Agenda item

Proposal:           Erection of 195No. dwellings, associated open space, pumping station, sub-station and formation of new vehicular access off Sinah Lane. Change of use of land from agricultural to a Wader and Brent Geese Refuge Area (Resubmission of APP/18/00724)

(For report and papers see Planning Committee Agenda for 10 March 2021)

Proposal:  Erection of 195No. dwellings, associated open space, pumping station, sub-station and formation of new vehicular access off Sinah Lane. Change of use of land from agricultural to a Wader and Brent Geese Refuge Area

Reason for Committee Consideration: The application is contrary to the provisions of the adopted development plan

The following key considerations were identified in the report:

(i)            principle of development;

(ii)          nature of development;

(iii)         impact on the character and appearance of the area;

(iv)         residential and neighbouring amenity;

(v)          access and highway implications;

(vi)         flooding and drainage;

(vii)        the effect of development on ecology and trees;

(viii)       impact on archaeology; and

(ix)         Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), contribution requirements and legal agreement.

The Principal Planning Officer advised the Working Party that Application APP/18/00724 had been scheduled for consideration at the Development Management Committee (DMC) in March 2020 which had been cancelled owing to Covid 19 restrictions. Following that cancellation, an appeal was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate stating that the statutory period in which to decide the planning application had not been met by the Council.

When the application had been considered on the 29 October 2020 the DMC resolved that the Head of Planning be authorised to inform the Planning Inspectorate that had an appeal not been lodged the Local Planning Authority would have been minded to grant planning permission for the application subject to a Section 106 Agreement.

The current application involved a similar proposal to the application now at appeal with only small changes to the scheme comprising;

·         Adjustments to the internal layout and elevations on some of the homes. In all cases the replacement house types have a similar footprint, bulk and character as the ones to be replace.

·         Additionally Plots 112, 113, 114, 115 had been brought further away from the site boundary and trees T18 and T16.

·          Plots 170-171 and 172-3 had similarly been brought slightly forward away from the boundaries and trees T31-T35, again in response to feedback on the previous application.

·         Further design work has resulted in the SuDs basin in the field to the north having a slightly more elongated shape.

The Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation. A pre-recorded video of the site was shown to Members of the Working Party, which was recorded in accordance with instructions provided by the Principal Planning Officer. The Principal Planning Officer highlighted the markings placed on the site by the developer to mark out the position of the proposed dwellings.

Ward Councillors drew Members’ attention to:

a)    the nature of the tide locked site;

b)    the off-site ancient pond found adjacent to the North boundary which could be affected by drainage;

c)    the Hayling Island Transport Assessment who’s funding had not been fully sourced;

d)    clarification on the location of site E26;

e)    the previous application by the developer which had been developed had recognised this site was the site for Brent Geese mitigation, and the boundaries of the site had not been maintained; and

f)     the timing of consideration of the application in relation to the appeal.

In response to factual questions raised by members of the Working Party, the officers advised that:

1)    as part of the planning history of the site, the Committee should have regard to the decision reached on the previous application;

2)    the implications of the Council’s 5 year supply situation was set out in the report;

3)    as part of the application process the dwellings had been moved away from the vegetation of the Hayling Billy Trail to a position which was not found to have an adverse impact;

4)    the surface water would drain into holding tanks and there would be a pumping station to facilitate its removal from the site;

5)    the developer, in agreement with the adjacent landowners, would offer the additional triangle of land to them to become part of their gardens as part of the development;

6)    school provision had been accounted for in consultation with the education authority;

7)    the landscape architect team along with a number of planning officers had looked at the layout of the development and relation between buildings as well as landscaping to determine if the design and layout of properties was suitable.[WS1] 

RESOLVED that, based on the site inspection and information available at the time, the following additional information be provided to the Development Management Committee:

A)   further details of proposed highway changes and funding for the Hayling Island Transport Assessment;

B)   the relationship of the site with the previous ‘Oysters’ development;

C)   Access arrangements for the refuge and whether the RSPB would be repairing and monitoring the fencing for the bird refuge;

D)   A more detailed explanation of the issues around the Five-Year Land Supply; and

E)   Clarification on the location of area E26 referred to in the report.

</AI4>

<TRAILER_SECTION>

The meeting commenced at 4.05pm and concluded at 6pm