Manchester City Council Item 16 Planning and Highways Committee 13 February 2014 Application Number Date of Appln Committee Date Ward 104446/FO/2013/N2 17th Dec 2013 13th Feb 2014 Gorton North Ward Proposal Proposed erection of 67 no. two-storey, two and three bedroom houses with associated new highway, car parking, landscaping and boundary treatments Location Land Between The Railway Line And Gorton Monastery, Gorton, Manchester, Applicant Mr Ian Sharrocks , Wates Living Space NW, The Royals, 4th Floor 353 Altrincham Road, Sharston, Manchester, M22 4BJ Agent Mr Graeme Mill, Pozzoni LLP, Woodville House, 2 Woodville Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 2FH Description The proposal relates to a large piece of land on Gorton Lane that Is located to the east of the Grade II* listed Gorton Monastery. The site is currently vacant since the old buildings were demolished and is clear with only a few shrubs and trees around the boundary. This site was first used as a Chemical works in the late 1800's alongside housing and a school and then In the 1900's a gas works was added to the site. In 1907, the chemical works was replaced by Crossley Motor Works, which expanded over time across the whole site. These works had also then closed by 1960, and replaced by warehousing. All of these buildings have since been cleared and the land has been remediated. The site is approximately 1.70 hectares in total and is adjacent to the piece of land where permission was recently granted for an upgraded car park for the Monastery. The Monastery bounds the site to the west, with residential dwellings to the north and south. Across the adjacent railway line, industrial buildings then bound the site to the east, with the BT depot on the opposite side of Gorton Lane also to the south. Historically, Gleeson Homes were granted planning permission under applications 082854/FO/2007/N2 (69 houses) and 087920/FO/2008/N2 (76 houses) in 2007 and 2008 for a new residential development. However, due to the economic downturn following these permissions, the site was never developed. Current Scheme As part of the Housing Investment Fund projects, the site is now being brought forward for redevelopment to provide a new residential development. Planning permission is sought for the erection of 67 two storey houses, all with an in-curtilage car parking space, front and rear gardens, a shed, an appropriately sized bin storage area and surrounding boundary treatments. It is proposed to deliver 23 two bedroom houses and 44 three bedroom houses across the site, with a mixture of properties for sale and for renting. The site will then be landscaped with a significant number of new trees, hedgerows to the front boundaries behind the new boundary walls, and shrub, bulb and turf planting within the gardens. Manchester City Council Item 16 Planning and Highways Committee 13 February 2014 A new pedestrian link will be provided between Gorton Lane and the centre of the site that will run alongside the boundary of the new Gorton Monastery car park. This will be adopted and lit to provide a safe area to walk for residents. There is also the possibility for a pedestrian link to be created in the future between the new estate and the Gorton Monastery site to create good permeability within this area. Consultations Advertisement The application has been advertised through the display of 3 site notices across the site (3 rd January 2014) and in the press (24 th December 2013) as being a Major Development and as affecting a Listed Building (Gorton Monastery located outside the site edge red boundary). Local Residents / Businesses No letters of representation have been received for this application. Gorton Monastery Trust The Trust have been working very closely with the City Council’s Housing Strategy team in trying to improve the design quality and energy efficiency on the site in the context of creating an appropriate flagship scheme adjacent to a heritage building of such importance. The Trust is optimistic that by working together to resolve these concerns, it will be possible to reach a satisfactory conclusion within the required timescales. However, in the meantime it is necessary to register the Trust’s response and their objection to the planning application as it stands. Highway Services Initial comments were received that requested further information in relation to bus and train services, the marketing of the submitted Travel Plan, traffic calming measures, the operation of the proposed parking courtyards, the adoption and lighting of the link between Gorton Lane and the centre of the site, boundary treatments and visibility splays, and details of a future S38 agreement. The applicant has provided additional information and it has been confirmed by Highway Services that are satisfied with the development in principle. Environmental Health No objections to the proposals subject to the inclusion of conditions relating to the acoustic insulation of the residential accommodation from Gorton Lane and the adjacent railway and the delivery of an appropriate waste and recycling scheme across the site. Arboriculturalists No objections to the proposed scheme. Travel Change Team The Travel Plan submitted is acceptable in principle but additional information is required in relation to the travel plan coordinator, speed limits ion the area and secure bicycle parking. Additional information has now been provided and has been accepted by the Travel Change Team. Manchester City Council Item 16 Planning and Highways Committee 13 February 2014 East Manchester Regeneration This proposal is in line with the broader regeneration ambitions for bringing new housing to the Ward and the East Manchester area. Greater Manchester Police Greater Manchester Police are pleased to see that most of the recommendations made in the Crime Impact Statement have been addressed through the proposals. However, the boundary treatments adjacent to the new pedestrian link should be lowered, the link should be lit and made as wide as possible. Pedestrian/vehicular gates to the side/rear of dwellings (other than onto a private rear parking court), pedestrian gates to communal alleyways and automatic vehicular gates to the entrances of the private rear parking courts should be 2100mm high. The applicant has now amended the site layout plan to show the requested changes to the boundary treatments along the pedestrian link and have confirmed that the gates will be 2.1m high in accordance with the advice. GMP are now satisfied with the proposals subject to the applicant applying for the Secured by Design accreditation as soon as possible when planning permission is granted. English Heritage The proposed new housing development, whilst different in character, has been carefully considered to recreate the significance of the Monastery through its height, layout and materiality which will re-contextualise the monastic church and its associated buildings. English Heritage are pleased to recommend approval. Environment Agency No objections to the principle of the development, however comments were made in relation to errors in the submitted flood risk assessment and the request for a condition in relation to the discharge rates from the site into the nearby Cornbrook. Additional/amended information was provided by the applicants and the Environment Agency is currently considering this. Any further comments will be reported to Committee. Network Rail No objections to the proposals subject to conditions and informatives being applied in relation to the submission of a risk assessment and method statement for construction works, encroachment onto railway land, appropriate fencing on the boundary, scaffolding, site drainage, excavation, an exclusion gap for buildings near the boundary, noise mitigation from the railway and appropriate landscaping next to the railway boundary. United Utilities No objections to the proposals subject to relevant conditions in relation to surface water drainage. Contaminated Land The site has been previously remediated under planning application 087920/FO and the desk top study, the site investigation, the final risk assessment and the remediation strategy were previously found to be adequate for this site. Therefore, a Manchester City Council Item 16 Planning and Highways Committee 13 February 2014 validation report will now be required to confirm that the measures agreed within these reports are to be installed in the houses and gardens. Policy Context National Planning Policy Framework (March 2012) The National Planning Policy Framework document sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The main aims of the document are to outline that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. It explains that there are three dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. These dimensions give rise to the need for the planning system to perform a number of roles: • an economic role, contributing to building a strong, responsive and competitive economy, by ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth and innovation; and by identifying and coordinating development requirements, including the provision of infrastructure; • a social role, supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities, by providing the supply of housing required to meet the needs of present and future generations; and by creating a high quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the communities needs and support its health, social and cultural well-being; and • an environmental role, contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and, as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy. The Framework re-iterates that planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.