Agenda item

The Assistant Director of Planning:

 

a.    referred to the application site of the former Victory Hotel, 50 Boultham Park Road, Lincoln, 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.    reported on the history of the site as follows:

 

·       It had an open frontage with the width of the site narrowing towards the rear.

·       It was relatively flat including areas of hardstanding and grass.

·       It was currently used for vehicle storage.

·       Consent was granted in 2014 for the demolition of the former Victory Public House.

·       A subsequent planning permission proposed its demolition to facilitate the erection of three detached buildings comprised of 14 dwellings with four ground floor commercial buildings within the frontage of the development.

·       A further application granted minor alterations to the approved scheme. 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 built out at any point.

·       More recently, an application for two buildings to accommodate 18 flats was approved by Planning Committee in January 2023, with delegated authority granted to officers to secure a S106 legal agreement for a financial contribution towards affordable housing, health and education. However, a formal decision was never issued as a discrepancy with the site ownership was identified during the conveyancing process for the S106. A strip of land to the north of the site, which provided historic access to former buildings to the west, was in the ownership of another party. The scheme that was approved by committee could not therefore be constructed without this land being purchased by the applicant. The applicant did not wish to go through this process and decided to withdraw the application.

 

c.     highlighted that this current application on a slightly smaller site did not include the land to the north, and proposed to erect nine, three-bedroom dwellings

 

d.    reported that a terrace to the front of the site would accommodate six properties with a further terrace at the rear of the site accommodating three

 

e.    added that the application also proposed associated external works including car parking and soft landscaping; the existing access point towards the north would be reconfigured to be the main access into the development, with the additional access point to the south being closed

 

f.      reported that the site was located within Flood Zone 3

 

g.    advised that revised plans were received during the process of the application, proposing alterations to the rear terrace

 

h.    stated that all neighbours that adjoined the site, including those that had made representations, were re-consulted on the revised plans and further revised plans were submitted to address concerns raised by the occupants of 54 Boultham Park Road; these neighbouring occupants were accordingly notified of this

 

i.      highlighted that the application was being presented to Members of the Planning Committee for determination at the request of Councillor Watt.

 

j.      provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

 

·       Policy S1: The Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy

·       Policy S2: Growth Levels and Distribution

·       Policy S3: Housing in the Lincoln Urban Area, Main Towns and Market Towns

·       Policy S6: Design Principles for Efficient Buildings

·       Policy S7: Reducing Energy Consumption-Residential Development

·       Policy S12: Water Efficiency and Sustainable Water Management

·       Policy NS18: Electric Vehicle Charging

·       Policy S21: Flood Risk and Water Resources

·       Policy S47: Accessibility and Transport

·       Policy S53: Design and Amenity

·       Policy S56: Development on Land Affected by Contamination

·       Policy S57: The Historic Environment

·       Policy S60: Protecting Biodiversity and Geodiversity

·       Policy S61: Biodiversity Opportunity and Delivering Measurable Net Gains

·       Policy S66:Trees, Woodland and Hedgerows

·       Policy S77: Housing Site in the Lincoln Urban Area

·       National Planning Policy Framework      

 

11. provided details of the issues to be assessed in relation to the planning application, as follows:

 

 

l.      outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

 

13. concluded that:

 

 

Mr Rob Bradley addressed Planning Committee in support of the proposed planning application as agent for the scheme. He covered the following main points:

 

·       The application site was allocated for housing development in the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

·       The proposals before Planning Committee this evening were for a reduced scheme containing nine dwellings.

·       There was provision for associated parking spaces and a large turning area.

·       There had been no objections raised by the Highways Authority.

·       The site had been vacant for some time and was now in the ownership of a new client.

·       There had been very few objections to the planning application. The applicant had worked very hard to address those concerns that had been raised and he offered the developer success.

·       The dwellings would be extremely efficient properties in line with the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

·       The site was in a flood zone, however, the development was designed so that all habitable finished floor levels would be set above flood level with safe zones provided at first floor level.

·       These would be energy efficient homes.

·       He hoped the planning application would be supported by Planning Committee this evening.

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

 

The following concerns were raised in relation to the planning application:

 

·       Reassurance was sought on the issue of flooding in light of the Drainage Board requesting us to take care.

 

The following comments were made in support of the planning application:

 

·       This was the third application to come forward for this site.

·       It was a Brownfield site which was in need of development.

·       This was the best planning application put forward for the site.

·       Objections and concerns had been addressed.

·       The area was a good place to live close to schools, shops and facilities.

·       It represented a positive development.

·       These were 3 bedroomed houses for families and positioned further back than the previous application which retained the established line of the buildings.

 

The following questions were raised in relation to the planning application:

 

·       The biodiversity net gain of 10% was not mandatory here. What scope was there to increase landscaping as referred to by officers within the report?

·       What was the likely life span of the houses?

 

The Assistant Director of Planning offered the following points of clarification in relation to the planning application:

 

·       The site was in Surface Water Flood Zone 3.

·       Floor levels would be elevated.

·       All the flood concerns in relation to flood resilience and resistance measures were covered within the established building regulations.

·       Lincolnshire County Council as lead Flood Authority were satisfied with the proposals.

·       In terms of biodiversity, landscaping was not an issue, however, it was what we did with the landscape to preserve native species of flora and fauna.

·       In terms of the life span of the properties, this was difficult to predict. Bearing in mind the nature of the construction using brick of modern standards, other properties of lower standard building materials had been standing in the area for about 120 years.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted, subject to the following conditions:

 

• Time limit of the permission
• Development in accordance with approved plans
• Samples of materials including hard surfacing
• Details of all boundary treatments
• Windows and doors to be set in reveal
• Assessment of off-site impact of any external lighting
• Hours of construction/delivery
• Closing of existing access
• In accordance with FRA flood mitigation measures
• Construction in accordance with Energy Statement
• Submission of statement to verify construction in accordance with Energy Statement
• Water efficiency standards
• Landscaping scheme, to increase the BNG net gain on site
• Details of bat roost tubes and bird nest bricks
• Implementation of tree protection measures
• Contamination site characterisation and remediation measures/implementation