Agenda item

Outline application (all matters reserved except access) for up to 50 dwellings.

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding an outline application (all matters reserved except access) for up to 50 dwellings at land at Station Road, Coxhoe (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.

Mr D Cherrie addressed the Committee to speak in objection to the application on behalf of various local residents.

Members were advised that there was no longer term economic benefit to the development of the site, the only such benefit would be short term by way of employment during the construction of the development. The site was within the greenbelt and as such development on the land would be contrary to saved Local Plan policies H3 and H5. In terms of landscape, Mr Cherrie advised that valuable green space would be lost should the site be developed and would therefore have an adverse effect on the surrounding area.

Mr Cherrie believed that a suitable brownfield site should be identified for the proposed scheme. In terms of access to the site, Members were advised that additional traffic would be using an already crowded junction.

In relation to the ecology of the area, Mr Cherrie advised that crested newts, bats and owls were all present and mitigation to protect their habitats would be unachievable as it would require buy in from the gardens adjacent to the site.

Furthermore Members were advised that noise levels from the site would also be unacceptable and there was no means of mitigation, thus development of the site would have an adverse effect on the health of neighbouring residents.

Ms G Field, agent for the applicant, addressed the Committee. Members were advised that the site was an emerging allocation in the County Durham Plan and that at the current stage, the NPPF was the key material planning consideration.

The site was sustainable and there were no objections from statutory consultees. Any necessary mitigation measures would be addressed by way of condition when a full application was submitted at a later stage.

In relation to habitats on the site, Ms Field clarified that there was a small population of crested newts in the area which would be captured and relocated to a less isolated habitat. A detailed strategy would be agreed with Natural England and no third party land would be required.

Members were advised that the applicant had worked with the adjacent resident when preparing the plans and the applications accorded with the NPPF and the current Position Statement.

Ms Field advised that there would be 20% affordable housing on the site, the development was sustainable in terms of the surrounding local businesses and facilities and there would be an economical benefit in terms of New Homes Bonus and Council Tax receipts. Furthermore the scheme would help meet the housing needs of the county.

In response to a query from Councillor Conway, the Senior Planning Officer clarified that the application was contrary to saved policy H3 as the site was outside of the settlement boundary. Saved Policy H5 related to new homes in the countryside, however the Planning Authority believed the site to be acceptable in that regard in terms of sustainability and the applications compliance with the NPPF.

Councillor Lethbridge  moved approval of the application, recalling that a similar application in the same area was approved by the Committee some months earlier.

In response to a query from Councillor M Davinson the Senior Planning Officer clarified the footprint of the site. Furthermore, Members were advised that should the application be approved, the applicant would be required to remove trees and shrubs from the verge next to the access, to allow for suitable road visibility. The Senior Planning Officer clarified that none of the trees in the vicinity were protected and relevant officers were comfortable with the proposals. Members were reminded that landscape considerations were not part of the current application.

Resolved: “That the application be approved subject to the conditions detailed within the report”.

Councillor Kay left the meeting.