DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 14 DECEMBER 2020 Case No: 20/01687/FUL (FULL PLANNING APPLICATION) Proposal: CHANGE OF USE TO DWELLINGHOUSE INCLUDING WORKS TO FACILITATE THE CHANGE OF USE INCLUDING CHANGES TO ROOF FORM, ADDITIONAL EXTERNAL DOORS AND WINDOWS, AND PART REMOVAL OF BOUNDARY WALL. Location: BUILDERS YARD REAR OF 24 ELTON ROAD WANSFORD PETERBOROUGH Applicant: MR NEIL TOWNS Grid Ref: 507573 298878 Date of Registration: 10.09.2020 Parish: SIBSON-CUM-STIBBINGTON RECOMMENDATION - APPROVE This application is referred to the Development Management Committee (DMC) as the Officer recommendation of approval is contrary to the Parish Council’s recommendation of refusal. 1. DESCRIPTION OF SITE AND APPLICATION 1.1 The application site comprises a builder’s yard on land to the rear of No.24 Elton Road featuring two small barn outbuildings, a larger single storey pitched roof storage outbuilding, grassland, and several mature trees. Access to the application site is via an existing narrow gravel driveway between Nos.24 & 26 Elton Road. The blue line of land ownership covers the remaining parcel of land west of the application site, the whole of No.12 Elton Road and an additional existing concrete access driveway to the site between Nos.8 and 14A Elton Road. 1.2 The site is located within Winsford Conservation Area and to the rear of a number of Listed Buildings (18-24 Elton Road, 14 Elton Road, 6-8 Elton Road & 4 Elton Road which are all Grade II Listed) and wholly within Flood Zone 2 (medium probability of flooding) within the Huntingdonshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) 2017 and the Environment Agency Flood Maps for Planning. There are a number of mature trees on the site. 1.3 This application proposes the change of use of the storage outbuilding at No.12 to a single dwellinghouse, and the change of use from builder’s yard to residential curtilage. It is proposed to extend the existing gravel driveway across the site and retain the two barns, the larger of which is allocated for secure cycle storage. To facilitate the change of use to a single dwellinghouse, changes to the roof form, orientation of the outlook of the building, additional external doors and windows are proposed, and part removal of the boundary wall to facilitate the new openings to the outbuilding subject to conversion. 2. NATIONAL GUIDANCE 2.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (19th February 2019) (NPPF 2019) sets out the three objectives - economic, social and environmental - of the planning system to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. The NPPF 2019 at paragraph 10 provides as follows: 'So that sustainable development is pursued in a positive way, at the heart of the Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development (paragraph 11).' 2.2 The NPPF 2019 sets out the Government's planning policies for (amongst other things): • delivering a sufficient supply of homes; • achieving well-designed places; • conserving and enhancing the natural environment; • conserving and enhancing the historic environment. 2.3 The National Design Guide (2019): • C1 - Understand and relate well to the site, its local and wider context • C2 - Value heritage, local history and culture • I1 - Respond to existing local character and identity • I2 - Well-designed, high quality and attractive • I3 - Create character and identity • B2 - Appropriate building types and forms • M3 - Well-considered parking, servicing and utilities infrastructure for all users • N1 – Provide high quality, green open spaces with a variety of local landscapes and activities, including play • N3 - Support rich and varied biodiversity • U2 – A mix of home tenses, types and sizes • H1 - Healthy, comfortable and safe internal and external environment • H2 - Well-related to external amenity and public spaces • H3 - Attention to detail: storage, waste, servicing and utilities 2.4 Planning Practice Guidance is also relevant and a material consideration. 2.5 Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 For full details visit the government website National Guidance 3. PLANNING POLICIES 3.1 Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036 (Adopted 15th May 2019) • LP1: Amount of Development • LP2: Strategy for Development • LP4: Contributing to Infrastructure Delivery • LP5: Flood Risk • LP6: Waste Water Management • LP9: Small Settlements • LP11: Design Context • LP12: Design Implementation • LP14: Amenity • LP15: Surface Water • LP16: Sustainable Travel • LP17: Parking Provision and Vehicle Movement • LP30: Biodiversity and Geodiversity • LP31: Trees, Woodland, Hedges and Hedgerows • LP34: Heritage Assets and their Settings • LP37: Ground Contamination and Groundwater Pollution 3.2 Supplementary Planning Documents / Guidance: • Huntingdonshire Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (2017) • Developer Contributions SPD (2011) • Huntingdonshire Landscape and Townscape Assessment (2007) • Cambridgeshire Flood and Water SPD 2017 • Huntingdonshire Tree Guidance Note 3 • Annual Monitoring Report – Part 1 (Housing) 2019 (October 