Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding the construction of 55 affordable residential dwellings with associated access to the rear of Consett Park Terrance, Moorside (for copy see file of minutes).

Steve France, Senior Planning Officer provided a detailed presentation of the application which included a site location plan, aerial photographs, a further site plan detailing community open space.

Ms Nixon, addressed the Committee, in objection to the proposal. Ms Nixon thanked the Committee for giving her the time to voice the concerns of local residents who had the greatest knowledge of the village, understood the needs of local people and what would benefit the area. She referred to the committee report that had concluded that issues raised had been addressed however this was not the case.

The County Durham Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) had identified the site as being within a Landscape Priority Conservation Area. The assessment had concluded that development would not consolidate the built form of the settlement and would result in significant adverse impact on an Area of High Landscape Value and wildlife habitats.  Ms Nixon had witnessed various wildlife including and garden birds on the land around the proposed development site. Development of the land would have a detrimental impact on natural habits. To mitigate the impact of this development, a site eight miles away from Moorside would benefit from off-site BNG, which offered no consolation to local residents who would lose green space on their doorstep. he proposed site was within viewing distance of the Grade II listed Hownsgill Viaduct, over which ran the coast-to-coast cycle route and was a popular walking route for residents within Moorside and further afield. The views from the viaduct and the valley would be impacted by excavations and building works and result in an irreversible change to this local area of high landscape value if the proposed development was approved. There was an alternative site suitable for redevelopment within Moorside, previously occupied by the local comprehensive school which had been demolished and was attracting anti-social behaviour. Policy 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework NPPF explicitly stated that housing needs should be accommodated in a way that made as much use as possible of previously developed brownfield land. The nearby former school site had been identified for housing within the County Durham Plan stood empty, yet this area of high landscape value had been chosen by the Developer as a site for new housing. She suggested that the Housing Need Report had exaggerated the need for affordable housing by including the neighbouring, more affluent village of Castleside.

Ms Moon, addressed the Committee on behalf of the Applicant in support of the scheme. The proposal would offer 55 affordable new homes and included homes for older people, starter homes for young families and home ownership tenures to support those in the community who were struggling to find affordable accommodation.

The properties comprised of two and three bedroomed properties, twelve of which were bungalows, which exceeded 20% of the total number of dwellings. There would be a range of affordable products on the site including, rent to buy, shared ownership and affordable rent. The mix of property sizes and tenures had been developed with the local authority and a Housing Association which was in line with the requirements identified within the Housing Need Survey. The design had evolved to create a sensitive, low density, landscape led scheme, providing on site open space and modern energy efficient homes, with driveways and parking. The scheme also included funding to upgrade the existing public right of way to the east of the site beyond the site boundary, along with a pedestrian crossing to ensure safe connectivity from the site entrance to the wider area.

The extensive landscaping scheme to the south of the site included the creation of species rich grassland, wetlands and new trees which would result in on-site BNG. In addition to the onsite benefits, there were also financial contributions to off-site biodiversity enhancements identified near Tanfield and S106 contributions towards Education, the NHS and Open Space. The scheme had been robustly assessed by Planning Officers and key considerations included local demand for affordable homes and the impact of views from the Grade II listed Hownsgill Viaduct. Officers were satisfied that the development provided an acceptable scheme of high quality, sustainable homes by way of location, layout and design. In addition, there were no outstanding statutory consultee objections to the scheme.

Councillor Martin queried how the resubmitted application met the required need for affordable housing to be exceptional, when the site was located in an Area of High Landscape Value. The Senior Planning Officer stated that the Council were targeted to deliver 839 affordable homes and applications that could support the delivery of this target had to be considered to find the balance between building affordable housing and he confirmed that there was a local need.  A survey had demonstrated there was a need in Moorside and Castleside, but it did not include The Grove.

Councillor Haney added that there was a requirement to support applications that offered affordable housing and conditions had been included to mitigate impact on local residents and the environment. The Senior Planning Officer outlined amendments to the resubmitted application which mitigated the impact to achieve a planning balance. These included variation in the types of landscaping and reduced density of the development which addressed the policy requirements.

Councillor Haney queried the quality of the building design and asked how the BNG landscape enhancement plans for a location in Tanfield, would benefit residents of Moorside. The Senior Planning Officer responded that there was a significant amount of BNG incorporated into the on-site landscape design however the mandatory level could not be fully met and therefore the closest site of a similar landscape to achieve the shortfall had been identified in Tanfield. The quality and design of the proposed new homes also met the requirements of the NPPF. 

Councillor Haney Local Member for South Consett asked for clarification from Officers of the grounds on which the Committee could refuse the application if they felt it did not meet the needs of policy 39 of the County Durham Plan. The Senior Planning Officer stated that the application met the requirements of policy and the application had been brought before Members of the Planning Committee to make a decision. The Senior Lawyer added that the determination of the application was a matter for members to consider in terms of the extent to which the application met policy requirements and whether there were any other material planning considerations.

Councillor Haney Moved the refusal of the application on the grounds that it did not meet policy 106 and the BNG located in Tanfield would have little benefit to Moorside residents.

Councillor Watson added that the development was large and encroached on a greenfield site, therefore alternative sites should have been considered, for example the vacant brownfield secondary school site which required development. He Seconded the motion to refuse the application.

Councillor Sterling was in favour of the development as it would provide 100% affordable houses and bungalows. She stated that the Council had a target to support the building of 2011 homes every year, 800 affordable and 500 Council owned homes by 2029. Due to the commitment to a development of 100% affordable homes she would approve the application. Councillor Sterling Moved approval for the reasons outlined in the report.

Councillor Shaw noted that the applicant was required to demonstrate an affordable housing need in the area as part of the application process. The Senior Planning Officer advised that the Council reviewed the submitted evidence of a local affordable housing need assessment by an applicant and deem whether those findings justified a housing need. Councillor Shaw Seconded the motion from Councillor Sterling.

Councillor Blakey queried the parking arrangements for the properties shown on the plan that would face onto the current main road adjacent to the entrance. The Senior Planning Officer advised that the properties had driveways with off street parking and the layout had been assessed by Highways Officers and deemed to have sufficient visibility splays.

Councillor Haney added that the development should have a condition added to include a local letting policy. The Planning Officer confirmed that this would be a condition of the.

A vote was taken on the motion to refuse the application and it was lost.

The Senior Lawyer advised that a vote for approval of the application would need to be taken.

A vote was taken to approve the application subject to conditions.

RESOLVED:

That the application be approved, subject to the conditions set out within the report.

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