DC/14/16 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE 6 January 2015 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF PLANNING ON APPLICATIONS 1. Y14/0873/SH LAND ADJACENT THE SURGERY MAIN ROAD (Page 6) SELLINDGE KENT Hybrid application for the redevelopment of land between the A20 and M20 at Sellindge. Application for outline permission (with all matters reserved except access) comprising of 200 dwellings, local mixed use centre containing parish offices (sui generis up to 100m2), commercial floorspace (A1/A3/A5 uses up to 200m2) together with access form the A20, associated roads, parking, earthworks, open space including attenuation features and landscaping. Full application comprising 50 dwellings, village green and play equipment, access from the A20, associated roads, community car parking, earthworks, open space including attenuation features and landscaping. 2. Y14/1159/SH ARC WASH CHERRY GARDEN LANE (Page 71) FOLKESTONE KENT Retrospective application for corporate and instructional/safety signage for car wash operation; including partially illuminated fascia. 3. Y14/0943/SH 6 BLACKHOUSE RISE HYTHE KENT (Page 79) Erection of two storey side/rear extension and raising of roof to create full two storey dwelling. DC/14/16 Application No: Y14/0873/SH Location of Site: Land Adjacent to The Surgery, Main Road, Sellindge, Kent Development: Hybrid application for the redevelopment of land between the A20 and M20 at Sellindge. Application for Outline permission (with all matters reserved except access) comprising of 200 dwellings, local mixed use centre containing parish offices (sui generis up to 100m2), and associated storage (sui generis up to 100m2, 40m2 as closed storage and 60m2 as secure outdoor storage) commercial floorspace (A1/A3/A5 uses up to 200m2) together with access from the A20, associated roads, parking, earthworks, open space including attenuation features and landscaping. Full application comprising 50 dwellings, village green and play equipment, access from the A20, associated roads, community car parking, earthworks, open space including attenuation features and landscaping. Applicant: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd Agent: Mr D Bradley Barton Willmore LLP The Observatory Southfleet Road Ebbsfleet Dartford Kent DA10 0DF Date Received: 31.07.14 Expiry Date: Planning Performance Agreement Date of Committee: 06.01.15 Officer Contact: Mr Ben Geering RECOMMENDATION: That the Head of Planning Services be authorised under delegated authority to grant planning permission, subject to the completion of a section 106 legal agreement with the applicant that secures the social and physical infrastructure and financial contributions detailed within this report and subject to conditions outlined within the report and any additional conditions which he considers to be necessary. 1.0 THE PROPOSAL 1.1 The application comprises a hybrid application for the redevelopment of land to the south of the A20 and north of the M20 within the village of Sellindge. The application site forms part of land designated within policy CSD9 of the DC/14/16 Shepway Core Strategy Local Plan 2013 as a Broad Location for residential development of up to 250 dwellings. 1.2 The hybrid application site in totality comprises 10.7 hectares, with the application predominantly outline in nature (6.4 Hectares), with all matters reserved other than Access, with full details provided for the development of phase 1 of the scheme (4.3 Hectares), comprising of 50 dwellings and the provision of the village green, community car park and associated works and landscaping within the eastern portion of the site. 1.3 A full list of the planning application documents is set out in Appendix 1 to this report. 1.4 The Planning Statement sets out the key features of the application, which include: • Up to 250 dwellings in the form of 1 and 2 bed apartments, 2, 3, 4 and 5 bed houses; • A new Village Green of 1.6 hectares with significant frontage to the A20 and running southwards to the existing pond to the front of Somerfield Barn Court, including a play area to the north of the existing pond; • Additional areas of open space, leading from the Village Green to be landscaped to enhance biodiversity and provide a buffer area from the M20 to the South; • Significant traffic calming measures to the A20 that are outside of the application site that will be subject to a s278 Agreement with KCC Highways; • Three principal new accesses to the site from the A20 and a new improved access utilising the existing access to the A20 that serves Richardson Court and Somerfield Barn Court; • Three additional secondary accesses to the site from the A20 to serve private drives with limited housing; • Affordable housing with the proposed mix informed by discussions with Shepway District Council’s Housing Strategy Manager. • The delivery of a Mixed Use Local Centre comprising of a Parish Office of up to 100sqm with 100sqm of storage, commercial floorspace of up to 200sqm with residential development on upper floors shown on the A20 frontage directly adjoining a proposed new access to the site that runs immediately to the east of the existing car park; • A new community car park with 40 spaces, and dedicated cycle parking, immediately to the north of the proposed Mixed Use Local Centre; • Surface water attenuation areas incorporated into the layout as positive site features. 