Agenda item

The Committee received a presentation by the Case Officer which set out the main issues in respect of the application. 

The Committee then received statements from the following members of the public expressing their views regarding this planning application:

The following peoplespoke against the proposal

Ms Jenny Willis, a local resident

Mr David Short, a local resident

Cllr Carolyn Ramsey, Chairman of Planning Committee, Calne Town Council

The following people spoke in favour of the proposal

Mr Vic O’Brien, Group Director of Development, Green Square Group

Ms Shirley Davies, Head of Neighbourhood Services, Quattro Design Architects

Dr Janet O’Brien, Head of New Housing, Wiltshire Council

The Committee was informed that:

(a)       23 additional letters of objection had been received in response to amended plans, all making it clear that the amended plans did not fundamentally alter the scheme and therefore did not alter the objections previously raised.

(b)       a communication had been received from Calne Town Council advising that its members had noted the amendments but considered that these had no bearing on the Town Council’s original objections.

(c)        Wiltshire Council Highways had confirmed verbally that there were no fundamental objections to the revised plans, although the relationship of the footway with parking spaces serving units 4-9 did require some small alterations.

The Committee then considered the detail of the report and the views of Cllr Howard Marshall who considered that the proposal, which was mainly for two storey buildings, was out of keeping with the estate.  He reported that the local residents were against the level of social housing being proposed and he considered that Calne had exceeded its declared need for social housing. 

After discussion,

Resolved:   To refuse planning permission for the following reasons:-

(1) The proposed development fails to respect the character and distinctiveness of the surrounding area with regard to the design, size and scale of the development.  As such, the proposal is contrary to the provisions of Policy C3 of the adopted North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011 and national planning guidance contained in PPS3: Housing.

(2)    In the context of the character of the surrounding Curzon Park housing estate, the proposed development would fail to provide a mix of housing and would fail to create a sustainable, inclusive and mixed community as is required by national planning guidance contained in PPS3: Housing 2006 and would be contrary to the provisions of Policy H5 of the adopted North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011.

(3)    The proposal fails to provide a scheme for the provision of an adequate level of public open space and therefore fails the requirements of Policy CF3 of adopted North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011.

(4)    The proposed development does not make any provisions for securing affordable housing on the site or financial contributions towards education provision in the locality or the on-going provision and maintenance of open space on the site. The application is therefore contrary to Policies C2, H5 and CF3 of the North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011 and the North Wiltshire Local Development Framework Affordable Housing SPD (August 2007).