Outline application for residential development (to include access).

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the application and explained that this was an outline application for residential development. The site was located in an area of open countryside outside the Shrewsbury urban area. He further explained that the proposal was considered to be sustainable and at this point in time a five year land supply could not be demonstrated. He confirmed that Members had undertaken a site visit that morning to view the site and had assessed the impact of the proposal on the surrounding area.

Members noted the additional information as set out in the Schedule of Additional Letters circulated prior to the meeting, which detailed further comments from the Principal Planning Officer in response to objections to the validity of the procedure and from the Mount Resident’s Group requesting that the site be considered as a Local Green Space.

By virtue of the amendment made to Shropshire Council’s Constitution, as agreed at the Council Meeting held on 27^th February 2014, Councillor P Nutting, as the local Ward Councillor, made a statement, took no part in the debate and did not vote. He questioned the validity of procedure as raised in the Schedule of Additional Letters and suggested that the application should be deferred to the next meeting to allow time for any objections to be received in relation to the advertisement of the departure and for the Local Green Space request to be considered. He raised concern in relation to the reservations of the Conservation Officer and questioned why an outline application had been submitted in a Conservation Area.

The Principal Planning Officer responded to the issues raised by Councillor P Nutting. He explained that the application had been advertised as a Major in a Conservation Area in the Shropshire Star on 4^th March 2014 for a 21 day period expiring on the 25^th March 2014 in addition to a Site Notice displayed on and expiring on the same day and therefore the additional advertisement was to publicise the application as a Departure from the Development Plan and would be determined under delegated powers if no new material considerations were raised. In relation to the Local Green Space issue, the Principal Planning Officer advised that this type of request should be submitted as part of the SAMDev consultation and could not be considered at this stage of the process. He added that the Conservation Officer had mentioned a number of concerns but noted that careful design would mitigate any harm and clarified that outline applications could be submitted for a Conservation Area but the applicant might be requested to provide further information. For this application the applicant had submitted an indicative plan and therefore no further information was required.  

Ms K Anderson, on behalf of local residents, CPRE and the Ramblers spoke against the proposal in accordance with the Council’s scheme for public speaking at Planning Committees, during which the following points were raised:

·         The request for the area to be Local Green Space was supported by 200+ people;

·         The site was outside the development boundary and in a conservation area;

·         The area was valuable open space leading to the river;

·         Development should only be permitted in a Conservation Area if there was no loss of open space or views of the area;

·         The landscape was intrinsic to the area and should not be flattened as proposed by the applicant; and

·         The area should be preserved and enhanced in line with the Conservation Areas Act.

Ms H Ball, on behalf of Shrewsbury Town Council, spoke against the proposal in accordance with the Council’s scheme for public speaking at Planning Committees, during which the following points were raised:

·         The site was not a sustainable site, if it was it would have been included in SAMDev;

·         Green space such as this green corridor of the River Severn should be protected;

·         Local residents of the Mount were not in support of the application;

·         The Government was clear on the protection of such sites and the need to safeguard countryside to preserve the settings of towns;

·         Shrewsbury took pride in the fact that there was agriculture right on the doorstep of the town; and

·         The impact of development on this site would compromise the area for future generations. 

At this point in the meeting Councillor M Kenny stated that he was a member of the Planning Committee of Shrewsbury Town Council when this application was discussed. He indicated that his views on the proposal when considered by the Town Council had been based on the information presented at that time and he would now be considering the proposal afresh with an open mind and the information as it stood at this time.

Mr A Sheldon, Agent, spoke for the proposal in accordance with the Council’s scheme for public speaking at Planning Committees, during which the following points were raised:

·         The area was outside the development boundary but it was not classed as green belt land;

·         The location was sustainable in line with the NPPF;

·         The area was privately owned and had no public access;

·         The application would constitute infill development;

·         The trees and hedges would be protected;

·         The view through the site and the topography of the site would be retained; and

·         This application was in outline only and a reserved matters application would be submitted for later approval.

In the ensuing debate, Members expressed concern in relation to the loss of open green space and the vital link between this and the town stating that the adverse impacts outweighed the benefits of the proposal. It was added that the comments of the Conservation Officer were not conclusive and the site had not been allocated or mentioned in SAMDev. Members also noted that the full ecology report had not been available for Members to view and that an application for a Village Green could be made at any time.

In response, the Principal Planning Officer apologised for the full ecology report not being available but noted that the comments of the Ecology Officer had been published on the website and explained the difference between a Village Green application and the request received for the area to be considered as Local Green Space.

The solicitor advised that the application was in outline at this stage and suggested that if Members were not satisfied that they had enough information to determine the application then they should defer the application for further information on the matters raised.

Having considered the submitted plans for the proposal the majority of Members expressed their objection to the proposal and considered that the development was contrary to Shropshire Core Strategy development plan policies CS6 and CS17.

The Area Planning and Building Control Manager sought clarification from Members as to which parts of Policy CS17 they considered the proposal to conflict with.

RESOLVED:

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

·         The LPA consider that the proposed development would fail to protect and enhance the high quality and local character of Shropshire’s natural, built and historic environment, and would adversely affect the visual, ecological, heritage and recreational values and functions of these assets, their immediate surroundings and their connecting corridors. Accordingly the proposal is considered contrary to Shropshire Core Strategy development plan policies CS6 and CS17. As such the adverse impacts of granting permission are considered to significantly and demonstrably outweigh any benefits when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole.

Councillor D Roberts rejoined the meeting during discussion of this item but did not take part in the debate or vote on the application.