Agenda item

Erection of 81 no. dwellings and associated access and landscaping works.

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding the erection of 81 dwellings and associated access and landscaping works on land to the north of Local Avenue and Front Street, Sherburn Hill, County Durham (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.  Members of the Committee had visited the site and were familiar with the location and setting.

The Senior Planning Officer informed the Committee of the following updates since the circulation of the committee report:

·       Councillor D Hall, local member, had expressed his support for the application;

·       Condition 8 of the Planning Permission – the applicant had submitted a construction management statement which was to the satisfaction of Environmental Health and therefore the condition could be removed;

·       Condition 9 referred to a bronze level Workplace Travel Plan, however, this related more to office-type developments and would need to be amended to be more reflective of a residential development;

·       Condition 10 – final improvements to the sections of the rear lane to be delayed until completion of the 54^th dwelling.  The Highways Authority had confirmed that his was acceptable.

·       A condition needed to be added to ensure the relocation of the play area.

Mr Andrew Lawson, local resident, addressed the Committee to object to the application because he lived on Local Avenue and would be directly affected by the proposed development.  He informed the Committee that plans for the development were only available on line for members of the public to examine, and it was difficult for the community to either access or download these.  He had made a number of comments and asked questions about access and egress through Local Avenue to which he had received no detailed replies.  The access statement with the application made no reference regarding access from the main road and the main road and junctions through the development did not meet design regulations.  Local Avenue was heavily used for parking and negotiating access to proposed development would be difficult, with an additional 27 houses and approximately 40 cars and the current proposed layout of the development was not suitable for the number of cars.  During the winter the road was not gritted which resulted in cars being abandoned and refuse collection problems which would be exacerbated should this development be approved.  There were no specific details regarding plant access to the site during the construction period, which could damage the road surface and be a health and safety hazard due to cars parked on Local Avenue.  There were currently 52 houses for sale in the Sherburn Hill area and Mr Lawson queried the need for any more.

The Senior Planning Officer replied that while public access to consultation and plans for applications was encouraged on line, members of the public could raise queries with Planning Officers by telephone or could inspect plans in the office.  John McGargill, Highway Development Manager, replied to the issues raised around highway design issues and street parking.  The Highway Authority considered access to the development from Road A181 and Local Avenue to be acceptable.  Highways designs within the development would need to be done to County Council specification before they were adopted and there was acceptable parking proposed on site which would result in no displaced parking.  The condition of the road surface on Local Avenue would be inspected prior to and during development to ensure any damage was repaired.

Moved by Councillor Laing, Seconded by Councillor Moir and;

Resolved:

That the application be approved subject to the conditions detailed within the report, as amended in the Senior Planning Officer’s presentation and subject to the completion of a legal agreement pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.