1.5 In addition Taylor Wimpey has secured a site to enable the extension of Sellindge Primary School from ½ to 1 form of entry. This is Belvedere Cottage and its curtilage which lies immediately to the west of the existing school. The Applicants control Belvedere Cottage and are prepared to make this available to KCC for the purposes of extending the school without requiring any land payment. A section 106 obligation will be DC/14/16 entered into binding the application site to prevent the commencement of development until a binding offer to transfer Belvedere Cottage to KCC has been made. 1.6 The build programme for the residential element of the development is dependent on timescales in getting planning permission, the approval of reserved matters and the discharge of planning conditions. It is also dependent on the market. However, the following indicative programme is considered realistic: 2015-16 – 30 units; 2016-17 – 50 units; 2017-18 – 60 units; 2018-19 – 60 units; 2019-20 – 50 units. 1.7 The Design and Access Statement (DAS), produced by Pegasus provides detailed character analysis of the village and sets out the design process undertaken in producing the submitted indicative masterplan for the development of the site which supports both the outline and detailed application, as required by policy CSD9. 1.8 The masterplan, whilst indicative in all matters other than access identifies the strategy for the development of the site, comprising of a tree lined avenue running parallel to the A20 providing access to the development, the retention of the existing linear ditch running west to east from Somerfield Barn Court to Rotherfield Cottage and the provision of a substantial buffer area to the north of the M20, connecting to the village green to the east. 1.9 The masterplan identifies development fronting on to street frontages, with perimeter block development as required by the Sellindge’s Future rural masterplan report. 1.10 The masterplan also identifies the likely location of the parish offices and commercial units, adjacent to the extended car park and existing GP surgery and village hall. 1.11 The masterplan identifies 2 distinct areas for residential development – Phase 1 to the east of the proposed village green comprising 50 units and to the west the Outline application area which is proposed to deliver up to 200 houses alongside the non-residential uses. 1.12 All matters other than access are reserved within this component of the application, with drawing T.0231_36B seeking approval for all access points serving both the outline and full development. This identifies ‘Access C’ from the A20 with the provision of a main tree lined avenue spine road (indicative layout) providing a linear street running parallel to the A20 and connecting up to ’Access B’, together with access for a private drive further to the west. Access points A and B, together with 2 new private drives and DC/14/16 the upgrading of the existing private access to Somerfield and Richardson Court are included within the detailed element of the application. 2.0 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SITE 2.1 The application site boundary, as shown in plan T.0231-09B is located within the village of Sellindge, approximately 10 kilometres to the south east of Ashford (connected by the A20) and 15.5 kilometres to the west of Folkestone. 2.2 Sellindge is a rural settlement dating back to Norman times, which developed as a linear settlement through the 18 th and 19 th centuries as a stopping point between Folkestone, Hythe and London. The village underwent significant suburban expansion in the mid twentieth century alongside growth in private car ownership, with a number of new estates built either side of Swann Lane. The construction of the M20 in the 1980’s had a significant impact on the role of the village, with the majority of traffic using the motorway to travel to and from the coast and the settlement no longer being located on the Strategic Road Network. Despite this the A20, with a 40mph speed limit forms a significant divide within the village, separating the residential core to its north from many of its services to the south. 2.3 Today the village has a population of approximately 1600 people, and is identified within the Shepway Core Strategy Local Plan as a Rural Centre that provides shops and services for a significant number of residents, visitors and for other villages in the North Downs.