11 Application No C20/0870/45/LL Land At Ysgubor Wen, Pwllheli, LL53 5UB PDF 285 KB
Erection of five dwellings
with associated access, parking and landscaping.
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Elin Hywel
Additional documents:
Decision:
DECISION: To approve the
application subject to conditions and the completion of a section 106 agreement
to secure provision of one affordable house:
1. Time
2. Compliance
with plans
3. Agree
on details of external materials including slate
4. Landscaping
/ Trees
5. Drainage
matters / SUDS
6. Biodiversity
Matters
7. Archaeological
Matters
8. Affordable
matters
9. Highways
Matters
10. Protection measures and improve the hedge
11. Boundary treatment
Minutes:
Erection of
five dwellings together with access, parking and landscaping
a)
The Planning Manager highlighted that the application was
originally submitted to the Planning Committee on 21/06/21 when it was resolved
to approve the application, subject to determining an appropriate discount to
restrict the value of both affordable dwellings and complete a 106 Agreement to
ensure that the two houses are affordable for local need. It was added that
lengthy discussions had been held between the officers and the applicant since
the committee's decision and as a result to the submission of detailed
financial evidence, it had become evident that it would not be viable to
include two affordable houses as part of the development.
In
accordance with the committee's decision to approve subject to a discussion and
agree on an appropriate discount for the affordable units, an open market
valuation was received for the affordable housing. Based on the information together with advice
from the Strategic Housing Unit, it was determined that a discount of 40% was
required to ensure that the houses were in reach of people who need
intermediate affordable housing.
Following this, an objection was received to the discount from the
applicant as such a high discount would impact the viability of the entire
plan.
It was explained that the relevant requirements of the policy and the
SPG also note that if the required percentage of affordable units are not
provided within the site, then a pro-rata payment would have to be considered
rather than no affordable provision. In
this case, and having assessed the costs of the development/building as
submitted within the latest red book valuation, it was clear based on including
one affordable unit with a discount of 40%, that it would not be viable to
provide another affordable unit or to ask for a pro-rata payment in place of
the second affordable unit. Therefore, as noted in the policies and the
relevant advice, the affordable element in this case reflected the number of
affordable units in the context of the conclusions of this assessment. Consequently, a decision was made to accept
one affordable house on plot 4 with a discount of 40% to be added via a legal
agreement in order to continue to be affordable for local need.
b) Taking advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member made the
following points:
·
That not much changes had been made to
the original plan and she was willing to support the application
·
Despite residents' concerns regarding sewerage, an acceptable
response was received
·
There was a housing crisis in Pwllheli and there was a need for affordable
housing
·
There was a need for the right houses
in the right place
·
There was a need to consider the
developer's viewpoint - this was a local building company - a local Welshman
employing local people and she supported
this
·
The plan was not viable - the system was failing - the process
needed to be reviewed
· Concern that no language statement had been included as ... view the full minutes text for item 11