road and that there would be a significant landscape buffer
• The drainage issues would be addressed by attenuation chambers and ponds to take rainwater discharge, not the canal

RESOLVED (for 12; against 0; abstentions 1)

To authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the committee chairman, to grant planning permission subject to:

1.    The prior completion of a section 106 agreement within a deadline of three months to cater for on-site affordable housing provision, contributions toward off-site facilities and services including highway works, education improvements, waste management and collection, street names signs, public art, library and museum services, social and health care, fire and rescue, police equipment, canal restoration measures, recreational and community facility improvements; 

2.    Landscaping provision, especially Denchworth Road area to be covered by Grampian style worded condition to ensure planting scheme in place before can commence on site

3.    The following conditions, including the requirement to commence development within 12 months of the date of this committee consideration to help address the immediate housing land shortfall:

i.               Commencement ONE YEAR ONLY - from date of planning committee

ii.              Planning condition listing the approved drawings

iii.             Materials as on plan replaced by materials on site to come to panel

iv.             Withdraw permitted development rights (Part 1 Class A) - no extension/alteration to certain units specified

v.              Refuse bin storage

vi.             LS1 - landscaping scheme (submission)

vii.           LS2 - landscaping scheme (implement)

viii.          RE6 - boundary walls & fences

ix.             Plot curtilage boundaries

x.              Protect and retain hedges during development operations

xi.             LS4 - tree protection (detailed)

xii.           HY2 - access in accordance with specified plan (F)

xiii.          HY8 car parking spaces

xiv.          HY12 new estate roads

xv.           HY13 estate roads prior to occupation of dwellings

xvi.          HY20 bicycle parking

xvii.         Sustainable travel information pack

xviii.       MC32 - construction traffic management plan

xix.          Flood risk details

xx.           MC24 - sustainable drainage details (surface and foul)

xxi.          Bats and newts

xxii.         Land contamination

xxiii.       Maintenance of open space areas and provision of play equipment on site

xxiv.       RE17 - Slab levels and dwelling heights

xxv.        Roof top ariels

xxvi.       Canal engineering details