CRAWLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE – 13 th FEBRUARY 2006 ITEM REF NO LOCATION RECOMMEND 001 CR/2005/0773/FUL LAND AT RATHLIN ROAD PERMIT PAVILION/PLAY CENTRE SITE, RATHLIN ROAD, BROADFIELD, CRAWLEY 002 CR/2005/0812/FUL FORMER TSB SEEBOARD SITE, REFUSE RUSSELL WAY, THREE BRIDGES, CRAWLEY 003 CR/2005/0819/COU 4 FURNACE PARADE, FURNACE PERMIT GREEN, CRAWLEY 004 CR/2005/0853/FUL CLARION (FORMERLY QUALITY PERMIT HOTEL GATWICK), LANGLEY DRIVE, LANGLEY GREEN, CRAWLEY 005 CR/2005/0873/FUL 32 LINGFIELD DRIVE, POUND HILL, PERMIT CRAWLEY 006 CR/2005/0883/FUL 139 THE BIRCHES, THREE BRIDGES, PERMIT CRAWLEY 007 CR/2005/0890/RG3 CRAWLEY MARKET, HIGH STREET, PERMIT WEST GREEN, CRAWLEY 008 CR/2005/0891/FUL 35-37 GOFFS PARK ROAD, REFUSE SOUTHGATE, CRAWLEY 009 CR/2005/0895/FUL EVANS CYCLES, UNIT 1, CAMINO APPROVE PARK, JAMES WATT WAY, NORTHGATE, CRAWLEY 010 CR/2006/0009/FUL SITE E2, CRAWLEY BUSINESS PERMIT QUARTER, FLEMING WAY, NORTHGATE, CRAWLEY CRAWLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE - 13 February 2006 REPORT NO: PS. 239 ITEM NO: 001 REFERENCE NO: CR/2005/0773/FUL LOCATION: LAND AT RATHLIN ROAD PAVILION/PLAY CENTRE SITE, RATHLIN ROAD, BROADFIELD, CRAWLEY PROPOSAL: ERECTION OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT COMPRISING 52 APARTMENTS WITH ASSOCIATED PARKING (AMENDED PLANS RECEIVED) APPLICANT/AGENT APPLICANTS NAME: Kingsoak Southern Counties, AGENTS NAME: Development Planning Partnership, ______________________________________________________________ AMENDED PLANS/DRAWINGS: CONSULTATIONS Type Comments 1. Mr J Mills- County Archeologist No objections subject to archaeological safeguarding conditions. 2. BAA Safeguarding No objection subject to an informative on the use of cranes during construction. 3. Environment Agency No objections subject to conditions. 4. Thames Water No objections. 5. WSCC Planning No objections subject to Section 106 Agreement covering social housing and highway contribution. No contribution required for education or library infrastructure. 6. P & PS No objections subject to unilateral agreement. 7. Head of Transport Services No objection subject to a Section 111/278 agreement and highway contribution. 8. Southern Water No objections. 9. Police No objections. Consultation expiry date: 21 November 2005 NEIGHBOUR LETTERS SENT:- The Occupier: 11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33 and 35 Canvey Close 2,4,6,8 and 10 Colonsay Road REPLIES RECEIVED:- 5 letters of representation have been received some of which support the development of the site but others raise the following concerns:- ● generation of traffic to surrounding area ● insufficient car parking provision ● site contains archaeological remains ● scale of development out of character with the surrounding area. Other issues raised include future proposals for the adjacent children’s playground. 1. THE APPLICATION SITE:- 1.1 The application site is situated at the northern end of Rathlin Road adjacent the Broadfield playing fields on the south side of Crawley Avenue. The site is now vacant but was formally occupied by a single storey building that was erected in the mid 1970’s. This was used as changing facilities for the adjacent playing pitches, also as a supervised play centre. The building was badly damaged by fire and was demolished three years ago. 1.2 To the east of the site is the former hard surfaced playground, where the play equipment has now been removed, and a cut field currently used for casual and informal recreation. This area is separated from the public sports pitches to the north by a stream and a significant band of trees which screen the site from Crawley Avenue. There is also planting along the southern and western boundaries of the site and a footpath, which follows the route of Broadfield Brook. Beyond this lies the two storey residential development along Canvey Close and Lundy Close which forms part of the Broadfield neighbourhood. 1.3 Vehicular access to the site is currently taken in the south west corner from Rathlin Road and there are a variety of undefined footpaths in use around the site linking the existing residential area to the adjoining playing fields. 2. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT:- 2.1 Planning permission is sought for the residential development of the site to provide 52 apartments. The proposal will comprise of two blocks A and B. Block A is proposed as private whilst Block B is for affordable housing. It is proposed to provide a mix of one and two bedroom units with 36 two bedroom units and 16 one bedroom units. 2.2 The siting and orientation of the buildings has been designed to utilise the existing access to the site. Rathlin Road is to be extended and continued into the site to form a central car parking and circulation area with the blocks forming a horse-shoe shape around it. The vehicular access will be gated to restrict access to residents and reduce the potential threat of unauthorised vehicles in the parking areas. 