Agenda item

A report by the Case Officer is attached.

Public Participation

Stephen Walls, James Shannon, Brenda Lyall and Alan Butler spoke in objection to the application.

Cllr Peter Willis, Chairman of Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, and Paul Heaphy, Chairman of Planning on Royal Wootton Basset Town Council, spoke in objection to the application.

The Development Management Team Leader, Mr Lee Burman, presented a report which recommended that planning permission for a mixed development of up to 320 Dwellings, Community Hub comprising of 500sqm of A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/D1 & D2 Uses, Public Open Space, Landscaping, Extension to Approved Sports Hub & Access, be refused.

Key issues included the scale and impact of development outside the settlement boundary, accordance with local and national policies, highways and drainage. Attention was drawn to the late representations and comments that had been received, and that a site visit had taken place by the Committee.

It was also explained that the item had been considered at the previous meeting on 8 February 2017 before being deferred, where it had been recommended for approval. This had been as a result of the council at that time being unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, requiring a balancing of the positives and negatives of the scheme despite lack of adherence to the Wiltshire Core Strategy. Since that time a Planning Inspector had ruled the council’s Site Allocation Development Plan document for Chippenham to be sound, and it was anticipated to be approved by Council on 16 May 2017 following the resolution of the Cabinet in March 2017 recommending that the Council adopt it. This significant change had resulted in the Council issuing an updated Housing Land Supply Statement in March that concluded that the Council could demonstrate a five year land supply for the north and west housing market area. This change meant that the policies in the Wiltshire Core Strategy relating to housing land supply could now be considered up to date, giving significant weight to the Core Strategy.

It was also clarified that one of the reasons for refusal was Core Policy 19, rather than Core Policy 18 as incorrectly listed in the report at one point.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officers.

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

Local Unitary Councillors Mollie Groom and Chris Hurst then spoke in objection to the application. A statement in objection on behalf of Local Unitary Councillor Allison Bucknell was also read. Local Unitary Councillor Mary Champion was unable to attend but the Committee was informed she objected to the application.

A debate then followed where Councillor Trevor Carbin moved that the application be refused in accordance with the officer’s recommendation, seconded by Councillor Christopher Newbury.

It was then,

Resolved:

That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1)    The proposals by virtue of scale and location in the open countryside outside of any defined settlement boundary on land not allocated for development are contrary to the Wiltshire Core Strategy (Adopted January 2015) Core Policies CP1, CP2, CP19 and National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraphs 7, 14, 17.

2)    The proposals by virtue of scale and location will result in the loss of open countryside resulting in harm to the character and appearance of the locality contrary to Wiltshire Core Strategy (Adopted January 2015) Core Policies CP51 and CP57 (I, ii & iii) and National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraphs 17 & 109.

3)    The application fails to meet the identified and necessary supporting services and infrastructure requirements generated by the development, including Affordable Housing, Education, Highways and Open Space Management and is therefore in conflict with Wiltshire Core Strategy (Adopted January 2015) Core Policies CP3, CP43, CP60 & CP61; and National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraphs 2, 7, 17 & 196.