Meeting documents

SSDC Area North Committee
Wednesday, 25th March, 2015 2.00 pm

  • Meeting of Area North Committee, Wednesday 25th March 2015 2.00 pm (Item 187.)

Minutes:

Proposal: Outline application for residential development of up to 35 dwellings.

The Planning Officer introduced the report and advised that a previous application at the site had been refused on impact, lack of drainage and highway issues.  He noted that the Sports and Leisure team had revised their figures as they were no longer able to request contributions towards strategic facilities and the S106 monitoring fee was also removed.  He said the proposed indicative scheme detailed attenuation ponds to hold flood water, it was closely related to the existing settlement, there was 35% affordable housing and the development proposed 1.5 storey high properties sited at the lower end of the site.  Both the Highway Authority and the Landscape officer raised no objections so the recommendation was to grant outline permission.

The Committee were then addressed by Mr N Bloomfield, on behalf of the Parish Council, and Mr D Taylor, a local resident.    Their comments included:-

·         The plan showed pavements at the entrance to the site but these could not be extended towards the village due to drainage works carried out recently by the Highway Authority.

·         Traffic on Foldhill Lane often moved at high speed.

·         The flood risk from the site was still in existence.

·         There was already permission for a further 305 dwellings in the village.

·         Although the Highway Authority had done some drainage works along Foldhill Lane, floodwater still backed up in this area.

·         There was insufficient research as to the direction of floodwater from the site.

The Committee were then addressed by Ms J Montgomery (planning consultant) and Mr M Langdon (hydrology and drainage consultant) on behalf of the applicant.  Their comments included:-

·         The site was within walking distance of the village.

·         Highway and Landscaping issues had been overcome.

·         The site was deliverable and would not be land banked.

·         The majority of floodwater from the site ran off in the South West corner where the Highway Authority had riparian ownership and had recently carried out drainage works.

·         The storage of surface water on the site would be agreed at the Reserved Matters stage.

One of the Ward Members, Councillor Patrick Palmer, said there were long standing drainage issues in that area which had recently been improved by the Highways Agency and he was concerned that the surface water run off from 35 new properties would compromise this.  He also drew attention to the Drainage Board concerns raised in the officer’s report.

The other Ward Member, Councillor Graham Middleton, said the road at the proposed development site had a 60mph speed limit with no pathway.  He questioned how people could be expected to walk children to school in safety if the site was given permission. 

During a brief discussion, Members felt the site was inappropriate for development, being beyond the natural village boundary of the railway line.  They also expressed concern at the impact on drainage in the area and requested a full flood risk assessment.  It was proposed and seconded to refuse the application for these reasons, and, on being put to the vote the proposal to refuse the application was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED:

That planning application 14/04123/OUT be REFUSED, contrary to the officer recommendation, for the following reasons:

1.      The proposal for 35 houses, for which no special justification has been put forward, would extend beyond the logical boundary formed by the old railway line. As such the proposal would result in an alien and incongruous extension of the built form of Martock into the open countryside with an unwarranted loss of ‘best and most versatile’ agricultural land. As such the proposal is contrary to policies SD1, EQ1 and EQ2 of the South Somerset Local Plan 2006-2028 and the policies contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.      Notwithstanding the additional information, insufficient details have been provided within the submitted Flood Risk Assessment to enable the drainage of the site to be properly considered. As such the proposal is contrary to policy EQ1 of the South Somerset Local Plan 2006-2028 and the policies contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

(Voting: unanimous)

 

Supporting documents: