Item 4 REPORT TO: Planning Committee REPORT NO. HEP/25/16 DATE: 6 June 2016 REPORTING OFFICER: Head of Environment and Planning CONTACT OFFICER: David Williams (Ext 8775) SUBJECT: Development Control Applications WARD: N/A PURPOSE OF THE REPORT To determine the listed planning applications. INFORMATION Detailed reports on each application together with the recommendations are attached. RECOMMENDATION See attached reports. BACKGROUND PAPERS None. Page 15 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 Community Code No Applicant Recommendation Pages GWE P/2016 /0137 MR D GRIFFITHS REFUSE 17 - 20 ESC P/2016 /0225 MRS BRIDGET MCGUIRE GRANT 21 - 32 LLA P/2016 /0236 ROADWAY CIVIL GRANT 33 - 40 ENGINEERING GWE P/2016 /0263 S G ESTATES LTD GRANT 41 - 44 WRC P/2016 /0274 MR W JONES GRANT 45 - 47 WOR P/2016 /0278 MR DAVID FORD GRANT 48 - 52 WRA P/2016 /0289 MR S STOCKER GRANT 53 - 55 BRY P/2016 /0316 MR KEITH JONES GRANT 56 - 61 RHO P/2016 /0321 DMS ARCHITECTURAL GRANT 62 - 71 SERVICES MR & MRS A & R MCDONALD-BROWN ISY P/2016 /0327 GARDENBREEZE GRANT 72 - 84 LIMITED CEF P/2016 /0341 MRS TRACY NIGHTS GRANT 85 - 88 LLA P/2016 /0373 LLAY MINERS WELFARE GRANT 89 - 101 INSTITUTE & RECREATION GROUND Total Number of Applications Included in Report - 12 All plans included in this report are re-produced from Ordnance Survey Mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. WCBC Licence No. LA0902IL All plans are intended to be illustrative only and should be used only to identify the location of the proposal and the surrounding features. The scale of the plans will vary. Full details may be viewed on the case files. Page 16 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 APPLICATION NO: LOCATION: DATE RECEIVED: P/2016 /0137 LAND ADJOINING AND SOUTH OF 17/02/2016 RAILWAY BRIDGE HIGHFIELD ROAD HIGHFIELD WREXHAM COMMUNITY: LL11 4US CASE OFFICER: Gwersyllt KH DESCRIPTION: OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION WARD: TO ERECT 1 NO. DWELLING AGENT NAME: Gwersyllt West BLUEPRINT APPLICANT(S) NAME: ARCHITECTURAL MR D GRIFFITHS SERVICES LTD MR DAFYDD EDWARDS ______________________________________________________________ P/2016/0137 THE SITE SITE The site is accessed off the southern side of Highfield Road, Highfield. The land is unoccupied and has not been maintained for a number of years. A former rail track runs to the immediate north-west with a concentration of housing to the south-east. PROPOSAL Outline application with all matters reserved. Page 17 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 HISTORY CB0058 Outline application with all matters reserved. Refused 11 11.1996 on grounds of being within a green barrier and outside any recognised settlement and contrary to development policies in the countryside. DEVELOPMENT PLAN Outside any recognised settlement limit in a green barrier and a SAC buffer Policies PS1, PS2, GDP1, EC1, EC4 and H5 of the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan refers. CONSULTATIONS Community Council: Objections to application on the basis outside the settlement limit and would have an adverse impact on the surrounding area. Local Member: Requests application be reported to Committee Public Protection: No comments. Highways: Road very narrow with few passing places. The proposed access would be reliant on an adjoining stone wall being reduced to 1m in height for acceptable visibility but part of the reduction would be to the listed bridge with permission unlikely to be possible. To overcome concerns over the lack of passing places along Highfield Road, Highways recommend a passing bay is provided along the site frontage. Welsh Water: If permission was forthcoming a comprehensive drainage scheme for the site would be conditioned. Natural Resources Wales: No comments on the proposal. Neighbours: Four letters of objection on the following grounds:- • quiet and small hamlet in a rural location; • encroached into open countryside and impact on the rural character; • road is unsuitable for additional traffic; • development would be imposing; • impact on nearby residential amenity; • demolish existing stone wall; • no mains drains; • already difficult for emergency vehicles and access to the road; • local wildlife; • green barrier; Page 18 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 • Highfield Road has a weak bridge and could not support construction vehicles. Site Notice: Expired 30.03.16 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/ISSUES Policy: The site lies outside a settlement boundary and within a Green Barrier as defined in the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan. Outside defined settlements new dwellings will only be permitted in accordance with the stipulations within Policy H5 – change of use of an existing building outside settlements, subdivision of an existing dwelling, an essential need to house a full-time agricultural worker or the proposal constitutes infill. I do not consider the proposal falls within any of