Appeal Decision
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Appeal Decision Hearing Held on 14 November 2017 Unaccompanied site visit made on 13 November 2017 Accompanied site visit made on the 14 November 2017 by Zoe Raygen Dip URP MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Decision date: 4TH December 2017 Appeal Ref: APP/W4223/W/17/3175644 Land off Haven Lane, Moorside, Oldham, OL4 2QH The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant outline planning permission. The appeal is made by Heyford Developments Limited against the decision of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. The application Ref PA/338917/16, dated 27 July 2016, was refused by notice dated 18 November 2016. The development proposed is residential development of up to 23 dwellings (C3 use class). Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for residential development of up to 23 dwellings (C3 use class) at Land off Haven Lane, Moorside, Oldham OL4 2QH in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref PA/338917/16, dated 27 July 2016 subject to the conditions set out in the schedule to this decision notice. Preliminary matters 2. The application was made in outline form with all matters to be reserved for future consideration except access. I have considered the appeal on that basis. The appellant Richboroughhas submitted a masterplan for Estates the site showing a layout incorporating 23 dwellings which I have treated as indicative only. 3. The Council refused the planning application PA/338917/16 for three reasons. In its submissions it advised that it had determined to withdraw reason for refusal No 1 regarding conflict with the strategy for the release of housing land within Policy 3 of the Oldham Local Development Framework, Development Plan Document – Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2011 (the DMP). It therefore offered no evidence towards the reason for refusal. 4. At the hearing, an agreed Statement of Common Ground (SOCG) was submitted dated November 2017. This document confirms that the main area of disagreement between the main parties relates to the effect of the proposal on highway safety. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate Appeal Decision APP/W4223/W/17/3175644 5. Within the SOCG the parties agree that the Draft Manchester Spatial Framework 2016 (GMSF) sets out the spatial distribution of housing growth, and states that the housing need in Oldham is for 13,700 dwellings (or 685 per annum) from 2014 for the full plan period to 2035. On this basis, the Council confirmed at the hearing that, irrespective of whether a 5% or 20% buffer is applied, it is unable to demonstrate a five year housing land supply. As a result, there was no dispute that, in accordance with paragraph 49 of the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework), relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up to date. 6. Therefore, on the basis of the evidence before me, I am satisfied that the proposal would be in accordance with the requirements of Policy 3 of the DMP. This allows the favourable consideration of non-allocated sites, such as the appeal site, for housing where a deliverable five year supply of housing land cannot be demonstrated. 7. The Council made its decision on the planning application with respect to the proposed site access and associated traffic calming as shown on drawing 2044- 001B. The SOCG refers to revised drawing 2044-001C, which has been accepted by the Council as the relevant drawing to be used within a condition listing the plans to which the permission relates should the appeal be allowed. Drawing 2044-001C makes only minor alterations to the scheme as proposed under drawing 2044-001B, the revisions relating to the paving of an existing verge. I am satisfied therefore, that interested parties would not be prejudiced were I to accept the plan and have regard to it in my determination of the appeal. 8. At the hearing a further drawing showing another revision to the originally proposed traffic calming scheme was put forward by the appellant under revision 2044-001D. The drawing was submitted in support of the appellant’s case as it evolved during the hearing, that the speed cushions would not be necessary as part of the overall traffic calming scheme. The revised drawing therefore deletes the proposed speed cushions, and only includes reference to the raised table. 9. However, during the related discussion at the hearing the Council’s Highway Officer (CHO) raised concerns regarding the removal of the speed cushions. They form part of a more extensive integrated traffic calming scheme on Haven Lane. WithoutRichborough detailed investigation and design Estates work, any ‘knock-on’ effects of the proposed amendments in terms of any implications for highway safety are unknown. The limited evidence in this respect from either party, particularly in light of the comments of the CHO, means that I cannot conclude, with any degree of confidence, that the removal of the speed cushions would not have an adverse impact on highway safety. Thus with the precautionary principle in mind, I have considered the scheme on the basis of the inclusion of the speed cushions as per drawing 2044-001C. Any revised scheme without the speed cushions would need to form the subject of a revised application which would be considered by the Council in the first instance. 10. The appellant submitted a signed planning obligation under S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, in the form of a unilateral undertaking (UU). The UU contains covenants in respect of the provision and management of open space provision, and financial contributions of £139,323 towards the cost of affordable housing and £35,767 towards the cost of traffic https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2 Appeal Decision APP/W4223/W/17/3175644 calming. The obligation is a material consideration and is considered in more detail later in this decision. Application for Costs 11. At the Hearing an application for costs was made by Heyford Developments against Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. That application is the subject of a separate Decision. Main Issue 12. The main issue is the effect of the proposal on highway safety. Reasons 13. Haven Lane forms a mainly residential street accessed at its northern end from Turf Pit Lane, which has a junction with the main A672 controlled by traffic lights. At its southern end, it meets Counthill Road which also links to the A672. 14. There are examples of terraced, detached and semi-detached houses along Haven Lane, some of which have no access to off street parking. As a result, on street parking is a particular characteristic of the road, which reduces its width to single carriageway in some parts. There are a number of streets which take access onto Haven Lane along its length. I have been supplied with various estimates of the number of houses on these streets feeding onto Haven Lane ranging between 260 and 320. 15. In addition, the construction of 46 houses on a site to the south of the appeal site (the Redrow site) is nearing completion. I was also advised that a site on Counthill Road had received planning permission for houses. 16. Concern was raised by the Council, and local residents, regarding the current level of car movements and congestion on Haven Lane caused by parked cars. As a result, it was considered that it was difficult for drivers of cars to easily navigate the road. Consequently, the Council and interested parties considered that the addition of a further 23 houses, and the associated car movements would be harmful to the existing difficult highway conditions on Haven Lane. There was a particular concern, given the current high level of on street parking, that the visibility for drivers edging out of the new junction would be significantly impaired.Richborough Furthermore, the length Estates of the distance that cars are parked on Haven Lane can make it difficult for people to get past causing tensions to rise and which could, on occasion, result in collisions. 17. The appellant submits within the Traffic Impacts Summary Note 2016 (TISN) that the existing traffic generation along Haven Lane is one vehicle every 45 seconds northbound and less than one vehicle per minute southbound in the morning peak period and not dissimilar figures in the evening peak period. I found this to be a reasonable assessment based on my observations at both of my site visits, one of which was undertaken within the evening peak period. While I acknowledge the comments of local residents regarding the existing level of traffic using Haven Lane, the only substantive evidence before me, combined with my own observations during the site visits leads me to the view that Haven Lane is not heavily trafficked. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3 Appeal Decision APP/W4223/W/17/3175644 18. Based on figures from the Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS), the appellant’s Transport Statement 2016 (TS) states that traffic associated with the development proposed would give rise to 11 traffic movements during the morning peak hour, and 12 traffic movements during the evening peak. These figures are disputed by the Council and local residents, who consider that the number is more likely to be 46 movements at each peak period based on each house being occupied by working families with access to two cars. 19. TRICS provides a recognised means of calculating trip rates for new residential development. Furthermore, the parameters used to extract vehicle trip rates by the appellant are broadly consistent with those proposed under the appeal proposal.