E-mail: [email protected] Direct line: 01403 215465 Development Control (North) Committee TUESDAY 4TH MARCH 2014 AT 5.30p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBER, PARK NORTH, NORTH STREET, HORSHAM Councillors: Liz Kitchen (Chairman) Roy Cornell (Vice-Chairman) John Bailey Ian Howard Andrew Baldwin David Jenkins Peter Burgess Christian Mitchell John Chidlow Josh Murphy Christine Costin Godfrey Newman Helena Croft Jim Rae Leonard Crosbie Stuart Ritchie Malcolm Curnock David Sheldon Laurence Deakins David Skipp Duncan England Simon Torn Frances Haigh Claire Vickers David Holmes Tricia Youtan You are summoned to the meeting to transact the following business Tom Crowley Chief Executive AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence 2. To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4th February 2014 (attached) 3. To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee – any clarification on whether a Member has an interest should be sought before attending the meeting 4. To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee or the Chief Executive 5. To consider the reports of the following officers and to take such action thereon as may be necessary: Head of Planning & Environmental Services Appeals Horsham District Council, Park North, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1RL Tel: 01403 215100 (calls may be recorded) www.horsham.gov.uk Chief Executive - Tom Crowley Applications for determination by Committee – Appendix A Item Ward Reference Site No. Number A1 Rudgwick DC/13/2170 Sussex Topiary, Naldretts Lane, Rudgwick A2 Rusper and DC/13/2183 Durrants Drive, Faygate Colgate A2 Rusper and DC/13/2184 Durrants Drive, Faygate Colgate A3 Denne DC/13/1829 53 Guildford Road, Horsham A4 Forest DC/13/1794 112 Brighton Road, Horsham A5 Itchingfield, DC/13/2288 Griffiths and Neilsen, The Business Park, Slinfold and Maydwell Avenue, Slinfold Warnham A6 Rusper and DC/13/2446 Land South of Buchan Hill Reservoir, Buchan Hill, Colgate Pease Pottage A7 Nuthurst DC/13/2451 Land Rear of 21 Woodlands Walk, Mannings Heath 6. Items not on the agenda which the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as urgent because of the special circumstances. DCN140204 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL (NORTH) COMMITTEE 4th February 2014 Present: Councillors: Liz Kitchen (Chairman), Roy Cornell (Vice-Chairman), John Bailey, Andrew Baldwin, Peter Burgess, John Chidlow, Leonard Crosbie, Malcolm Curnock, Laurence Deakins, Duncan England, Frances Haigh, David Holmes, Ian Howard, Christian Mitchell, Josh Murphy, Godfrey Newman, Jim Rae, Stuart Ritchie, David Sheldon, David Skipp, Simon Torn, Claire Vickers, Tricia Youtan Apologies: Councillors: Christine Costin, Helena Croft, David Jenkins DCN/107 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 7th January 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. DCN/108 INTERESTS OF MEMBERS Member Item Nature of Interest Councillor Tricia DC/13/2029 Personal - she knows the applicant Youtan Councillor David DC/13/1829 Personal – he knows one of the Sheldon public speakers Simeon Manley, Interim Planning Manager, declared a personal interest in Item DC/13/1890 as he used to live in Ringley Road. DCN/109 ANNOUNCEMENTS There were no announcements. DCN/110 APPEALS Notice concerning the following appeals had been received: Appeals Lodged Written Representations/Household Appeals Service Ref No Site Appellant(s) DC/13/1765 14 Peary Close, Horsham Ms Shelley Vickers DC/13/1465 115 College Road, Southwater Mrs Emma Beckford Development Control (North) Committee 4th February 2014 DCN/110 Appeals (Cont.) Informal Hearings Ref No Site Appellant(s) DC/13/0103 Buchan Hill Reservoir (land south of), Rural Eco Ltd and Buchan Hill, Pease Pottage Hyde Housing Association Appeal Decisions Ref No Site Appellant(s) Decision DC/13/1230 8 Six Acres, Slinfold Mr & Mrs Erik Dismissed Sorensen DCN/111 PLANNING APPLICATION: DC/13/1890 – DEVELOPMENT OF 33 DWELLINGS AND ASSOCIATED ACCESS, PARKING AND LANDSCAPE ARRANGEMENTS SITE: LAND NORTH OF RINGLEY ROAD, HORSHAM APPLICANT: HILLREAD HOMES LTD The Head of Planning & Environmental Services reported that this application sought permission for the erection of 33 dwellings, including 40% affordable housing, on land that formed part of the Parsonage Farm commercial site. The dwellings would include: 13 affordable units comprising six 1-bedroom flats, five 2-bedroom houses and two 3-bedroom houses; and fourteen 3-bedroom houses and six 4-bedroom houses. The density of the site would be approximately 37 dwellings per hectare. The houses and flats would be two storeys high, some with accommodation in the roof space. The application included access, parking and landscaping. Access would be from Ringley Road, which was a cul-de-sac, through an extension of the existing turning head at the end of the road. There would be a total of 75 parking spaces. 