Reserved
matters in relation to application C13/0611/18/AM for a residential development
of 17 houses (including two affordable homes) and new access - amended plans
and additional information
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Elfed Williams
Decision:
To delegate
powers to the Assistant Head of the Environment Department to approve the
application, subject to the following conditions:
Conditions:
1. In
accordance with the revised plans.
2. Comply with the requirements of the
Ordinary Watercourse Land Drainage Consent.
A
note for the applicant relating to Public Protection Service advice on
contaminated land.
Minutes:
a) The
Senior Development Control Officer expanded upon the background of the
application. It was explained that the principle of
the proposal had already been discussed and approved under the outline
application, and this application in question was only for assessing elements
relating to scale, appearance, landscaping and access as reserved matters. In
addition to the reserved matters, there was also a need to comply with
conditions relating to submitting details as follows:-
(i)
a Desk Study to assess the risk of potential pollution
on the site;
(ii)
further information/explanation on flood alleviation
measures;
(iii)
a Management Statement to be agreed with the Local
Planning Authority for the watercourse that ran through the site;
(iv)
providing and implementing a surface water management
system;
(v)
access
path to the watercourse, improvements to the inlet arrangements and removal of
culvert.
It was reported
that the site was located to the south-west of Deiniolen
on a section of derelict land which was, historically,
used for the climbing equipment manufacturing industry. Amended plans had been submitted with the application and it was noted
that the relevant policies along with the responses to the consultation period
had been included in the report.
In the context of
visual amenities, the principle of erecting 17 houses on the site had already been accepted. Given the layout of the site
within the landscape along with its proximity to the built areas, it was not believed that the development would have a
significant impact on the layout, character or views in or out of this historic
landscape. It was
reiterated that the site was deteriorating in terms of visual amenities
and was an eyesore in the landscape. Approving this application was likely to
be a step towards improving the visual amenities in this part of the village. Also, given the layout and design of the proposed houses on
the site in relation to the setting and form of nearby dwellings, it was
considered there would be no significant or substantial impact on the
residential or general amenities of these dwellings
It
was reported that it was proposed to create a new
access to replace the existing access for the housing development from the
nearby class III county road. Despite receiving an objection to the application
on grounds of road safety, the principle of creating a new access had already been accepted. Detailed plans had
been submitted along with a Flood Consequence Assessment, an Addendum to
the Flood Consequence Assessment, Statement of the Details of Water Discharge
from the Site, Method Statement for Works on improvements to the watercourse
that ran through the site and a Management Plan for the watercourse to meet the
requirements of the outline application. It was reiterated that the Council's
Water and Environment Unit had given permission to the applicant to undertake
improvement works to the watercourse which included
installing a gravel trap and building an inlet chamber with a weed screen. The work should ensure that floods would not
derive from the watercourse to the proposed houses or out to the adjacent road.
A
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Contaminated Land Survey Report had been
submitted. After investigations and taking earth samples, no
contamination sources had been discovered within the
site. It was reiterated that the Public Protection Service
was happy with the conclusions of the Contamination Report.
It
was considered that the planning application met with
the requirements of local and national planning policy.
b) Taking
advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member made the following points:
·
Accepted that the application was for
assessing some elements of the development only, but needed to highlight
flooding issues in the area - needed to ensure that preventative work was
completed
·
There was a need to hold a discussion with
Council officers regarding the opinion on the development in relation to the
UNESCO candidacy
·
A request to consider increasing the
number of affordable homes within the development
·
Concern regarding the lack of pavements -
undermining safety requirements
·
A request to consider using Welsh names
for the houses
·
No objection to housing, but housing for
local people was needed
c) It was proposed and seconded to approve the application
ch) During the ensuing discussion members made the following
observations:
·
Concern regarding the low number of affordable housing
·
A suggestion that the housing design should be more
innovative
·
Need to consider the
lack of pavements
·
A request to provide a
play area
·
Concern about flooding - was the site itself subject
to flooding?
·
A suggestion to consider whether or not using the word
'nepell' in
paragraph 5.6 of the Welsh version was correct
d) In response to the comments, the Monitoring Officer noted that the
principle of the development had already been established
and that the committee was now discussing the reserved matters. The Assistant
Head of Planning and the Environment reiterated that the matters that could be discussed were limited. It was
highlighted that Natural Resources Wales, the Drainage Unit and the
Transportation Unit did not object to the application and in terms of UNESCO,
it was noted that Cadw, as one of the statutory
consultees, had not objected to the application. It was noted
that the justification for approving the application was based on the evidence
submitted in the report.
In response to a question whether or not the design of the houses had been agreed, the Development Control Officer noted that
originally outline plans had been submitted setting out the layout of the houses.
It was reiterated that the current plans were amended
ones, the layout had been resubmitted and the design of the houses was more
acceptable. The Planning Manager noted that the housing mix had not been a
consideration when the outline application was approved
- that housing mix was a matter that had been introduced as part of the
supplementary planning guidance since then. Consequently, it was not possible
to revisit matters relating to housing mix.
RESOLVED: To
delegate powers to the Assistant Head of the Environment Department to approve
the application, subject to the following conditions:
Conditions:
1. In
accordance with the revised plans.
2. Comply with the requirements of the
Ordinary Watercourse Land Drainage
Consent.
A note for the
applicant relating to Public Protection Service advice on contaminated land.
Supporting documents: