Agenda Item 13 13.1 Smd/2015/0122 Outline
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AGENDA ITEM 13 SMD/2015/0122 OUTLINE APPLICATION WITH ALL MATTERS RESERVED (EXCEPT ACCESS) FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT LEEK ROAD WETLEY ROCKS Parish: Cheddleton Registration: 07/03/2015 Case Officer: Mr. A. D. Swithenbank Grid Reference: SJ 964 489 THE APPLICATION The proposal is an outline application for residential development with all matters reserved except for access. This report therefore considers the principle of residential development at this location and the details of the site access. All other matters including scale, layout, appearance and landscaping would be subject to consideration through a subsequent Reserved Matters planning application. Two indicative drawings have been submitted with the application to suggest for example how a scheme with two units or with three units could be accommodated. Also submitted are a Design and Access Statement and a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. An amended drawing has been provided to recognise that the rear boundaries of properties on Leek Road form a single straight line where previously there was an indentation in the alignment. The applicant is the son of former Councillor Mafooz Ahmad and commitment was made prior to the election to bring the item to committee due to the close relationship to a then serving Councillor and member of the Planning Applications Committee. SITE LOCATION/DESCRIPTION The site is a 0.3 hectare (0.7 acre) portion of field lying within the Wetley Rocks Development Boundary to the rear of detached properties, including the Wetley Rocks Methodist Chapel, which front the main A520 Leek Road on the left when approaching Wetley Rocks from the direction of Cellarhead. The access to the site would be formed where the existing field access leaves the A520 between 1 Oaklands Close and the property known as Beech Trees on Leek Road, opposite the south west corner of the Recreation Ground. The westerly boundary of the application site follows the Village Development Boundary and is currently open to the remainder of the field of which the site is a part. The northerly boundary is a low dry-stone wall which borders a further small field. A public footpath right of way crosses this field from a point in Wetley Rocks on Leek Road opposite the foot of Plough Bank and enters the field of the application at a point west of the site boundary and continues generally westwards to join other footpaths with links in several directions including for example points on Mill Lane and return routes to further points on Leek Road. PLANNING HISTORY SMD/2013/0682 Full Application: Alterations to provide improved means of access to land off Leek Road, Wetley Rocks - withdrawn. SMD/2013/0591 Outline Application: Proposed bungalow and alterations to access - withdrawn. SMD/2003/0387 Outline Application: proposed dwelling - refused 13.1 AGENDA ITEM 13 CONSULTATIONS Cheddleton Parish Council : The Parish Council has no objections, on the understanding that a section of this land lies within the development boundary. However, the Council would only like to see one to a maximum of two houses/ bungalows built on this site mainly on highway grounds and in order to provide an adequate turning / parking area within the site itself. Local Highways Authority : No objections subject to conditions and informative. These are set out at the end of this report. Severn Trent Water : No objections subject to conditions and informative. These are set out at the end of this report. Ecology Officer : Save for possible implications for bats the submitted Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) demonstrates that there are no protected habitats or protected species implications from this development. The PEA recommends monthly bat activity survey between April and September to establish the scale of bat feeding likely to take place over this ground. The information obtained would be used to inform controls on the extent and form of lighting to be allowed with any development permitted on the site - a matter for reserved matters stage in this instance. REPRESENTATIONS Expiry of: Neighbour Notices (x10), 1 st May 2015 Site Notice, 11th May 2015 Representations of Support: one - there is a proven need for both houses and bungalows in the village, either would be in keeping with the relatively recent development on land adjacent to the site. Representations of Objection: 13 - • Policy: the proposal is premature and should await the confirmation of new site allocations in the local plan process; the proposal is contrary to SS6 and SS6a; no accompanying evidence submitted to show that there is local housing need or that the development would provide affordable housing; the field landscape west of the site is identified in the Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment as important landscape setting to the settlement; • Amenity of existing residents: unacceptable impact for properties on Oaklands Close; reduced level of privacy; quality of life compromised for the existing overlooking properties; site is overlooked by various parts of the village including from the school and two churches and therefore contributes to the amenities of the village; severe impact visually, of noise, light, fumes, odour and dust etc. on the rear garden amenities of the existing adjoining properties and those on Leek Road do not have significant amenity space at the rear; impact of traffic noise 13.2 AGENDA ITEM 13 and fumes using the access to the rear of the properties on Oaklands Close; increase in traffic in the village; loss of view and therefore property value; complete loss of privacy to 'garden room' of Beech Trees, Leek Road; the peaceful rear outlook compensates for the impacts of Leek Road at the front, one of the busiest in Staffordshire; intrusion of inevitable street lighting; • Countryside: proximity to the cross-fields public footpath; impact on wildlife habitat; the site deserves protection for its contribution to the biodiversity of the village and the local landscape; loss of amenity particularly when using the footpaths; urbanisation of outlook from the field footpath; poor drainage of the land which is waterlogged and boggy; species-poor vegetation is still valued; • Traffic and Highways: concern as to safety of the proposed access junction with the main road; doubt that the highways requirements could be met; the access would be created exactly where the traffic calming measures start; on street parking problems will develop; impacts and risks from the construction traffic; too close to the Oaklands Close entrance; the southbound traffic is not subject to calming measures; • Need: A surprising proposal given the amount of property for sale; plenty enough property already vacant; • Other: question as to legality of having previously reduced part of the rear garden area of 1 Oaklands Close providing increased width for the site access; several members of Cheddleton Parish Council have a vested financial interest [no details given] in the land but were present when the item was considered at the Parish Council although they declared their interest; submitted drawing 1 is not to scale [it is] and distorts the impacts to appear more favourable; the development would not provide sufficient garden space; the proposal should not be considered in-fill; infrastructure of the village is too limited to serve further development - the school is already full; precedent for more development; there are more suitable alternative sites; POLICIES Core Strategy Development Plan Document (Adopted March 2014) SS1 Development Principles SS1a Presumption in favour of sustainable development SS2 Future Provision of Development SS4 Managing the Release of Housing Land SS6a Larger Villages Area Strategy SD1 Sustainable Use of Resources SD4 Pollution and Flood Risk H1 New Housing Development DC1 Design Considerations DC3 Landscape and Settlements C1 Creating Sustainable Communities NE1 Biodiversity and Geological Resources T1 Development and Sustainable Transport 13.3 AGENDA ITEM 13 Adopted Supplementary Planning Documents/Guidance (SPD/G): • Space About Dwellings SPG Core Strategy Supporting Evidence Documents : • Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment (2008) National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) OFFICER COMMENT Principle 1. Lying within the Larger Villages (Wetley Rocks) Development Boundary the principle of development is accepted (Policy SS6a). Given a known undersupply of housing in the District the absence of adopted allocations for development further supports the presumption in favour of this scheme. Main Issues / Policy 2. The main considerations are: • the impacts of this development upon the amenity of its immediate neighbours; • the ability of the site to accommodate the proposed development satisfactorily including with reference to the Space About Dwellings guidance; • ability to provide a satisfactory highways access; • the ability to establish a satisfactory relationship with the surrounding countryside beyond the site to the north and west; • implications for habitats and species biodiversity; 3. The immediate neighbouring properties are the four detached properties and the Methodist Church Hall backing on to the site from Leek Road and the four detached bungalows of Oaklands Close which back on to the southern edge of the site. 4. New housing development (Policy H1) includes several relevant points including that new dwellings should be of sufficient size to provide satisfactory levels of amenity whilst also respecting the privacy and amenity of