Agenda item

Redevelopment of redundant farmyard to provide 14 ‘net zero’ dwellings (including 4 affordable dwellings) and associated works.

Public Participation

·       Ms Clare Plank had a statement read out in opposition to the application

·       Mr Richard Cosker (RCC Town Planning) spoke in support of the application

·       Mr Nick Church (Gaiger Brothers Ltd) spoke in support of the application

The Senior Planning Officer, Meredith Baker, introduced a report which recommended that the application for the redevelopment of a redundant farmyard to provide 14 ‘net zero’ dwellings and associated works, be approved subject to conditions and the completion of a S106 agreement. Key details were stated to include the principle, and design, of the development as well as the landscape, highway and drainage impacts.

It was reported that the application had been brought to Committee as it was being recommended for approval despite being a departure from the policies of the Development Plan. The proposed development was in open countryside and was contrary to Core Policy 1 (Settlement Strategy), Core Policy 2 (Delivery Strategy) and Core Policy 61 (Transport and Development) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

However, the Senior Planning Officer explained that the redevelopment of the land, in landscape and visual impact terms, should have significant positive weight in the planning balance. The proposed development would have several benefits including, delivering an 85 percent biodiversity net gain, improving drainage, as well creating a new bus shelter and footway. Furthermore, the proposed development would provide housing on a site which was unlikely to be economically viable for commercial operation without significant rebuilding.

The Senior Planning Officer argued that the benefits that the development would deliver outweighed the harm it would cause, highlighting that Paragraph 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) stated that development should take account of local circumstances to reflect the character, need and opportunities of each area.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the Senior Planning Officer. Details were sought about the distribution of affordable housing within the development and whether it met the need identified in the area. The Senior Planning Officer explained that Wiltshire Council’s Housing Enabling Officer had not objected to the scheme, subject to the completion of the S106 agreement. The affordable properties, plots two to five, would include two two-bedroomed dwellings and two three-bedroomed dwellings.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views to the Committee as detailed above.

The Chairman read out a statement in objection on behalf of Ms Clare Plank, who was unable to attend in person.

The Unitary Division Member, Cllr Tamara Reay, then spoke in support of the application.

The Senior Planning Officer then had the opportunity to respond to the points raised by the public and Unitary Division Member.

So that the Committee had something to debate, the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Stuart Wheeler, proposed that the application be approved in line with officer recommendation.

Details were sought about whether the application site was classified as brownfield land. The Senior Planning Officer explained that the site was technically classed as agricultural; the NPPF was not specific about redundant farmyards being considered brownfield.

The Senior Planning Officer drew attention to a late representation by the Agent proposing amendments to the sequencing of the work. She explained that the Agent’s proposed amendments to Conditions 13, 17 and 24 would require that the heat pumps, parking, electric vehicle charging, cycle parking and bin storage facilities, were completed for each property before it could be occupied. This was a change from the conditions in the report that required those works be completed for all the properties before the first could be occupied. Furthermore, the Agent had requested that the requirement for the bus shelter and shared use path to be finished before any of the properties be occupied, under conditions 22 and 23, be amended to require their completion before the occupation of the fifth dwelling. The Senior Planning Officer explained that, although she was content with most of the proposed changes, she did have concerns about the proposals to update Conditions 22 and 23, given the need to guarantee that the footpath and bus shelter were delivered.

Whilst the Committee appreciated the funding challenges in providing the infrastructure up front, they did emphasise that they wanted all the potential benefits associated with the scheme to be realised if the application was approved. Legal advice was sought about whether it would be possible to guarantee the completion of footpath and bus shelter through the S106 agreement and to avoid the need for a revised planning application. The Legal Advisor, Alwyn Thomas, advised that it would be possible to condition via a performance bond.

The Chairman and the seconder, Cllr Wheeler, were content for the substantive motion to be amended to include the changes, subject to a guarantee via a performance bond in the S106 agreement that the footpath and bus shelter would be completed. The Committee were happy to delegate the final wording of the conditions to the Senior Planning Officer and Development Management Team Leader, Karen Guest, in consultation with the Chairman. At the conclusion of the discussion, it was:

Resolved

To GRANT permission for the redevelopment of redundant farmyard to provide 14 ‘net zero’ dwellings and associated works, subject to conditions [as amended by the Committee] and the completion of a S106 agreement covering the matters set out in the report.