2019) • Local For full details visit the government website Local policies 4. PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 0701402FUL - Erection of two dwellings with parking barn and alterations to access Withdrawn 21.11.2007 4.2 0801028FUL - Erection of dwelling Withdrawn 17.07.2008 4.3 0900186FUL - Change of use from builders yard and the erection of a detached dwelling Refused - Appeal Dismissed 18.12.2009 4.4 1200828FUL - Change of use of builders yard and the erection of a detached single storey dwelling Refused - Appeal Dismissed 18.02.2013 4.5 1206505PDE - Change of use from builder's yard to boat builder's yard. Required 27.07.2012 5.6 1301710CLED - Certificate of lawful use as a builders yard Consent 07.07.2014 5. CONSULTATIONS 5.1 Sibson-cum-Stibbington Parish Council (12th October 2020) Object for the following reasons: - The proposed “widening” of an access road could be extremely dangerous. - This access road opens on to the main road (Elton Road) through Sibson-cum-Stibbington and opens out opposite an extremely busy post office. Elderly people, together with residents regularly use this facility and often park adjacent to and along the road for access. To allow traffic to emerge from the access road would be extremely dangerous. - Emergency vehicles could not access the proposed dwelling as the entrances are too narrow even with the proposed widening. There are also large overhanging trees on an adjoining property which would preclude those vehicles access. - The Site in question has had several planning applications over the years all of which have been denied. It would appear that this application would also allow building outside the Conservation area and also encroach onto a flood plain. - We also believe that the proposed design is not in keeping with the Village as a whole. - We also note that the land/property in question does not belong to the Applicant as is evidenced by a Land Registry search. 5.2 Further comments from the Parish Council received 6th November 2020: As you know residential applications were refused on more than three occasions and had been appealed unsuccessfully. Should permission be granted to allow a change of use and then the building be turned around to create a residential property, surely that is going against all previous attempts to enable residential property on the land which is subject to flooding. As you know our residents feel very strongly about this, and we wish the above to be taken into account. OFFICER RESPONSE TO PARISH COUNCIL OBJECTIONS: - There is no widening of the access proposed under this application. It is understood that potential widening of the access was discussed between the applicant and neighbours, but this does not form part of the development proposal and the access would remain as existing. - Highway safety and vehicular access matters will be addressed in detail within the main section of the report. - It is noted that previous planning applications on the site for new residential development have been refused and dismissed at appeal. However, each application should be assessed on its own merits in accordance with current national and local planning policy. - Conservation, flooding and design matters will also be addressed within the main section of the report. - With regards to land ownership, within the Application Form Certificate B has been completed and notice has been served to the landowner. The Local Planning Authority has no reason to dispute that this is correct. - All neighbour representations will be taken fully into account and addressed within the report. 5.3 Cambridgeshire County Council Highways: The access indicated is very poor in relation to the intensification of vehicle movements. However, the access proposed to be used would be acceptable if the Planning Authority consider that this site (indicated red) has an extant commercial usage. If this is the case, that proposed would therefore be a possible reduction in vehicle movements and beneficial with regards to the types of vehicles that would use it. Should the Planning Authority consider that the access indicated is used for a commercial use or could be, then the proposed, a single residential property would likely be a reduction in possible movements and a benefit in the types of vehicles associated with it. 5.4 HDC Conservation Team (Summarised, full details of conservation comments within the mains section of the report): The proposal will have limited impacts upon heritage assets, but the design is poor. 5.5 HDC Environmental Health Team: Our records show that this site was previously a builder’s yard. If minded to approve the application, then a land contamination risk assessment (and if necessary a remediation strategy) would be recommended for approval by the LPA prior to the commencement of development. Where it has been necessary to carry out land contamination remediation work, a remediation and verification report should be submitted to and agreed by the LPA prior to occupation of the site. 5.6 The Wildlife Trust: No objection subject to a condition requiring a Biodiversity Management Plan.