Agenda item

The Senior Planning Officer outlined the report recommending that the application be approved with conditions. The officer also drew the meetings attention to a colour copy of a photomontage produced by the applicant to assist members, but advised that he had not been afforded the opportunity to check the veracity of the image. The officer also drew the member’s attention to plans of previously approved proposals on the site.

Janet Repton and Martin Newman spoke in objection to the application. Warren Jones, the applicant, spoke in support of the application. Cllr Gwen Allison spoke on behalf of Bradford-on-Avon Town Council

Issues discussed in the course of the presentation and debate included: The officer describing the location of the site within Bradford on Avon’s town centre and conservation area and its relationship with listed buildings nearby, as well as identifying the size, scale and height of the proposed development.  The officer also referenced the extant approved development for the site and drew members attention to some comparisons in terms of building size, scale and design; the planning history on the site was outlined, with particular attention drawn to the reasons for refusing the most recent application for 4 x 3-bed dwellinghouses; the officer outlined the differences between the current proposal compared to the previous applications; the materials proposed for the development; the amount of amenity land to be provided on the site as well as referencing the amount of communal amenity space afforded to a flatted development located nearby; the views of the highways officer and the issues of car parking; the impact of the proposals on the conversation area; the views of the Historic England and the Council’s conservation officer; the viability of the site and the proposals; the access of the location to services and public transport; and the applicability of the current core strategy were also all discussed.

In questioning the Senior Planning Officer, the committee sought some clarification regarding the highways officer’s reasoning for their views on the parking provision and specifically about their non-objection to a 4 house development having no parking provision; and  that, in their opinion, it would be preferable for a Highway Officer to be present to explain their reasoning.  Members also sought clarity on the height of the proposed new building in comparison to the extant and previous permissions; some discussion was also held about the loss of the taxi rank from the site, as well as seeking confirmation from officers that the associated noise impacts from the railway line and the nearby pub had been considered.

Members expressed great concern about the lack of parking for a 4 house development, the design of the building and the overdevelopment of the site.

Cllr Magnus MacDonald proposed, subsequently seconded by Cllr Jonathan Seed, that planning permission be refused.

Having been put to the vote, the meeting;

Resolved

That planning permission should be refused for the following reasons:

1.     The proposal fails to provide adequate standards of amenity for its future occupiers contrary to Core Policy 57 of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy and Paragraph 17 of the NPPF.

2.     The proposal fails to provide adequate parking provision for the size and number of residential units proposed which would result in unacceptable parking pressure on the surrounding streets contrary to Core Policy 64 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

3.     The proposed design/detailing fails to respect the established architectural character of the Bradford-on-Avon Conservation Area, and the setting of the GWR railway station contrary to Core Policy 57 and 58 of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy and paragraph 132 of the NPPF.

4.     The proposal represents an inappropriate overdevelopment of the site which would not be in keeping with its immediate environs contrary to Core Policy CP57 of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy which requires development to create a strong sense of place which is complementary to the locality.