Application Number 15/01110/FUL Proposal Development for 3
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Application Number 15/01110/FUL Proposal Development for 3 bungalows, 3 terraced houses, 4 semi-detached houses and 21 apartments (in 2 blocks) on 3 parcels of land with associated works to highways, parking and landscaping. Site Land fronting Spring Gardens and Opposite Carrfield Mills, Newton Street, Hyde Applicant New Charter Group Recommendation Approve REPORT 1 APPLICATION DESCRIPTION 1.1 The application is for full planning permission for the development of three parcels at Spring Gardens, Hyde for 21 apartments and 10 houses for affordable occupancy. The mix of dwellings includes: - 3 no., 2 bedroom (three person) apartments; - 18 no., 1 bedroom (two person) apartments; - 6 no., 2 bedroom (four person) houses; - 1 no., 3 bedroom (four person) house; and, - 3 no., 1 bedroom (two person) bungalows. 1.2 The largest of the three parcels comprises 2,300 sqm and is situated in Newton Street and at the junction with Spring Gardens. This parcel would accommodate the apartments in 2, 3-storey blocks (Block A and Block B) and a terrace of 3 houses. 1.3 Apartment Block A would accommodate 12 apartments and Block B would accommodate 9 apartments. Both of the apartment blocks would have a single front and rear entrances. A communal amenity area would be provided between the buildings. Balconies at first and second floor would be recessed within the structure of the buildings. All of the apartments would have a dual aspect. A car park containing 21 spaces would be provided behind the blocks and this would be accessed from Spring Gardens from a similar point to where a road surface enters the site. Enclosed refuse storage areas would be provided on either side of the car park access point. 1.4 The terraced houses would be 2-storey; one would be 3 bedroom and the others 2 bedroom. Each house would have a front and rear garden. Both of the end-terrace houses would be provided with 2 off-street parking spaces and the house in the middle would be provided with one. The proposal creates a ginnel between the existing and proposed terraces to allow existing residents access to the rear of their properties. 1.5 The most northerly parcel of land is a long rectangular grass verge of 757sqm on the northern side of Spring Gardens behind terraced houses in Gair Street. The site would accommodate the 3 proposed bungalows. Two of the bungalows would be semi-detached and separated from the third, detached bungalow by a parking court providing 3 spaces. There is a 1.8m high wall along the northern boundary of the site, behind the houses in Gair Street. A gap would be maintained behind the rear boundaries of the bungalows and the existing wall to form a ginnel allowing for access to the rear of the existing houses to be maintained. 1.6 The most westerly parcel of land comprises a 945 sqm, L-shaped block to the south of Spring Gardens at the junction with Well Meadow and would accommodate 2 pairs of semi-detached houses. The houses would front on to Spring Gardens and each would be provided with front and rear gardens. The land at the junction of Spring Gardens and Well Meadow would provide a parking court for residents and visitors with 5 spaces accessed from Well Meadow. 1.7 All of the proposed buildings on each of the sites would be predominantly brick-built with tiled roofs. Each would include feature brick banding and feature render and cladding panels. 2.0 SITE & SURROUNDINGS 2.1 Historical maps show that each of the 3 parcels within the application site has previously been developed. The largest of the sites is now grassed and trees have been planted at the north-eastern corner and this together with the most northerly site form areas of informal open space. The most westerly site includes pieces of hardstanding slabs, tarmac and self-seeded trees and vegetation. 2.2 The three sites are divided by the centrally-located, privately-owned Flowery Field Community Centre, which is outside of the proposed development site boundaries. Otherwise the surrounding area is predominantly residential and characterised by terraced houses although there are 4-storey blocks of apartments facing towards the largest of the 3 sites across Newton Street. 2.3 Hyde Community College, Flowery Field Primary School and Flowery Field Railway Station are each located within a 500m radius north of the site. An entrance to Hyde Park is within 200m to the east of the site along Park Drive. There are bus stops on Newton Street that are immediately to the south of the site which provide local links to Hyde centre and Oldham. 3.0 RELEVANT PLANNING POLICIES 3.1 Tameside Unitary Development Plan (UDP) Allocation 3.1.1 Unallocated 3.2 Tameside UDP 3.2.1 Part 1 Policies 1.3: Creating a Cleaner and Greener Environment. 