Outline planning permission for residential development to include access.

(Councillor Wynn as Vice-Chairman presided for this item).

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the outline application for a residential development to include access, drawing Members attention to the Schedule of Additional Letters.  He confirmed that Members had attended a site visit that morning and had assessed the impact of the proposed development on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area.

The Principal Planning Officer circulated an update that had been received from Shropshire Council’s Planning Ecologist, which provided an update on ecology issues, stating that the Council’s ecology officer had raised no objections and the conservation status of the Great Crested Newts remained intact. 

Mr Michael Griffiths, local resident, spoke against the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which the following points were raised:

                      i.        The development would have a negative effect on the view point and would be out of character with the surrounding area, which in turn would have a negative impact on tourism in the area;

                    ii.        It would take approximately 20 minutes to walk from the site to the local amenities referred to in the report, and would mean crossing a busy main road, used by large agricultural vehicles;

                   iii.        Concerns for the safety of school children walking to school were highlighted;

                   iv.        The site had intrinsic landscape and visual character; and

                    v.        The ecology report proved that there are Great Crested Newts and Bats in the area;

Councillor Colin Case, on behalf of Baschurch 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:

                 i.             A decision by the Committee may be considered premature;

               ii.             The development proposed was very substantial; and

              iii.             The SamDev Plan was at an important pre submission Draft Plan stage and appropriate weight should be given to this.

Mr Martin Parish, on behalf of the applicant, spoke in support of the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees during which the following points were raised:

              i.        Mr Parish reiterated the points contained within the Planning Officers report

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

              i.        He was not against additional housing within Baschurch, however there were more suitable sites than this one;

            ii.        The site was not favored for housing within the SamDev Plan;

           iii.        The site was not close to local amenities, particularly the school;

           iv.        Due to the site’s distance from the local schools, it was considered that most parents would make the journey by car which would go against the Shropshire Council recommendation to reduce cars along Eyton Lane;

            v.        Children would have to cross a very busy road to get to school;

           vi.        The proposals were a departure from the local development plan; and

          vii.        It seemed appropriate to defer the application until after the deadline within which with material considerations could be received had expired.

The Principal Planning Officer gave further advice by reference to the National Planning Practice Guidance in response to a point made by a speaker in relation to prematurity as a reason for refusal and confirmed that the development was considered to be sustainable and the presumption in favour of sustainable development was the most significant material consideration when determining planning applications and took precedence over adopted and emerging local planning policy.

Having considered the submitted plans for the proposal, the majority of Members expressed their support for the Officer’s recommendation.

RESOLVED:

That the Area Planning Manager/Principal Planning Officer be granted delegated authority to issue planning permission subject to:

1.    No new material considerations being raised as a result of the proposal being advertised as a Departure in the Shropshire Star on Tuesday 29^th April 2014 for a 21 day period expiring on 20^th May 2014;

2.    A Section 106 legal agreement to secure affordable housing in accordance with the prevailing rate at the time of the submission of the Reserved Matters application in accordance with the Type and Affordability of Housing SPD; and

3.    The conditions set out in Appendix 1.

(Councillor Walpole rejoined the meeting at this point.)