Agenda item

Erection of a new 4 bedroom detached dwelling (as amended by site plan received 22 August 2022, additional drainage information received 1 September 2022, amended and revised information received 14 September, additional plan received 28 September 2022 and additional information (highways technical note) received 13 October 2022) and revised site plan and visibility splays rec 23 November 2022).

The committee considered planning application P22/V1890/FUL for the erection of a new 4 bedroom detached dwelling (as amended by site plan received 22 August 2022, additional drainage information received 1 September 2022, amended and revised information received 14 September, additional plan received 28 September 2022 and additional information (highways technical note) received 13 October 2022) and revised site plan and visibility splays rec 23 November 2022), on land at Cedar Glen, Harris's Lane, Longworth, Abingdon.  

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance, and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report, which formed part of the agenda pack for the meeting. 

The planning officer introduced the report and highlighted that the application was brought to committee by request of the planning manager. The planning officer informed the committee that the site used to contain a bungalow with outbuildings, now demolished. Permission was granted in 2022 for a replacement dwelling. The proposed application looked to erect a new dwelling on the north side of the site. Due to the realistic position that the development to the south of the site would go ahead, the planning officer considered the proposal as being an infill development, and thus acceptable.

The planning officer noted the concerns by the parish council that it believed the applications footprint resembled that of a previously refused application and that it was not an infill development, and so would not conform to the Longworth Neighbourhood Plan. However, the planning officer informed the committee that, as the reason the 2019 application was refused was due to the development not being considered infill, unlike the current proposal with the realistic fallback position, this change to the material circumstance of the site now made this application acceptable under the neighbourhood plan as applications should be assessed against the current situation and not the circumstances that were present when the neighbourhood plan was first adopted.

As there were no objections from the technical consultees and the planning officer believed that the application should be considered an infill development, meeting the requirements in both the neighbourhood plan and the local plan. The officer recommended that the application should be approved, subject to conditions.

James Corris, the agent representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

Members then inquired about whether the application should be allowed as it would be built in the garden area of the already approved dwelling to the south. However, the planning officer informed the committee that these concerns related to the previous 2019 proposal for three dwellings on the site, not the currently proposed two dwellings, and that the Neighbourhood Plan allowed for infill development even on garden land.

The committee then discussed the likelihood of the applicant using the fallback position of building the dwelling on the south of the site. As work had already commenced for the demolition of the bungalow and Community Infrastructure Levy liabilities were being discussed between the council and the applicant, members believed that this fallback was realistic and therefore that it should be given planning weight in their determination of the application.

Due to realistic fallback position, the committee agreed with the officer’s assessment that this application would be considered an infill development, in conformity with the neighbourhood plan, and therefore that the application should be approved.

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

RESOLVED: to approve planning application P22/V1890/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

Standard:

1. Commencement 3 years

2. Approved plans

Compliance:

3. Ecology implementation

4. Surface water drainage Implementation

5. Foul drainage implementation

6. Landscaping implementation

7. Tree protection (implementation as approved)

8. Materials in Accordance with Application

9. Access, Visibility, Parking & Turning

10. Gates, bin and cycle store

11. Obscure glazing

Informatives:

12. Bats Informative

13. Works within the Highway

14. CIL: General Consent (Vale)