Agenda and draft minutes

To receive and record apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To receive the minutes of the Site Viewing Working Party held on 7 January 2021

The Site Briefing minutes from the meeting held on the 7th January 2021 were noted.

To receive and record declarations of interests from members present in respect of the various matters on the agenda for this meeting.

As she knew one of the deputees, Councillor Lowe declared a non-pecuniary interest in item APP/20/01-031.

The Committee are invited to consider any matters they wish to recommend for site viewing or deferment.

Proposal:        Erection of 50 new dwellings together with access, landscaping and open space (Revised Scheme).

Additional Information

The site was the subject of a Site Briefing by the Site Viewing Working Party.

Proposal: Erection of 50 new dwellings with associated access, parking and open space.

Reason for Committee consideration: The application was contrary to the provisions of the adopted development plan.

The Committee considered the written report and recommendation from the Head of Planning to grant permission.

The Committee received the supplementary information, circulated prior to the meeting which:

 i.          included the minutes of the Site Briefing held on 7 January 2020;

ii.          included the deputations submitted by members of the public over 48 hours in advance of the meeting;

iii.          provided an update paper with consultation responses in connection with the application which, where appropriate, superseded the responses published in the Committee report; and

All members confirmed that they had read the above supplementary papers prior to the meeting.

The members received a presentation from the officers outlining the report and answering questions raised in the Site Briefing and individual members of the Committee since the agenda was published.

It was noted that the application was a resubmission following the refusal by the Development Management Committee of APP/19/00427, now the subject of an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate with a Public Inquiry scheduled to commence on the 2 February 2020.  As in the case of the appeal application, the proposal was for 50 dwellings. The main difference between the current application and the appeal proposal related to the siting of the proposed dwellings in respect to the boundary with the Manor Farm element of the Conservation Area.

The dwellings proposed near this part of the site had been set further off the boundary and additional open space provided in this area. Additionally, the proposal had been modified to ensure full compliance with the Nationally Described Space Standards. The site was located to the south of Lower Road, adjoining the Old Bedhampton Conservation Area as extended under the recent review, and to the north of the railway and A27.  The key matter of principle in dealing with this application was whether it should be considered prior to the submission and adoption of the Havant Borough Local Plan 2036 and if so whether the proposal represents sustainable development. It was advertised as a departure from the development plan. However, since the Havant Borough Local Plan (Core Strategy) and the Havant Borough Local Plan (Allocations Plan) had been adopted, an assessment of the housing need for the borough now showed that significantly more homes were required. 

An initial reassessment of all potential housing sites had been undertaken through the now revoked Local Plan Housing Statement (Adopted December 2016) and continued to evolve through the emerging Havant Local Plan 2036. The site was included in the Housing Statement. It was also a proposed allocation in the Pre-Submission Havant Borough Local Plan 2036.  Whilst it was accepted that elements of the proposal did not fully comply with elements of emerging policies in the Local Plan 2036, the scheme dis provide elements  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.