Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Place, Planning and Growth, (copy enclosed, Addendum to be circulated)*.

An Addendum was published prior to the meeting with an update to section 5.1 of the report to provide a clearer assessment of the proposed scheme against the policies contained within the National Planning Policy Framework (2026).

The Officer presented the report.

A discussion then took place between Members and Officers regarding whether the application constituted infill development and the precedent that approval might set. Members also considered the availability of infrastructure at the site, particularly in relation to electricity supply, the housing needs of the area, and whether the character and design of the proposed dwellings were in keeping with surrounding properties.

Following this Councill R G Pratt proposed that the Committee approve the application in line with Officers recommendations. This was duly seconded. Upon a vote being taken this proposal was approved.

RESOLVED that the application be APPROVED subject to the following conditions:

1.         Time Limit

The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

2.         Compliance with Plans

The development shall be carried out in complete accordance with the approved plans and documents listed in the decision notice.

3          Material Details

No external facing or roofing material shall be applied unless and until details and samples of all external materials, including brick plinths, render, weatherboarding, roof coverings, windows, doors and rainwater goods, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall be completed and retained in accordance with the approved details.

4.         Hard and Soft Landscaping

Before construction proceeds above ground-floor slab level, a detailed hard and soft landscaping scheme and boundary-treatment plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The details shall include species, sizes, densities and planting positions; retained vegetation; hard-surface materials; all walls, fences and gates; and an implementation and five-year replacement programme. The approved hard landscaping and boundary treatment shall be completed before first occupation. All planting shall be carried out in the first planting season following first occupation, and any plant that dies, is removed or becomes seriously damaged or diseased within five years shall be replaced in the next planting season with one of similar size and species.

5.         Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)

No development shall take place within each phase, including any ground works or demolition, until a CEMP has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The Plan shall include the following details:

·                safe access to the site

·                vehicle routing

·                the parking of vehicles of site operatives and visitors

·                loading and unloading of plant and materials

·                storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development

·                wheel and underbody washing facilities

·                Construction Dust Management Plan

·                Risk assessment of potentially damaging construction activities.

·                Identification of “biodiversity protection zones”.

·                Practical measures (both physical measures and sensitive working practices) to avoid or reduce impacts during construction (may be provided as a set of method statements) including impacts from noise or vibration

·                The location and timing of sensitive works to avoid harm to

·                biodiversity features

·                The times during construction when specialist ecologists need to be present on site to oversee works

·                Responsible persons and lines of communication in the event of a complaint and subsequent investigation

·                The role and responsibilities on site of an ecological clerk of works (ECoW) or similarly competent person

·                Use of protective fences, exclusion barriers and warning signs

The construction of the development shall be carried out in accordance with the CEMP as approved and shall be adhered to at all times thereafter.

6.         Construction Timings

During construction, demolition or site-clearance works, no powered machinery shall be operated, no process shall be carried out and no delivery to or collection from the site shall take place other than between 07:30 and 18:00 Monday to Friday and between 08:00 and 13:00 on Saturdays. No such activity shall take place on Sundays or public holidays.

7.         Surface Water Drainage

Before construction proceeds above ground-floor slab level, a detailed surface-water drainage scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include design calculations, discharge location and rate, finished levels, exceedance routes, measures to prevent flooding of land outside the site, and a management and maintenance plan identifying the responsible body for the lifetime of the development. The approved scheme shall be fully implemented before first occupation and thereafter managed and maintained in accordance with the approved arrangements.

8.         Contamination

If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present, no further development shall be carried out in the affected area until a remediation strategy detailing how that contamination will be dealt with has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved remediation shall be implemented and a verification report submitted to and approved in writing before occupation of the affected dwelling.

9.         Parking Provision

No dwelling shall be occupied until the vehicle parking and turning areas serving that dwelling have been laid out, hard surfaced and made available in accordance with the approved plans. Those areas shall thereafter be retained solely for the parking and turning of vehicles and kept free of obstruction.

10.       Cycle and Waste Storage

Before first occupation of each dwelling, secure and weather-protected cycle storage and enclosed refuse and recycling storage shall be provided for that dwelling and thereafter retained and kept available for those purposes.

11.       Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Compliance

The development shall be carried out in full accordance with the impact-avoidance, mitigation and precautionary measures contained in the submitted Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. All measures shall be implemented at the stated stages and thereafter retained where applicable.

12.       Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy

Before construction proceeds above ground-floor slab level, a Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. It shall identify the purpose and conservation objectives of the enhancements; detailed designs and locations of habitat and species features; persons responsible for implementation; timing; and arrangements for maintenance. The strategy shall include integrated bird and bat features and shall be implemented before first occupation and retained thereafter.

13.       Sensitive Lighting

Before any external lighting is installed, a wildlife-sensitive lighting scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. It shall identify dark zones and sensitive ecological features, provide luminaire specifications, positions, heights, orientations, shielding and predicted light levels, and demonstrate accordance with current Bat Conservation Trust and Institution of Lighting Professionals guidance, including Guidance Note 08/23. Only the approved lighting shall be installed, and it shall thereafter be operated and maintained in accordance with the approved scheme.

14.       Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan

No development shall commence, apart from preliminary site investigation, until a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan covering a period of at least 30 years has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The plan shall include the final habitat baseline and condition targets; habitat creation and management prescriptions; responsibilities, funding and contingencies; monitoring methodology; and submission of monitoring reports in years 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30. The approved plan shall be implemented in full. Any remedial action identified by monitoring shall be carried out within the timetable agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

15.       Tree Protection

All retained trees and hedges shall be protected and the development carried out in accordance with the submitted Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Arboricultural Method Statement and Tree Protection Plan. Protective fencing shall be erected before any site clearance, excavation, delivery of materials or construction begins, retained for the duration of the works and removed only after completion. Within protected areas there shall be no excavation, level change, storage, mixing, fires, service installation or vehicle movement unless expressly authorised by the approved arboricultural documents.

16.       Permitted Development Rights Removal

Notwithstanding the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, or any order revoking and re-enacting it, no enlargement, improvement or other alteration within Classes A, B or C of Part 1 of Schedule 2 and no building or enclosure within Class E shall be carried out without express planning permission.