Outline application for the erection of 16 open market dwellings and 3 affordable dwellings to include access (Report to follow).

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the outline application for 16 open market dwellings and 3 affordable dwellings to include access and drew Members’ attention to the schedule of additional letters.

Gavin Cope, local resident and representative from the Parish Plan Group, spoke against the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which a number of points were raised including the following:

·         The proposal was larger than the application refused by this Committee in October 2014;

·         The North Shropshire District Council saved policy was still in place until SAMDev was adopted;

·         The site was outside the development boundary for the village;

·         The site was classed as open countryside in SAMDev and therefore contrary to CS4; and

·         The proposal was contrary to CS6 as there was no employment or public transport in the village.

Councillor Richard Ancliffe, representing Norton in Hales Parish Council, spoke against the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which a number of points were raised including the following:

·         The application was one of four recent applications for Norton in Hales;

·         The amount of new development was out of scale for a small village;

·         The Parish Council dispute the statement in the Officer’s report that 19.4% was not significant; and

·         There were no longer any open spaces between houses as there were before 1990.

Peter Eardley, the applicant, spoke for the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which a number of points were raised including the following:

·         The site was unsuitable for modern agricultural;

·         Although the application was outline the only matter reserved was landscaping;

·         The scheme had been prepared in conjunction with Planning Officers;

·         The application would provide CIL money and affordable housing to enable younger families to stay in the village; and

·         The highways improvements would benefit the whole village.

By virtue of the amendment made to Shropshire Council’s Constitution, as agreed at the meeting of Council held on 27 February 2014, Councillor John Cadwallader, as the Local Member, made a statement, and then left the room, taking no part in the debate and did not vote on the application. During his statement a number of points were raised including the following:

·         It had been agreed that the village should be classed as open countryside in SAMDev;

·         SAMDev should be given more weight;

·         The Highway Officer acknowledged the highway problems;

·         The proposed pedestrian refuge was unsuitable;

·         The development would have a minimal impact on school intake;

·         The proposal was no benefit to the village and the public concern had been understated in the Officer’s report; and

·         There were no employment opportunities in the village and the development would maximise the need for car travel.

Having considered the submitted plans for the proposal, the majority of Membersindicated that the harm resulting from the development would outweigh the benefits of the proposed development and expressed their objection to the application.

RESOLVED:

That Planning Permission be refused, contrary to the Officer’s recommendation for the following reasons:

The Committee acknowledged that the housing proposed by the development would contribute economically and socially by boosting the housing supply, including open market and affordable housing and would also provide support for the existing services in the village and highway improvements to which weight was given. However it was considered that this was outweighed by the harm identified. Namely, Weight was given to the fact that the proposed development was not plan led being contrary to both current saved North Shropshire Local Plan and the emerging policies in the Site Allocations and Management of Development DPD and further it would have a harmful cumulative effect on the highway network in the village contrary to CS4, CS5 and CS6 of the Shropshire Core Strategy.

Councillor John Cadwallader re-joined the meeting at this point.