Agenda item
Removal of condition 3 re planning permission C19/0323/11/LL which states 2 units out of 8 to affordable units
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Steve Collings
Link
to relevant background documents
Minutes:
Revoke condition 3 of planning application
C19/0323/11/LL which restricts two out of the eight units as affordable units
Attention was
drawn to the late observations form that had been received
a)
The Planning Manager elaborated on the background of
the application and noted that this was a full application to revoke condition
3 of planning permission C19/0323/11/LL which restricted two out of the eight
permitted units as affordable units. The condition stated:-
‘The
development shall not begin until a scheme for the provision the 2 affordable
units as part of the development has been submitted to, and approved in writing
by the Local Planning Authority. The
affordable units shall be provided in accordance with the approved scheme and
shall meet the definition of affordable housing in Annex B of Planning Policy
Wales, Technical Advice Note 2: Planning
and Affordable Housing, or any future guidance that replaces it. The scheme
shall include:
i)
the
timing of the completion of the two affordable units;
ii)
the
arrangements for the management of the affordable units;
iii)
the
arrangements to ensure that such provision is affordable for both first and
subsequent occupiers of the affordable units; and
iv) the occupancy criteria to be used
for determining the identity of occupiers of the affordable units and the means
by which such occupancy criteria shall be enforced.’
The condition was
imposed as clear and definitive information had not been submitted
(specifically the open market price), as part of the previous application for
the affordable provision. Nevertheless,
it was considered that there was sufficient information to ensure that the
Local Planning Authority could assess the application from the perspective of
being able to ensure provision/an appropriate number of affordable housing as
part of the application and in order to address the need.
It was explained
that the site was located on Bangor High Street and the associated planning
consent was application number C19/0323/11/LL.
The intention was to convert the first and second floors of the building
into residential units. The Committee
approved this application in July 2019.
It was reported
that the applicant had submitted information that included a viability
assessment pro-forma, Property Valuation Report from a competent Chartered
Surveyor, along with quotations for undertaking the conversion work. An argument had been submitted regarding the
viability of the proposal, and critically, information about the open market
price for the units had been submitted.
It was noted that this type of information would normally be submitted
with the application to convert or build and was considered early on in the
process. Nevertheless, the applicant,
in respect of the first application, had not acted in this way but rather had
stated that they accepted a condition in order to consider this after the
planning consent had been granted.
Also, an
assessment of the value of the units was submitted by a company of Chartered
Surveyors, based on the requirements of the Red Book (2017). It was reported that the open market value
of the units would vary from £45,000 to £60,000 - the price had been restricted
naturally due to the nature and scale of the site and the size of the units
themselves. It was reiterated that the Council's Housing Strategic Unit had
confirmed that the valuation of the proposed residential units was lower than
the affordable price level (intermediate) for the Deiniol ward in Bangor and
therefore, when considering the open market value of the residential units, the
proposal would provide affordable units in any case, without a further
restriction of a condition or 106 Agreement.
The condition was
not considered necessary or reasonable in order to secure affordable units, as
all units (8) would be affordable in any case.
It was reiterated that the application was acceptable on the grounds of
the requirements of local policy and relevant national guidance.
b) Taking
advantage of the right to speak, the agent noted the following main points:-
·
This was an application to revoke a 106 agreement
·
That the proposal was not viable - a valuation and
costs had been submitted
·
The units would be affordable in any case
·
That the size and design of the flats as low-cost
homes met the relevant policies
·
That the Planning Authority did not disagree with the
conversion
c) It
was proposed and seconded to approve the application, provided that the rent
charged for the units was intermediate / affordable rent, considering that the
units themselves were affordable.
ch) During the ensuing discussion, the following points were made by
individual Members:
·
That an explanation was needed about what was meant by
'intermediate salary'
·
Need to ensure that the rent was affordable
·
A request was made for figures regarding the number of
flats approved in Bangor - it was suggested that there may now be an
over-provision
d) In
response to the request to consider the rent element, the Solicitor noted that
no rent assessment had been completed.
It was noted that full information was needed from the Housing Service,
as the intention for the units was for them to be let. It was suggested that the decision should be
deferred.
RESOLVED to defer
the decision in order to receive further information about the rental price of
the unit and amended assessment to address this.
Supporting documents: