Outline planning application for 220 Self-Build and Custom-Build dwellings, including 67 Affordable dwellings, with accesses off London Road.

There were no declarations of interest for this application.

The Committee was informed that this application had been referred to it  at the request of the Acting Director of Planning.

Members  were advised that the application site comprised two parcels of land, of approximately 10.6 hectares (combined), which were situated immediately to the south and west of the B1441 London Road, on the northern edge of Clacton-on-Sea. The land parcels were subdivided by a farm track which provided access to an arable field to the south which was within separate ownership. The A133 lay adjacent to the western boundary of parcel 1.

Overall, the site consisted of two former horticultural nurseries (including a dwelling at Langford Nursery); a dwelling known as Little Ditches within the north eastern corner of the site;  woodland, orchard, grassland and scrub land that had regenerated naturally over time; as well as a redundant builder’s yard towards the eastern side of the site. The land in question was predominantly green and essentially rural in its nature, with a mix of uses within the area typical of its urban fringe location, but provided an important role in keeping Clacton separate from the village of Little Clacton.

It was reported that this  was an outline planning application, with access and layout to be determined at this stage. All other matters (appearance, scale and landscaping) were reserved for future determination.

The Committee was reminded that the application  had originally been submitted for 220 Dwellings, including 20 Affordable Homes and 21 Self-Build Plots. This  had been revised in spring 2020, and had removed the Montana Nurseries site from the northern end of the site, with associated amendments to its access, and changed the description of the proposed development to entirely self-build and custom homes, including 67 affordable homes.

Members were informed that there would be two access points into the development site, one for each parcel, and the layout as identified on the submitted plans showed a series of loop roads and cul-de-sacs proposed, with building forms being mainly detached.

It was noted that the existing trees and vegetation to the perimeter of the parcels would  largely be retained, along with a number of trees within the development zones. An ecological buffer adjacent to Picker’s Ditch would  be maintained, denoted as an ‘Enhanced Ecology Zone’ on the layout drawing, along with two woodland areas.

The Committee was advised that, as set out within Paragraph 47 of the NPPF, planning law required that applications for planning permission be determined in accordance with the Development Plan, unless material considerations indicated otherwise. In this case the application site was located outside of a designated settlement development boundary. The site fell within the area of countryside which separated Clacton from Little Clacton, and was designated as Green Gap.  Adopted Local Plan Policy PPL6 stated that Strategic Green Gaps, as shown on the Policies Maps and Local Maps, would be protected in order to retain the separate identity and prevent coalescence of settlements. Any development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17