the exceptions. Infill: A previous permission was refused on the site in 1996 and I do not consider there have been any material changes in circumstances which would overcome the objections. Infilling is defined in the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan as ‘development of no more than two dwellings in a small gap with a well-developed frontage’. I do not consider the gap is small and similarly do not consider it would be within a well-developed frontage. The bulk of nearby development is to the south-east with terraced properties with a well-defined frontage adjoining the road. To the immediate north-west is a former railway line and a residential property set back approximately 16m to the south of the application site. Further south is a gap of approximately 24m. I do not consider the gap is small or would sit within a well built up frontage. Highways: Highways have raised concerns that the road is narrow with few passing places and would not normally support increased traffic movements along a road with such limited scope for passing. Highways consider it feasible to construct a passing bay by setting back the stone wall across the frontage, however with the listed bridge and associated stone wall it would not be possible to achieve adequate visibility. It may be possible to achieve adequate visibility by moving the access to the south-east corner of the site and provision of a passing bay. Amenity: I am concerned at the potential impact of the property on the adjoining Linden Lea and side windows. Whilst I appreciate it is an outline application should a permission be forthcoming the siting is largely dictated by the rear parking and turning requirements and provision of a private rear garden. Setting of Listed Bridge: I have concerns over the proximity of the proposed development to the Grade II listed road bridge. The issue of setting is a key consideration and I would be concerned by the visual impact of the development immediately adjoining the structure. Given the proximity of the proposed development to the railway embankment works to consolidate to land/bank could also have a detrimental impact. Page 19 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 CONCLUSION I do not consider the proposal constitutes development within the countryside which could be justified by the current national or local planning policies, adequate visibility splays have not been provided and the setting of the adjoining listed bridge and nearby residential amenity would be compromised. As such the proposal would be contrary to UDP policies PS1, PS2, GDP1, EC1 and H5. RECOMMENDATION: That permission be REFUSED REASON(S) 1. The site lies outside any recognised settlement and within a Green Barrier. To allow the proposal would be contrary to Policy H5, EC1, PS1 and GDP1 of the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan and would be to the visual detriment of the character of the area. 2. The location of the proposed dwelling in close proximity to a Grade II Listed road bridge would have an adverse impact on the setting of the structure. To allow the proposal would be contrary to Policy EC9 of the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan. 3. The provision of adequate visibility splays to serve the development would be dependent on works to the Grade II listed bridge. Works to the bridge would compromise the listed status and as such would be contrary to policy EC9 of the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan. 4. The location and proximity of the proposed dwelling to habitable windows on Linden Lea to the south would be detrimental to residential amenity. The proposal would be overbearing and would compromise natural light. The proposal as such would be contrary to Policy GDP1 (f). ______________________________________________________________ Page 20 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 APPLICATION NO: LOCATION: DATE RECEIVED: P/2016 /0225 LAND WEST OF BRYN OFFA 03/03/2016 FENNANT ROAD PONCIAU WREXHAM COMMUNITY: LL14 1PL CASE OFFICER: Esclusham PF DESCRIPTION: CHANGE OF USE OF LAND TO WARD: PROVIDE 2 NO. GYPSY / AGENT NAME: Ponciau TRAVELLER PITCHES, ERECTION MR TREVOR MENNEL OF ANCILLARY MOBILE DAY ROOM / AMENITY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF HARD- STANDING AREA AND ACCESS APPLICANT(S) NAME: MRS BRIDGET MCGUIRE ______________________________________________________________ THE SITE The site is located on the north side of Fennant Road, and it measures 0.16 hectares. The site is enclosed by conifer hedges, and by the boundary treatments along Fennant Road, incorporating access gates/fence/hedgerow. Proposed site Page 21 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING 6th JUNE 2016 PROPOSAL As above. The application details confirm that the proposal is for the change of use of land to facilitate two gypsy/traveller pitches with an indicative layout showing the provision of a static caravan and a touring caravan on each pitch.