Agenda item

(Councillors Bean, Liz Bushell and Hewsonleft the room during the discussion of this item having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in respect of the planning application to be considered. They took no part in the discussion or vote on the matter to be determined.)

 

The Planning Team Leader:

 

a)    reported that the application for development related to the site of the former Victory Hotel, 50 Boultham Park Road, an irregular shaped parcel of previously developed land, located on the west side of the road, approximately 50m to the south of the junction with Dixon Street

 

b)    advised that planning permission was sought for the erection of one 2 storey building fronting Boultham Park Road and two 2½ storey buildings, to accommodate 18 flats, with associated external works including car parking, access gate, cycle and bin storage, and soft landscaping

 

c)    described the history to the application site as follows:

 

·         An open site frontage with the width of the site narrowing towards the rear.

·         Relatively flat with areas of hardstanding and grass, currently used for vehicle storage.

·         Previously occupied by The Victory Public House.

·         Consent was granted in 2014 for the demolition of the building and a subsequent planning permission (2015/0038/F) also proposed its demolition to facilitate the erection of three detached buildings comprising 14 dwellings with four ground floor commercial units within the frontage building.

·         A further application (2018/0074/CXN) was submitted and later granted for minor alterations to the approved scheme. The pre-commencement conditions associated with this permission had all been discharged and there had been a ‘start on site.’ This permission had therefore been implemented and, even though work had not progressed any further, this permission could be implemented in full at any point.

 

d)    described the location of the application site as follows:

 

·         The north boundary of the site was defined by approximately 1.8m high fencing with a number of mature trees and conifers adjacent, some within the site boundary and others sitting on neighbouring land.

·         The side elevation of 48 Boultham Park Road was beyond this boundary, at the front of the site.

·         The remainder of the north boundary, towards the rear of the site, formed the rear boundaries with the gardens of properties on Glenwood Grove. The semi-detached properties along here were occupied as ground and first floor flats (no’s 1-23).

·         The south boundary of the site was also defined by approximately 1.8m-2m high fencing with some smaller trees and plantings within the site and neighbouring gardens.

·         The side elevation of 54 Boultham Park Road sat adjacent to this boundary at the front of the site.

 

e)    confirmed that the site was located within Flood Zone 3

 

f)     advised that prior to the submission of the application the site was subject to extensive pre-application discussions with the agent, applicant team and planning officers due to a number of concerns in relation to the initial proposal; there has been further discussions and negotiations, and a number of alternative schemes had been considered prior to the formal submission of the current proposals; officers had also engaged with Ward Members during the application process

 

g)    provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

 

·         Policy LP1     A Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

·         Policy LP2     The Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy

·         Policy LP9     Health and Wellbeing 

·         Policy LP12   Infrastructure to Support Growth

·         Policy LP13   Accessibility and Transport

·         Policy LP14   Managing Water Resources and Flood Risk

·         Policy LP16   Development on Land Affected by Contamination

·         Policy LP18   Climate Change and Low Carbon Living

·         Policy LP25   The Historic Environment

·         Policy LP26   Design and Amenity

·         Supplementary Planning Document Central Lincolnshire Developer Contributions

·         National Planning Policy Framework      

 

h)    advised Planning Committee of the main issues to be considered as part of the application to assess the proposal with regards to:

 

·         Principle of Use

·         Developer Contributions

·         Visual Amenity

·         Residential Amenity

·         Trees and Landscaping

·         Parking and Highways

·         Flood Risk and Surface Water Drainage

·         Climate Change and Low Carbon Living

·         Contaminated Land

·         Archaeology

·         Air Quality and Sustainable Transport

 

i)     outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

 

j)     referred to the Update sheet which contained an additional consultee response, a tree survey plan, proposed tree planting and landscaping plan, a response by the City Arboricultural Officer, and a revised officer recommendation

 

k)    confirmed the recommended S106 contributions to be made to Health, Education involving a reduced contribution to affordable housing to make the scheme viable following an independent assessment and case officer consultation

 

l)     concluded that:

 

·         The principle of the use of the site for residential purposes was considered to be acceptable and the development would relate well to the site and surroundings, particularly in relation to siting, height, scale, massing and design.

·         The proposals would also not cause undue harm to the amenities which occupiers of neighbouring properties may reasonably expect to enjoy.

·         A S106 would secure a financial contribution towards affordable housing, healthcare infrastructure and education.

·         Matters relating to parking and highways, flood risk, drainage, contamination and archaeology had been appropriately considered by officers and the relevant statutory consultees, and could be dealt with as required by condition.

·         The proposals would therefore be in accordance with the requirements of CLLP Policies LP1, LP2, LP9, LP12, LP13, LP14, LP16, LP18, LP25 and LP26 as well as guidance within the SPD and NPPF.

 

The Committee discussed the content of the report in further detail.

 

The following concerns were received from members:

 

·         It would be ideal to see all car parking spaces removed in these types of developments to encourage modal shift, however, accommodation for some parking was considered appropriate.

·         It was disappointing to see that s106 contributions were not as great as they might have been.

 

The following comments were received in support of the planning application

 

·         Members thanked case officers for such a high level of consultation in on this planning application to arrive at its current visual amenity considerations.

·         The proposed s106 contributions were considered to be reasonably acceptable.

·         It was pleasing to see that issues of flood risk had been addressed with the shift to surface water only going into the sewage system as a last resort.

·         There had been no objections in respect of flood risk.

·         There was a desperate need for additional housing in the city, available space had to be utilised as long as it didn’t encroach on existing residents.

·         It was correct to support housing schemes on Brownfield sites such as this.

 

Members received confirmation that permeable bricks would be used in the car parking area.

 

A motion was moved, seconded, voted upon, and;

 

RESOLVED that provision of bat boxes, B Bricks and hedgehog houses be included as an additional condition should planning permission be granted.

 

A further motion was moved, seconded, voted upon and;

 

RESOLVED that the details of works condition be expanded should planning permission be granted to include the requirement for remaining trees to be coppiced and the gaps filled with native trees, to be traditionally laid.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted, with delegated authority given to the Planning Manager to secure the financial contribution through a S106 towards affordable housing, health and education; and subject to the following conditions

 

• Time limit of the permission
• Development in accordance with approved plans
• Samples of materials including hard surfacing
• Existing site levels and finished site and floor levels
• Details of all walls, fences, railings and gates, including to raised walkway to south
• Details of refuse and cycle store
• Windows and doors to be set in reveal
• Assessment of off-site impact of all external lighting
• Hours of construction/delivery
• Bollard/other safety measure adjacent to parking spaces to south boundary
• Details of proposed works to hedgerow to north of the site (G4)
• Remaining trees to be coppiced and the gaps filled with native trees, to be traditionally laid
• Tree protection measures
• Implementation of landscaping scheme
• Closing of existing access
• Habitable finished floor levels no lower than 5.48m above Ordnance Datum
• No habitable rooms to ground floor of Blocks B and C
• Contamination, site characterisation, and remediation measures/implementation
• Provision of bat boxes, B Bricks and hedgehog houses