Agenda item

Development of 29 dwellings with associated parking and landscaping.

The Committee considered the report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding the development of 29 dwellings with associated parking and landscaping at the former Dairy Site, Dairy Lane, Stonebridge, Durham, DH1 3RY (for copy see file of minutes).

The Senior Planning Officer provided the Committee with a detailed presentation which included photographs of the site and a plan of the proposed layout. 

Councillor J Turnbull, local Member, addressed the Committee. He expressed concerns regarding highway issues, in particular the pulling out of traffic from the development onto the main junction. He would have liked to have seen more thought put into the positioning of the junctions leaving the development site.

Councillor Turnbull advised that flooding was an issue in that area and also that Dairy Lane was regularly used as a race track by drivers, trying to jump the queues which would often build up on the main highway. He was concerned that should the development go ahead, a serious accident could occur. He felt that the application should be deferred to allow more time for consideration of highways issues.

The Highways Officer clarified that having assessed the application officers had determined that less traffic would be generated from the proposed development than from when the Dairy was in operation.

It was accepted that the A690 in that area did have a tendency to become congested, however there was an alternative western route which vehicles could take.

Mr Murphy, local resident, addressed the Committee to speak in objection to the application. Members were advised that as a driver at peak times on the main highway, it was impossible to turn right at the junction. Mr Murphy echoed the concerns raised by Councillor Turnbull regarding Dairy Lane being used as a race track, advising that his own vehicle had been hit by speeding cars on several occasions.

Mr Murphy advised that 10 years ago the A690 at that area would see in excess of 25,000 vehicles per day, it would therefore be much more than that now.

Members were advised that the only reason there had been just 7 letters of objection was because there were only 6 properties in that immediate area. Mr Murphy advised that he had lived opposite the Dairy Site for 17 years and his property was 75metres away from the old Dairy buildings. However the new properties would be just 13metres from his front garden and one property would be directly overlooking his property and 6 would have a direct impact on him. He suggested that the proposed dwellings should be reversed so that it was their back gardens which would be adjacent to him and his neighbours, rather than the driveways which would pose more of a hazard.

Mr Murphy believed the development would add more pressure onto the A690 and called for more consideration in relation to highways issues. He also believed that the developer was trying to fit too many properties onto the site.

The Senior Planning Officer responded to the points raised as follows:-

Separation Distances – the actual separation distance between the existing and proposed properties would be 28 metres and as such was well in excess of the standard expected;

Density – the proposals were for 29 properties per hectare, the standard was 30 per hectare, as such the proposed density was standard.

The Highways Officer reiterated that while it was acknowledged that the A690 was saturated in that area, the Dairy had operated there and so the traffic from before was merely being replaced. A significant increase in traffic volume would not occur. The Highways Officer questioned the argument that the junction from the Dairy Site could not be exited, having heard that drivers were prone to using it as a rat run – he suggested that it would not be used in such a way if drivers could not then exit onto the A690.

Councillor Bell welcomed the scheme, but acknowledged that there were transport network problems, he therefore queried whether now could be an opportunity to address those issues. He also queried whether the driveways of some of the new dwellings would mean that vehicles would need to reverse onto the A690.

The Highways Officer clarified that those driveways would see vehicles reversing onto Dairy Lane, not the A690. In terms of addressing the traffic issues on the A690 the Highways Officer advised that the planned Western Relief Road would alleviate issues in that area.

In response to a query from Councillor M Davinson, the Senior Planning Officer indicated where the existing properties were and where the proposed visitor parking would be situated.

Councillor D Freeman felt the proposed development was appropriate for the currently derelict site but noted that any benefit to the transport network would come after the site had been developed. He further noted that traffic generated by the office development which was currently under construction adjacent to the site, should be factored in.

Seconded by Councillor Bleasdale, Councillor Bell moved approval of the application.

Resolved:- That the application be approved subject to the conditions outlined in the report.