Agenda item

Outline application for residential development of up to 30no. units (22no. shown on submitted plans) – all matters reserved

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer which provided details of an outline application for residential development of up to 30no. units (22no. shown on submitted plans) – all matters reserved on Land to the West of Stobart Terrace, Fishburn (for copy see file of minutes).

The Senior Planning Officer provided a detailed presentation of the report and included site location plans, aerial photographs and photographs of the site.

The Senior Planning Officer advised that there had been an historical approval on a site to the east of this site by same applicant.  This was considered at time to be a SHLARR site however the consent had lapsed and if the Applicant wanted to develop the site, they would have to reapply.  The key difference between the two sites was that this site was not a SHLARR site and it was situated within the open countryside.

Mr A Lang, spoke on behalf of the Applicant and advised that without this approval the SHLAA site could not be implemented due to financial complications and the reason for the second application site was that if granted, it would financially enable the other.

Unfortunately due to time, permission had lapsed so what Members were being asked was to grant permission for this site which would enable an access road to be created and join the two sites eventually if it did come and the Applicant would of course need to reapply for permission.

The site had been designed to create more attractive buffer and he suggested that the appearance and landscaping could be dealt with by reserved matters.

With regards to the comments from Archaology, Mr Lang advised that the Applicant felt that their concerns could be dealt with by a condition.

The application was for outline application, there had been a lot of money spent to bring it to committee and the housing market was still under pressure, with delays caused by COVID-19 and the creation of 22 units would support Fishburn and other local villages and bring benefits.

The Senior Planning Officer advised that the application was to be viewed in isolation and confirmed that residential applications would be approved, but only where it satisfied up to date development plans and this application did not.

Councilllor Brown queried the relevance of the 2018 application for 70 houses and the Senior Planning Officer advised that the previous application showed that the two sites would have shared access and the Applicant was claiming that to make the previous scheme viable, they needed to have this application approved, however a lot had changed since then.

Councillor Boyes confirmed that he accepted what had been said by the Senior Planning Officer and in his opinion the application was insufficiently developed and he echoed comments from statutory consultee Northumbrian Water Ltd and advised that a more robust plan was needed to address foul water and flooding along with issues from internal consultees that needed addressing.  There were four reasons for refusal and issues that he was not comfortable approving as a Committee Member.

Councillor Brown advised that the planning statement was dated three years prior and suggested that the Applicant should return with an application for up to 100 houses, but felt that it was lacking in information.

Councilllor Atkinson agreed that there was not enough in application to go against recommendation and proposed that it be refused as per the recommendation, seconded by Councillor Stead. 

Resolved

That the application be REFUSED for the reasons outlined in the report.