54 parking spaces would serve the 20 open market houses and 19 parking spaces would serve the 13 affordable dwellings. The application site was located within the built up area of Horsham and was open land used in connection with the Parsonage Farm commercial site. There was currently no vehicular access onto Ringley Road. The site was to the east and south of the Parsonage Farm site. It was west of properties to the rear of properties fronting onto Rusper Road, and also west of properties in Naldrett Close and Foxleigh. Bungalows in Ringley Road were to the south of the site. 2 Development Control (North) Committee 4th February 2014 DCN/111 Planning Application: DC/13/1890 (Cont.) The National Planning Policy Framework 2012; Local Development Framework Core Strategy Policies CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4, CP5, CP9, CP12, CP13 and CP19; Local Development Framework General Development Control Policies DC9, DC18 and DC40; Site Specific Allocations of Land 2007 Policy AL3; and the Horsham District Planning Framework Preferred Strategy were relevant in the determination of this application. There was no planning history relevant to this application. The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee. With regards to access for construction traffic, which would currently be restricted to using Ringley Road, it was reported at the meeting that the applicant was in discussion with the owner of the Parsonage Farm site regarding potential access for construction traffic via the commercial site. With regards to contamination and noise, the Public Health and Licensing Officer had raised no objection, subject to conditions. The Officer was satisfied that the land was unlikely to be contaminated but further investigation and a validation report would be required prior to construction. The Parish Council raised no objection to the application. Thirty letters of objection, some from duplicate addresses, had been received. Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application and the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. Members considered the principle of the development in the context of local and national policies. Whilst the proposal was in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development, Members expressed disappointment that an application for this parcel of land was being considered in isolation from the wider Parsonage Farm brownfield site. Concerns regarding access were noted and Members discussed the effect of the proposal on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers and in particular the impact on residents in Ringley Road caused by increased traffic movements. The Highways Authority had raised no objection to the proposal and Members concluded the proposal could not be refused on these grounds alone. Members also considered whether the design and scale of the buildings would be in keeping with the surrounding area. Members noted the comments of the Public Health and Licensing Officer and sought reassurance that contamination issues would be comprehensively addressed through conditions. It was confirmed that there would be a full investigation of the site and any contamination issues identified would be resolved prior to the commencement of works. 3 Development Control (North) Committee 4th February 2014 DCN/111 Planning Application: DC/13/1890 (Cont.) Should contamination be subsequently found, work would be required to cease until all contamination issues were satisfactorily resolved. It was noted that an Environmental Management Plan would be required prior to commencement of works, which would help to protect residential amenity, including the management of the sewer construction. Members remained concerned at the potential impact of construction traffic on the residents of Ringley Road should access via the Parsonage Farm site prove unviable. After careful consideration, Members concluded that the impact of the proposal would not provide sufficient justification to override the presumption in favour of sustainable development and agreed that the proposal was acceptable in principle. Officers confirmed that a condition to ensure that garages continued to be used as garages would be added during the determination of the application. Members requested that there should be no vehicular access from the proposed development to the Parsonage Farm site to prevent through traffic in Ringley Road. It was agreed that this could be controlled through a legal agreement. RESOLVED (i) That a legal agreement be entered into to: secure infrastructure contributions and affordable housing requirements;