1.4: Providing More Choice and Quality Homes. 1.5: Following the Principles of Sustainable Development 1.12: Ensuring an Accessible, Safe and Healthy Environment. 3.2.2 Part 2 Policies H1: Housing Land Provision H4: Type, Size and Affordability of Dwellings. H10: Detailed Design of Housing Developments OL4: Protected Green Space T1: Highway Improvement and Traffic Management. T7: Cycling T10: Parking MW11: Contaminated Land. 3.3 Other Policies 3.3.1 Residential Design SPD 3.3.2 Tameside Open Space Study Final Assessment Report (2010) 3.4 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 3.4.1 Section 6 Delivering a wide choice of high quality homes Section 7 Requiring good design Section 8. Promoting healthy communities 3.5 Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) This is intended to complement the NPPF and to provide a single resource for planning guidance, whilst rationalising and streamlining the material. Almost all previous planning Circulars and advice notes have been cancelled. Specific reference will be made to the PPG or other national advice in the Analysis section of the report, where appropriate. 4.0 PUBLICITY CARRIED OUT 4.1 Prior to the application being submitted the proposals were presented to a public meeting held at the Acresfield Community Hub in Hyde on the 3rd December 2015. 4.2 As part of the planning application process, 137 notification letters were sent out to neighbouring properties on 5th January 2016 and a notice was posted at the site and in a local newspaper on 7th January 2016. Notification letters were sent again on 4th March 2016 following the proposals having been amended. 5.0 RESPONSES FROM CONSULTEES 5.1 Head of Environmental Services – Highways has raised no objections to the proposals and has requested conditions to be added to any approval. 5.2 The GM Police Design for Security Unit has no objection and has requested a condition to be added to any approval. 5.3 The Coal Authority has no objection and has requested a condition to be added to any approval. 5.4 United Utilities has no objection to the proposal and has requested conditions to be added to any approval. 5.5 The National Grid identified apparatus in the vicinity of the site that might be affected by the development. 6.0 SUMMARY OF THIRD PARTY RESPONSES RECEIVED 6.1 Objections have been received from 18 individuals, one being anonymous, from 15 households, as a result of the publicity carried out. The reasons given for objecting are: - the loss of the green space, including the trees and the views across the land, that is used as a safe play area for children and that there are alternative brownfield sites that should be developed instead; - that the proposal includes insufficient parking provision; - that the traffic generated would create additional noise disturbance and danger on local roads; - the resultant loss of access to the rear of existing houses in Newton Street both for vehicles, including emergency vehicles, and to transport refuse bins from the rear to the front for collection; - that the new buildings, particularly the apartment blocks would over-look and over-shadow existing residences; - the new residents may cause social problems in the locality; and, - the development would have a negative impact on house prices. 7.0 ANALYSIS 7.1 The principal issues in deciding this application are:- 1) The principle of the development, 2) The layout and design, 3) The sustainability of the location, and 4) Car parking. 8.0 Principle of Development 8.1 Section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, states that applications should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Consideration will also be necessary to the appropriate weight to be afforded to the development plan following the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework. Paragraphs 208 - 219 of the NPPF sets out how its policies should be implemented and the weight which should be attributed to the UDP policies. Paragraph 215 confirms that due weight should be given to relevant policies in existing plans according to their degree of consistency with the NPPF. At the heart of the NPPF is the presumption in favour of sustainable development and would support the delivery of a wide choice of quality homes with housing applications being considered in the context of a presumption in favour of sustainable development. 8.2 Evidence of the previous development of the sites has mostly disappeared and so these sites must be considered as Protected Open Space. The principle of the development must therefore be considered against the policies of Section 8 of the NPPF and UDP policy OL4 and whether built development is acceptable on these areas of Protected Open Space. 8.3 A Planning and Open Space Statement has been submitted in support of the application.