Agenda Item No: 6 Wolverhampton City Council OPEN DECISION ITEM Committee / Panel PLANNING COMMITTEE Date: 9th January 2007 Originating Service Group(s) REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT Contact Officer(s) Stephen Alexander (Head of Development Control) Telephone Number(s) (01902) 555610 Title/Subject Matter PLANNING APPLICATIONS Recommendation That Members determine the submitted applications according to the recommendation made in respect of each one. PLANNING COMMITTEE (9th January 2007) REFERENCE SITE ADDRESS PAGE NO Bilston North 06/01453/FUL Land Between 98 Prouds Lane And 5 8 Golf Lane Stowlawn Wolverhampton West Midlands Bushbury South and Low Hill 06/01486/FUL Unit 15 & 16 11 Merryhills Enterprise Park Park Lane Low Hill Wolverhampton West Midlands WV10 9TJ East park 06/01667/DWF Land Corner Of Cooper Street And 15 Adjacent To 265 Bilston Road Wolverhampton West Midlands 06/01668/DWF Land Fronting John S Hickman And 19 Company Cooper Street Eastfield Wolverhampton West Midlands Ettingshall 06/01666/DWF Land Corner Of Cable Street And 23 Adjacent To 266 Bilston Road Wolverhampton West Midlands 2 Fallings Park 06/01391/FUL 248 Cannock Road 27 Wednesfield Wolverhampton West Midlands WV10 0BE 06/01392/FUL 246 Cannock Road 31 Wednesfield Wolverhampton West Midlands WV10 8QF Heath Town 06/01230/FUL Former G & P Batteries Limited 35 Site Grove Street Heath Town Wolverhampton West Midlands Merry Hill 06/01313/FUL Land at rear of 118-120 Warstones 43 Road, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton West Midlands Park 06/01571/FUL Land Between 44 And 70 50 Compton Road Wolverhampton West Midlands 3 Penn 06/01369/FUL 36 Vicarage Road 56 Penn Wolverhampton West Midlands WV4 5JA Spring Vale 06/01158/FUL Former Garage Site To The Rear 61 Of 164 And 165 Sutton Court Lanesfield Wolverhampton West Midlands Tettenhall Regis 06/01223/COU 59 Pendeford Avenue 66 Aldersley Wolverhampton West Midlands WV6 9EH Wednesfield South 06/01531/FUL Caparo Ltd 73 Neachells Lane Wednesfield Wolverhampton West Midlands WV13 3RF 06/01440/DWF Land fronting 24-44 Davenport Road, 77 Wednesfield West Midlands 4 APP NO: 06/01453/FUL WARD: Bilston North DATE: 10-Nov-06 TARGET DATE: 05-Jan-07 RECEIVED: 24.10.2006 APP TYPE: Full Application SITE: Land Between 98 Prouds Lane And 8, Golf Lane, Stowlawn, Wolverhampton PROPOSAL: Residential development comprising 4 no. two bedroom and 5 no. one bedroom apartments (9 flats) APPLICANT: AGENT: GBS Builders Integrated Designs (Midlands) Ltd 46 Acfold Road 38 Old Walsall Road Handsworth Wood Birmingham B20 1HS B42 1NP PLANNING COMMITTEE - 09-Jan-07 REPORT: 1. Site Description 1.1 The site consists of an unoccupied piece of land, between residential properties 98 Prouds Lane and 8 Golf Lane, which is overgrown and quite unsightly. The land is very uneven, rising quite significantly towards the back of the plot of land, with a number of mature trees onsite. Security on the site is poor, with a panelled fence along the rear and side boundary only, screening the site from neighbouring properties. 1.2 The area is predominantly residential, with the street scene consisting of a mixture of properties. Immediately surrounding the site, to the side and rear are semi detached/terraced houses, of a traditional design, with part brick part render detail, and hipped roof design. Opposite the site is a block of flats of a basic square design. 1.3 The site is located on a busy main highway, within close proximity to public transport providing links to Bilston Town Centre, and within walking distance to other bus routes leading to Wolverhampton City Centre. 2. Application details 2.1 The proposal consists of block of nine apartments, four 2bed and five 1bed. There is an enclosed landscaped courtyard to the front of the property, and a centrally located vehicular access leading to the car parking and shared private amenity at the rear of the site, beneath apartment seven. 3. Planning History 3.1 05/1254/DW/R for Residential development (outline application), Granted, dated 16.09.2005. 5 4. Constraints 4.1 Mining Areas 5. Relevant policies 5.1 AM12 - Parking and Servicing Provision D1 - Design Quality D11 - Access for People with Disabilities part D13 - Sustainable Development Natural Energy D2 - Design Statement D3 - Urban Structure D4 - Urban Grain D5 - Public Realm Public Open Private Space D6 - Townscape and Landscape D7 - Scale - Height D8 - Scale - Massing D9 - Appearance H1 - Housing H6 - Design of Housing Development N7 - The Urban Forest 6. Publicity 6.1 The nature of the proposal did not require the application be the subject of press advertisement. A site notice was posted on 16 November 2006. 