Outline application for the erection of fourteen dwellings incorporating two affordable units (to include formation of vehicular and pedestrian access)

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the outline application and drew Members’ attention to the schedule of additional letters. The Principal Planning Officer referred to paragraphs 3.1.7 and 3.1.8 and indicated that the word little weight should be replaced by limited weight. He explained that the application had been considered at the previous meeting held on 23^rd September 2014 at which Members had been minded to refuse the application.

 Mr Roy Tidyman, 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 the following points were raised:

·         Norton in Hales was classed as open countryside in the Site Allocations and Management of Development DPD (SAMDev);

·         Local residents did not want any development in the village;

·         The site was on a dangerous road and the development would not bring any benefits to the residents;

·         The village did not have the infrastructure to cope with additional development and there were no services in the village other than the pub; and

·         The village was a special place and had received a gold award for the best kept village and had been nominated for a national award in 2015.

Mr Frank Woodcock, 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 road referred to by the objectors in the schedule of additional letters would be widened as part of the development and a footway would be included;

·         The proposed development was a well thought out scheme;

·         The development was sustainable, would enhance the village and provide a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contribution; and

·         The one way traffic system suggested by objectors was unnecessary.

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 Ward Councillor, made a statement, took no part in the debate and did not vote.  During his statement the following points were raised:

·         The democratic process of SAMDev had been ignored;

·         Local residents had agreed that the village should remain designated as open countryside; and 

·         SAMDev should be given substantial weight.

During the ensuing debate the majority of Members repeated the concerns expressed at the previous meeting in relation to the cumulative impact of the development on the village of Norton in Hales.  Whilst the Committee acknowledged the benefits in terms of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) they considered greater weight should be given to the emerging SAMDev Policies and saved local plan policies.

RESOLVED:

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

Members 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, cumulatively with the approved site adjacent to Norton Farm, would result in an adverse impact on the size of the village, to the detriment of community cohesion, and that the development of the site would impact on the adjacent conservation area.  Weight was given to the location of the site being outside the development boundary in both the saved North Shropshire Local Plan and the emerging policies in the Site Allocations and Management of Development DPD as well as the policies in the NPPF.