Agenda item

Erection of 18 dwellings with access, car parking, areas for landscaping and other associated works.

Councillor Janet Shelley stood down from the committee as she was one of the local ward members. 

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P16/V1243/O for 18 dwellings with access, car parking, areas for landscaping and other associated works on land north of Manor Close, Chilton. 

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report and addendum, which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting.  The officer reported that a tree preservation order had been served to protect the trees around the outside of the site. 

Chris Broad, a representative of Chilton Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application. The parish council’s concerns included:

·         This should be classified as a ‘major’ development in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         The local plan adoption was imminent and the council would soon have a seven-year housing land supply

·         The would have a significant adverse impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         The western edge of the historic part of the village had an equine character, with many fields being used as paddocks, as this site had been; this development would change that

·         This would increase the housing stock in the historic part of the village by 5 per cent

Peter Oliver spoke objecting to the application.  His concerns included:

·         Since the last permission on this site had lapsed, the circumstances had changed

·         Chilton was a small downland village suitable only for minor infill development; this was a ‘major’ development

·         It was outside of the village curtain and would intrude on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         The application was for more homes than had previously been permitted on this site

·         The council would soon have a seven-year housing land supply

·         This site was adjacent to areas that had previously flooded and would worsen problems with the local sewerage system

Henry Venners, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application:

·         Chilton had greater connectivity now with the A34 junction improvements

·         This site previously had planning permission for housing

·         The site was screened by trees from the A34 and views from the Ridgeway

·         New homes were needed

·         The design guide had been followed

·         The scheme was for 18 homes, some smaller than the 15 homes previously permitted

Councillor Janet Shelley, the local ward member, spoke objecting to the application, relaying the concerns expressed by the previous ward member to the earlier application in 2015:

·         The site was in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and outside the settlement boundary

·         The planning officer had said the proposal was contrary to the local plan but the council had no five-year housing land supply

·         Only in exceptional circumstances should there be development in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         This would be a ‘major’ development in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         There had been concerns over the density of the earlier proposal; the latest application would have an even higher density

·         There was no room for open space

Officers responded to the committee’s questions:

·         An appeal inspector would consider planning policy relevant at the time of his decision, not at the time of the committee’s decision

·         18 homes could be accommodated on the site within the design guide’s parameters

·         This was not considered a ‘major’ site in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with comparison to the application at Lower Road, Chilton that was for 40 homes and was the subject of a recent appeal, as the Lower Road site had a greater impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and was considered by officers to be major development in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         The parish council’s response to its requirements for the section 106 agreement had not been received at the time but negotiations would take place subsequent to the meeting if the application were approved

A motion, moved and seconded to approve the application was put to the meeting and was declared carried on being put to the vote. 

RESOLVED: to authorise the head of planning to approve application P16/V1243/O subject to:

(a)       a Section 106 agreement being entered into to secure contributions towards local infrastructure and to secure affordable housing; and

(b)       conditions as follows:

1.         Reserved matters for landscaping submitted within 18 months, commencement 6 months after approval.

2.         Approved plans.

3.         Sample materials to be agreed.

4.         Sample panel of wall materials to be agreed.

5.         Tree protection to be agreed.

6.         Access and visibility splays to be agreed.

7.         Traffic calming on estate roads to be agreed.

8.         Car parking to be agreed.

9.         Turning space to be agreed.

10.      Bicycle parking to be agreed.

11.      Construction traffic management plan to be agreed.

12.      Travel information pack to be agreed.

13.      Sustainable urban drainage to be agreed.

14.      Foul drainage strategy to be agreed.

15.      Refuse storage to be agreed.

16.      Biodiversity enhancement to be agreed.

17.      Noise protection as agreed.

18.      New estate roads to highway authority specification.

19.      Obscured glazed first floor window – east elevation of Plot 12.

20.      Garage accommodation to be retained.

21.      No drainage to highway.