Agenda item

Residential Development comprising: nineteen 2- bedroomed, 3-person bungalow dwellings

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding an application to build nineteen 2-bedroomed, 3-person bungalow dwellings at Lavender Gardens and Uphill Drive, Sacriston (for copy see file of minutes). 

S France, Senior Planning Officer provided a detailed presentation of the application which included a site location plan, aerial photograph, site photographs and proposed development layout.

The Chair thanked the Senior Planning Officer for his presentation.  

Miss O’Shea of Karbon Homes addressed the Committee in support of the application. 

Miss O’Shea noted that Karbon Homes was a profit for a purpose Landlord that owned/ managed almost 30,000 properties across the North East of England and Yorkshire.  They invested in improving their properties and communities by building new homes and delivering services which provided sustainable outcomes.  Karbon Homes wanted to invest more than £8 million in the village of Sacriston with various developments in the pipeline. 

The bungalows would be spacious and to a high modern standard with plenty of parking.  The garages in the area would be demolished as they were in a dilapidated state of disrepair. 

A public meeting had been held at the Fulforth Centre in Sacriston in July 2019 where Karbon Homes presented the scheme to the Parish, County Councillors along with residents.  This highlighted the plans for the development along with getting an understanding of local housing needs including the shortage of high-quality family homes and bungalows for older residents.

Miss O’Shea stated that Karbon Homes were on the final stages of building twenty-four 2-3 bedroomed family homes in the village of Sacriston and were also in the process of developing a further 25 new family homes on the former sheltered accommodation site.  They had 98 new homes programmed in the pipeline over the next 18 months.  Properties were available to rent via the Key Options website.

The Chair thanked Miss O’Shea and asked the Committee for their comments and questions.

Councillor T Tucker asked where in relation to the development the nearest amenity space was and what this comprised of.  The Senior Planning Officer showed on the aerial photograph that there was a small mown grassed amenity space with no facilities a short distance away from the development.

Councillor A Bell noted his disappointment at the loss of the open spaced area.  He hoped this was not a sign of things to come with more open spaces being lost that would be detrimental to children being able to play outside.  He was surprised there were only two objections to the application and commended Karbon on building bungalows for elderly people. 

Councillor D Bell requested clarity on what activities the land had been used for in the past.  The Senior Planning Officer informed the Committee that the area had been informal mown grassed land used by children to play football and the like.  He also noted that Durham County Council were given money in lieu of on-site provision of open space.  The calculation for the money was complex but precise and considered an open space assessment looking at what land had been displaced, what the land had been used for and the needs of new residents.

Councillor D Bell asked what the money the Council received would be used for.  The Senior Planning Officer informed the Committee that the money was held by the Council as a grant that people and the Parish Council could apply for to fund projects in their area.

Councillor A Hopgood requested information about the availability of public transport and amenities.  She was concerned that the incline of the area would prove difficult to negotiate for elderly people. The Senior Planning Officer replied that there were bus services available on the main road to the North or in the village centre where there was a small supermarket. 

Councillor A Hopgood expressed concerned about the ground level of the bungalows.  She did not want a repeat of the incident in Pelton where the ground levels were raised leaving the living rooms of the bungalows that were built overlooking the bedrooms of the houses below.  The Senior Planning Officer replied that if the application was approved an extra condition could be added regarding floor levels.  Councillor A Hopgood moved approval of the application with the additional condition.

Councillor A Bell requested that the spending of the s106 funding remain in the area.  The Senior Planning Officer noted that it could be made a requirement of the legal agreement that the money would remain for use in the Electoral Division of Sacriston.

The Chair informed the Committee that Councillor A Hopgood had moved approval of the application subject to clarification on ground levels, that financial contributions be used within the Electoral Division and a contamination verification report be carried out, and this was seconded by Councillor D Bell. 

Upon a vote taken it was unanimously;

Resolved

That the application be APPROVED for the reasons outlined in the report with addition of Conditions relating to contaminated land, ground levels and s106 monies be spent in the Electoral Division.