Outline application for mixed residential use; formation of new vehicular access and estate roads and creation of public open space

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the outline application. She drew Members’ attention to the schedule of additional lettersand confirmed that Members had attended a site visit on Monday 22^nd September 2014 to assess the impact of the proposed development on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area.

Mr Chris Jones, representing West Felton Parish Plan Committee, spoke against the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which the following points were raised:

·         He referred to an previous application that was refused by the Committee and urged Members to do the same for this application;

·         He stressed that West Felton had tripled in size in recent years;

·         The application was market led and on good quality agricultural land; and

·         The application was not infill or sustainable development and would reduce community cohesion.

Mr Stephen Haworth, representing West Felton Parish Council, spoke against the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which the following points were raised:

·         The application would result in a loss of agricultural land, cause visual harm to the village, endanger pedestrian safety and reduce community cohesion;

·         The development would increase traffic in the village;

·         It was unclear from the report if the grass verges were adopted;

·         There had been no notification to the bus companies; and

·         Soil testing had shown the land was of a high quality.

Mr Clive Roberts, agent for the applicant, spoke for the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which the following points were raised:

·         The loss of agricultural land was not significant;

·         The agricultural land was shown as grade 3;

·         Pedestrian safety would be improved by the development and the new footpath and the Highways Officer was satisfied with the proposal;

·         The development would not cause harm to the village; and

·         The education department had made suggestions on how to overcome the issue of over capacity at the primary school.

In accordance with Rule 6.1 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in Part 4 of Shropshire Council’s Constitution, Councillor Steve Charmley addressed the Committee as the Local Member, during which the following points were raised:

·         The development would narrow the highway;

·         The application would enable access to the large field;

·         If development on agricultural land continued Shropshire would no longer be a farming community;

·         The local community was against the development; and

·         The Highways Agency had not been consulted on the proposed road narrowing.

In response to questions raised by speakers and Members of the Committee, the Principal Planning Officer confirmed that bus companies were not statutory consultees, the highway was adopted and the verge was a highway verge. It was further explained that the Highways Authority did not cut all verges but would have a duty to do so if required for safety reasons.  She also confirmed that the Highways Agency had withdrawn their holding objection taking in to account the number of houses now proposed in the applications under consideration and already granted.

During the ensuing debate Members of the Committee indicated that the proposed development would result in a loss of good agricultural land and harm the character of the village. Additionally concerns were raised in relation to the cumulative impact of the development and that the site was classed as open countryside in the Oswestry Local Plan and Site Allocations and Management of Development DPD although it was acknowledged that full weight could not be given to these policies in view of the age of the Oswestry Local Plan and the fact that the SAMDev had not been through its examination in public and been adopted.

Having considered the submitted plans Members of the Committee unanimously indicated that the harm resulting from the development would significantly outweigh the benefits of the proposed development and expressed their objection to the proposal.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be refused contrary to the Officer’s recommendation for the following reason:

1.    It was acknowledged that the housing proposed by the development would contribute economically and socially by boosting the housing supply including open market and affordable housing to which weight was given. However it was considered that this was outweighed by the harm identified. The Committee were concerned that the development would result in visual harm to the character of the rural village and would result in the loss of agricultural land.  Furthermore weight was given to the fact that the proposed development was not plan led being contrary to both current saved policies of the Oswestry Local Plan and emerging policies in the Site Allocations and Management of Development DPD, which classified the site as being within open countryside and that the development, cumulatively with the approved site off Tedsmore Road and the significant amount of new housing which had been built in the village during the period of the Oswestry Local Plan, would result in a significant increase in the number of new dwellings to the detriment of community cohesion.