7. Neighbour notification and representations 7.1 There has been one letter of objection from No. 98 Prouds Lane, who have requested to speak to Planning Committee. The objection covers the following items: * Potential of smells, noise, lack of hygiene and risk of vermin from the bin storage, which is adjacent to the rear garden of 98 Prouds Lane is unacceptable. * The proposed alley and bin storage enclosure is easily accessible and would be a magnet for unruly youngsters to gather, and criminal activity and anti-social behaviour. * Insufficient level of car parking, resulting in cars being parked on Prouds Lane which is unsafe. * Possible loss of outlook from side facing kitchen window due to projecting forward of the building line. 8. Internal consultees 8.1 Tree Officer – A Silver Birch Tree on the boundary of 11 Claremont road is of good form and should be retained. The car parking is shown to be only 2m from this tree and should be a minimum of 3m from the trunk of the tree. Other trees worthy of retention are a Cherry on the Southern boundary adjacent to No. 8 Golf Lane and a 6 Larch Tree located adjacent to Car parking space No. 11 could be retained if this parking space was relocated elsewhere. 8.2 Access Officer - Compliant with Part M of the Building Regulations, door widths, level or ramped entrance, access from a vehicle to the dwelling, accessible heights, designed for ambulant disabled people, etc. 8.3 Building Control - Access should be level or ramped, design for ambulant disabled people. Fire Access appears ok. Ground Stability past mining area so report required. 8.4 Transportation Development - To be reported verbally at Committee. 8.5 Planning Policy Section - No objections in principle. 8.6 Environmental Services - To be reported verbally at committee. 8.7 Leisure Services – To be reported verbally at committee. 9. External consultees 9.1 Severn Trent Water - No objection, inclusion of sustainable drainage principles condition, and that no development shall take place within 2.5, of a public sewer which crosses the site, is necessary. 10. Appraisal 10.1 The key issues to be considered in this scheme are as follows: * Principle of Housing Development * Appropriate Design * Sustainable Development * Effect on Neighbouring Properties * Amenity * Parking * The Urban Forest - Impact on Trees. * Road Safety * Access for people with disabilities 10.2 The site concerned is quite uneven, well overgrown, and quite unattractive within the street scene. The street scene consists of residential properties of a varying design, consisting of semi detached and terraced houses to the side and rear of the site, with flats on the opposite side of the road. The site previously housed two pairs of semi detached properties; therefore, it is considered that the principle of residential development on this land is acceptable. 10.3 Due to the location of the land within an area of past mining activity, it will be necessary for the applicants to provide a ground stability report, to ascertain whether the land in question is suitable for development. This should be conditioned should the proposal be acceptable. 10.4 The design and massing of the apartment block has been carefully considered, taking into account those properties immediately attached to the site. Although the proposal is significantly different to the previous residential development on the site, the layout of the apartments takes into account the established building lines, to both Prouds Lane and Golf Lane, orientation (north/east and south/west facing windows), car parking, and private shared amenity space. 7 10.5 The design of the properties with a part brick/part render frontage, with hipped roof design and canopy frontages to the doorways are all in keeping with those properties neighbouring the site, and consistent with the character and appearance of the street scene, and local area. However, the front façade has also been broken up, to create shadows, and define lines between render and brick work, contrasting brick cills, and variation of windows which generally makes the building more appealing, providing a contemporary approach. 10.6 The layout of the apartments are well orientated with lounge and bedroom windows facing North/East or South/West providing a good standard of sunlight penetration to principal habitable rooms. Ground floor apartments have individual entrance doors leading out onto the front courtyard, and there is an additional hallway, leading to upper floors, and through the rear of the development, providing access to the amenity areas and car parking. Access is also afforded alongside the vehicle access below apartment Number 7. The apartment block will need to be accessible for people with disabilities. 10.7 Although set on a higher level, the apartment block will have no major impact on any of the neighbouring properties such as outlook, and loss of light. The side facing windows on the first floor to apartments No. 5 & 9 should be obscurely glazed to restrict any possibility of direct overlooking and perceived loss of privacy. 10.8 The amenity space to the rear of the property, is of a suitable size to support the development and is located within close proximity to the apartment being easy accessible.