Agenda item

 

Erection of 17 affordable dwellings, access, car parking, landscaping and associated works

 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Cemlyn Williams

 

Link to relevant background documents

 

DECISION: To delegate powers to approve subject to signing a 106 Agreement in order to secure a financial contribution to improve the road / install traffic calming measures and provide open spaces.

 

Conditions:

1.    Five years.

2.    In accordance with the plans and documents submitted with the application.

3.    Natural slate.

4.    Conditions and highways.

5.    Tree planting plan.

6.    Biodiversity mitigation measures conditions to include compliance with the requirements of the Preliminary Ecological assessment; provision of Pollution Prevention Plan; ensuring that the site is permeable for hedgehogs and submitting a biodiversity improvement plan 

7.    Limit working hours between 08:00-18:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00-13:00 Saturday and not at all on Sunday or Bank Holidays.

8.    Agree on details regarding a Welsh name for the development together with advertising signage informing of and promoting the development within and outside the site.

9.    Removal of development rights from the affordable housing.

10.  Ensure a plan/arrangements to provide the affordable housing. 

11.  Submit an Environmental Management Plan to include noise, vibration and dust.

12.  Ensure compliance with British Standard BS number 5837:2012.

13.  Samples of the materials and colours for the houses and hard and soft landscaping.

14.  Ensure financial contributions for road improvements and open spaces.

15.  Erection of fence along the boundaries.

 

Construction of 17 affordable housing, access, parking spaces, landscaping and associated works.

 

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

 

a)    The Planning Manager highlighted that the application had been submitted to committee as the proposal would involve constructing more than five houses. Members were reminded that the application had been submitted to the Planning Committee on 10/01/22 where it was determined to defer the application for the Committee to receive additional information regarding the following:

 

·         More detailed response in response to the Town Council and confirmation about the period when the Transportation Assessment was conducted.  

·         A more detailed plan indicating the access for pedestrians and vehicles to the school

·         Photographs / video showing the site in relation to the school.

·         More details about the speed restriction and the possible traffic calming measures. 

 

In response to the deferral, the agent had submitted the following additional information:

 

·         A copy of the Safety Audit conducted and referred to in the Transportation Assessment. 

·         A statement by Cadarn Consulting, specialist Highway Engineers, who conducted the transportation assessment in response to the Concerns of the Committee and the Town Council. 

·         Plan and details regarding the access to vehicles and pedestrians to the school. 

·         An additional statement in the context of how reliable the traffic calculation figures were and the findings of the pedestrians survey undertaken on 7 February 2022

 

Reference was made to the response to the transportation concerns and of the time when the survey was conducted.  It was noted that the assessment had been conducted by using an Automated Traffic Counter installed near the site on Bethel road for a period of seven days (over periods of 24 hours) between 21/06/21 - 28/06/21.    In response to a concern that the assessment had been conducted during Covid restrictions, the additional information received from the applicant's highway specialist confirmed this and that the schools were open and when the number of Covid cases were low. 

 

The statement referred to historical traffic data for the B4366 from the Department for Transport (DfT) that came from the manual traffic counting station located approximately 250m West of the proposed site, that had collected traffic data for 10 years. The mean annual average daily traffic (AADT) from the 10 years of data held by the DfT for this road was calculated as 5,389 (AADT calculated from the automatic traffic counter data gathered during the June 2021 survey is included in the report).

   

In response to members' concerns regarding peak school times and pedestrians, the applicant’s highway consultants carried out a pedestrian assessment on the 7 February 2022. The assessment found that the majority of pupils used the western pavement to walk to the school but 90% were dropped off at the eastern lay-by and utilised the safe crossing provision on the road. It should be noted that proposal will not lead to a loss of parking provision. Parking will be provided within the site to replace the area lost on the lay-by.

 

It was reported that Caernarfon Town Council continued to be concerned about the application and had suggested that the decision should be deferred in order to get more information and a request to meet with Officers from the Highways Department on the site.  It was noted that it was the duty of the applicant to submit information to enable the Local Planning Authority to assess a planning application and in this case it was considered that the applicant had gone beyond the policy requirements to assess the impact of the proposal and to provide additional information, that had been undertaken by qualified highway engineers in response to the concerns of the committees. It was added that the applicant had offered a financial contribution to the Transportation Service so that measures may be put in place / highway improvements made to improve highway safety.

 

It was considered that the proposal to develop 17 affordable homes would be a positive response to the various housing needs that had been identified in the area.   There was no objection to the design of the houses and it was not considered that the proposal would have a substantial impact on the residential amenities of nearby houses. It was noted that the Council's Transportation Unit had submitted observations stating that the proposal would not detrimentally disrupt road safety although the observations received objecting to the application on the grounds of road safety were acknowledged. With relevant conditions and notes to ensure that the work would be completed in accordance with statutory standards and a financial contribution via a 106 agreement to secure road improvements, it was considered that the proposal was acceptable on the grounds of the requirements of Policy ISA 1, TRA 2 and TRA 4 of the LDP. 

 

b)    Taking advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member made the following points:

·         He thanked the officers for the comprehensive report

·         He also thanked the officers for the additional information and for the good relationship that had been nurtured with Adra officers

·         The safety of children continued to be a matter of concern for him

 

He presented a video of a car journey along the road in front of the school during busy times 

 

c)    It was proposed and seconded to approve the application

 

d)    During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by members:

·         The Local Member was thanked for the video - a very useful contribution

·         It was noted that every application refused due to transportation reasons were always lost in appeal 

·         That traffic caused problems in front of every school

·         There was a real need for affordable housing in the area - this was in-keeping with Gwynedd Council's Housing Strategy

·         There was a need to avoid an appeal and costs for the Council

·         The additional information had been useful

·         Satisfied that the transportation matters were acceptable and safe

 

RESOLVED: To delegate powers to approve subject to signing a 106 Agreement in order to secure a financial contribution to improve the road / install traffic calming measures and provide open spaces.

 

Conditions:

1.         Five years.

2.         In accordance with the plans and documents submitted with the application.

3.         Natural slate.

4.         Highway conditions.

5.         Tree planting plan.

6.         Biodiversity mitigation measures conditions to include compliance with the requirements of the Preliminary Ecological assessment; provision of Pollution Prevention Plan; ensuring that the site is permeable for hedgehogs and submission of a biodiversity improvement plan 

7.         Limit working hours between 08:00-18:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00-13:00 Saturday and not at all on Sunday or Bank Holidays.

8.         Agree on details regarding a Welsh name for the development together with advertising signage informing of and promoting the development within and outside the site.

9.         Removal of development rights from the affordable housing.

10.       Ensure a plan/arrangements to provide the affordable housing. 

11.       Submit an Environmental Management Plan to include noise, vibration and dust.

12.       Ensure compliance with British Standard BS number 5837:2012.

13.       Samples of the materials and colours for the houses and hard and soft landscaping.

14.       Ensure financial contributions for road improvements and open spaces.

15.       Erection of fence along the boundaries