Agenda item

Outline planning application for the erection of up to 90 dwellings, including 40% affordable housing with public open space, structural planting and landscaping and sustainable drainage system (SuDS) with vehicular access point. All matters reserved except for means of access.

Public Participation

Kate Learoyd spoke in objection to the application.

Paul Wickes spoke in objection to the application.

Paddy Latimer spoke in objection to the application.

Chris Lee, agent, spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Steve Siddall, Holt Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.

David Cox, Senior Conservation/Planning Officer, presented a report on the application for outline planning application for the erection of up to 90 dwellings, including 40% affordable housing with public open space, structural planting and landscaping and sustainable drainage system with vehicular access point. The application was subject to an appeal for non-determination, as it had not been determined within the statutory timescales. A decision would therefore be made by a Planning Inspector

The report recommended the Committee delegate authority to the Head of Development Management to inform the Planning Inspectorate that had Wiltshire Council still been the decision-making authority then it would have refused planning permission for a single technical reason relating to the failure of the application to provide/complete a mechanism to deliver essential infrastructure made necessary by the development. The recommendation was to not present other reasons relating to the principle of the development or matters of planning detail.

Details were provided on late representations including relating to calculation of the current position of the council’s five year housing land supply, and updates to the presentation slides. The history of the site and previous applications was set out, along with key issues including on the principle of development, highway and traffic impacts, impact on the landscape, the views of statutory consultees and the application of the tilted balance and consideration of planning policies as a result of the lack of a demonstrated five year housing land supply.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers. Details were sought on current and previous use of the land, and it was stated it had not been used agriculturally for some years. The current status of the Neighbourhood Plan was also queried.

Members of the public then addressed the Committee, as detailed above.

Councillor Trevor Carbin, local Unitary Member, then spoke in objection to the application and the recommendation. He provided detailed comments on the report, planning policy, recent planning appeals, the tilted balance and adverse impacts of the application, and requested the Committee include additional reasons in stating they would have recommended refusal had the council still been the decision making for the application.

The Committee then debated the application. They debated suggested adverse impacts from the application and the response of statutory consultees, the details of Holt village and the location site outside the settlement boundary, and the application of Core Policies and other policies with the current position of the housing land supply. The Committee discussed potential reasons for refusal, including delegation to officers to insert specific references from the Holt Neighbourhood Plan in any reason for refusal.

At the conclusion of debate, and on the motion of Councillors Tony Trotman and Pip Ridout, it was,

Resolved:

To delegate authority to the Head of Development Management to inform the Planning Inspectorate that had Wiltshire Council still been the decision-making authority then it would have refused planning permission for the following reasons:

1)    The site is located in open countryside outside the limits of development defined for Holt in the Wiltshire Core Strategy. The proposal would therefore conflict with Core Policies 1, 2, and 7 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy (Adopted January 2015) which seeks properly to plan for sustainable development of housing sites in Wiltshire.

2)    The proposal conflicts with the Council's plan-led approach to the delivery of new housing sites outside of the identified Limits of Development, as set out in Core Policy 2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy which seeks to provide new housing sites to deliver the identified needs in a community area through a Site Allocation DPD and/or Neighbourhood Plan. The proposal also conflicts withthe Holt Neighbourhood Plan Housing objective 3 and policy H3.1(b).

3)    The proposal would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area by significantly expanding the built-up area of the settlement into the surrounding rural landscape. This would be highly visible, particularly from viewpoints to the north and south, and would conflict with a core principle of the NPPF to take account of the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and with policy CP51 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

4)    The application fails to provide and/or secure any mechanism to ensure that the provision of essential infrastructure, services and amenities made necessary by the development are delivered, these being affordable housing, recreation/open space, education facilities, refuse collection facilities, and highway works / sustainable transport improvements.  This is contrary to Policies CP3, CP43, CP45, CP51, and CP52 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, Policy LP4 of the West Wiltshire Leisure and Recreation DPD (February 2009) and paragraphs 8, 34, 56, 64 and 92 of the NPPF. 

INFORMATIVE: 

This ‘reason for refusal’ may fall away in the event of a suitable mechanism – such as a S106 planning obligation – being agreed and secured as part of the appeal process.  

It was requested that it be recorded that the vote on the resolution was unanimous.