Outline application (all matters reserved except means of access) for the redevelopment (including demolition) of the site for up to 950 residential units (including affordable housing) with a new Neighbourhood Centre comprising a local healthcare facility of up to 1500sqm NIA and up to 700sqm GFA for use classes A1 (shops), A3 (food and drink) and/or D1 (community centre); a 2.1ha site for a new primary school; and associated roads, open space, drainage, landscaping and other associated infrastructure.

There were no declarations of interest for this application.

The Committee was reminded that the application site known as ‘Rouses Farm’ comprised 42 hectares of predominantly agricultural land on the western side of Clacton on Sea and north of Jaywick. This land  had been allocated for a major residential and mixed-use development in the Council’s adopted Local Plan and outline planning permission was now being sought for up to 950 residential units; a new Neighbourhood Centre comprising a local healthcare facility and units for shops, food and drink and/or a community centre; a 2.1ha site for a new primary school; and associated roads, open space, drainage, landscaping and other associated infrastructure.

Members were  aware that the site  had been allocated through Adopted Local Plan Policy SAMU4 for a mix of residential development of use to 950 new homes; community facilities including a new two-form entry primary school and public open space. The proposal, the subject of the outline application,  had been aligned with that allocation description. Officers had worked positively with the applicants to resolve all technical planning issues with a view to bringing the application to this  meeting with a recommendation of approval.

It was therefore reported that this was an application for outline planning permission with all matters reserved with the exception of access. Other matters  such as appearance, landscaping, layout and scale were reserved for approval at a later date and therefore this application sought only to establish the principle of residential and mixed-use development of this allocated site, and the arrangements for access. The applicant had provided details of how they proposed to access the site off St. John’s Road and Jaywick Lane and the Highway Authority, having modelled the impacts of this development on the highway network as part of the Local Plan process, had had no objections, in principle, to the proposed arrangements, subject to conditions requiring the approval of further details and certain off-site highway improvements.

The Committee  was reminded that  permission for the proposed development  had previously been given at  its meeting held in May 2018, subject to within 6 months of  that resolution that a Section 106 agreement had been signed. However, this agreement had taken significantly longer than anticipated, primarily due to the complexity of resolving a number of legal matters with the various landowners.

In addition to the above, the Outline Permission had required the use of third party land to provide Off-Site Bird Mitigation , which had also required agreement with landowners and a licence before the Section 106 Agreement could be agreed.

It was noted that the Section 106 Agreement was now ready for signature. However, given the length of time that had elapsed  since the original Planning Committee resolution and following legal advice, it  had been necessary for the application to revert back to Members for consideration and a fresh decision.  The Officer report now before the Committee  highlighted those areas where there had been a shift in the policy landscape since May 2018 which warranted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16