2.3 The proposed development ranges from 2-4 storeys to provide a varied roofline. The higher sections of the buildings will be on the northern section of Block A where the development is furthest from neighbouring development and in the centre of the western part of Block A where tower features are proposed to form focal points to the access and entrance to the building. 2.4 Provision has been made for 63 car parking spaces and has been designed to enable constant surveillance of the parking areas by the two proposed blocks. The applicants have also included space for a car club which would form part of the unilateral agreement. 2.5 The scheme includes provision for an amenity area and associated landscaping. Boundary fencing and planting are also proposed to assist in the prevention of potential crime and vandalism. The footpath will be retained to the north which loops around the site to the north and west of Block A. 2.6 The application was supported by an environmental statement including: ● A Planning statement ● A Design statement ● A Transport Statement. ● An Archaeological Evaluation ● A Habitat survey ● A Badger survey ● A Water Vole Survey 3. PLANNING HISTORY:- 3.1 The application was previously considered by the committee at their meeting on the 23 January 2006, at which members resolved to defer the application to enable further consideration of a revised car parking layout which had been submitted by the applicants. 3.2 There is no other relevant recent planning history for the site. As mentioned previously the site was formally occupied by a single storey sports pavilion and play centre, but this was damaged by fire and subsequently demolished. Since that time crime and unauthorised access by vehicles have been reported and have lead to a further decline of the area. 4. PLANNING POLICY:- National Policy 4.1 Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS 1) “ Delivering Sustainable Development” sets out the overarching national policies on land use planning but is to be read in conjunction with other planning guidance. 4.2 PPS 1 stipulates that planning should facilitate and promote sustainable and inclusive development by: Making land available in line with economic, social and environmental ● Contributing to sustainable economic development ● Protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment ● Ensuring high quality development ● Creating safe liveable and mixed communities. 4.3 Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 “Housing” (PPG3) introduced the sequential test for residential development to encourage the use of previously developed land in preference to greenfield sites. PPG3 also encourages the efficient use of land and recommends densities of between 30 & 50 units/hectare but local planning authorities are encouraged to seek higher densities where sites have good public transport accessibility such as in town centres and along good transport corridors. Other recommended measures to secure the best use of available land involve a reassessment of development standards for roads, layouts and car parking. PPG 3 also promotes mixed use development, integration with public transport and the delivery of affordable housing. 4.4 PPG13 “Transport” promotes more sustainable transport choices and closer integration between planning and transport. 4.5 PPG17 “Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation” recognises the contribution of these factors in people’s quality of life. Para 13 of this guidance states that “…development may provide the opportunity to exchange the use of one site for another to substitute for any loss of open space or sports or recreation facility”. There is a proviso that the new facilities should be accessible and at least equivalent in terms of size, quality and attractiveness with an objective of improving the range of available facilities. The Structure Plan: 4.6 The West Sussex Structure Plan 2001-2016 (SP) was adopted on the 25 th October 2004. 4.7 Policy LOC1 emphasises the objective of locating new development within existing towns and villages through the development of previously developed land (PDL) 4.8 Policy NE1 identifies a need for 4495 dwellings in Crawley for the period 2001-2016, of which 3465 were existing commitments (inc PDL) and 1030 houses on unidentified PDL. 4.9 Policy NE4 relates to managing the release of housing land to deliver the levels of housing development over the plan period and to give priority to the use of “Brownfield “ land: the adequacy of supply to be assessed through monitoring. 4.10 Policy NE7 relates to the north east of the County and recognises the need to support economic growth whilst balancing this against the need to minimise the use of land and labour resources and provided infrastructure improvements are achieved. The Local Plan 4.11 The other half of the Development Plan for the purposes of Section 54A of the Planning Act is the Approved Local Plan 2000, which was adopted in April 2000 and covers the period to 2006. Work has commenced on its replacement and the Council has published a Draft Core Strategy of the LDF for consultation purposes.