Agenda item

Following the Officer’s presentation of the report, David Gladman, an objector and Ian Wardrop, a Parish Councillor, addressed the Committee.

There was a proposal in the name of Councillor H M Bass to refuse the application in line with the Officer’s recommendation with the additional reasons of XXX, this was put to the meeting and agreed.

RESOLVED that this application be REFUSED for the following reasons:

1.      The application site is in a rural location outside of the defined settlement boundary for Wickham Bishops where policies of restraint apply.  The Council can demonstrate a five year housing land supply to accord with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework.  The site has not been identified by the Council for development to meet future needs for the District and does not fall within either a Garden Suburb or Strategic Allocation for growth identified within the Local Development Plan to meet the objectively assessed needs for housing in the District.  It is considered the proposed development would fundamentally alter the open character, on the north eastern edge of Wickham Bishops.  If approved, the site would be poorly connected with the existing village, would be out of keeping with the existing pattern of development and urban grain thus failing to protect and enhance to the character and appearance of the rural area.  Furthermore, the built form would have an urbanising effect on the rural character of the area and would result in an unwelcome visual intrusion into the undeveloped countryside, contrary to policies S2, H1, BE1, CC6, CC7 and T2 of the adopted Maldon District Replacement Local Plan, policies S1, S8, D1, H4, N2 and T2 of the Maldon District Local Development Plan and the guidance and provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.       In the Council's Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), it identifies that there is a need for a higher proportion of two bedroom units to create a better housing offer an address the increasing need for smaller properties due to demographic and household formation change.  Policy H2 of the Maldon District Local Development Plan which when read alongside the evidence base from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), shows an unbalanced high number of dwellings of three or more bedrooms, with less than half the national average for one and two bedroom units. The Council is therefore encouraged to provide a greater proportion of smaller units to meet the identified needs and demands of the District.  In this instance, the development proposal would fail to meet the local need and mix as set out in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) for the District thus failing to provide a supply of housing required to meet the needs of present and future generations, contrary to Policy H2 of the Maldon District Local Development Plan, and Government advice contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.