Issue - meetings

Proposed three dwellings and associated ancillary buildings, drainage systems, boundary treatments, hard surfacing with vehicular access from Thorpe Road, Weeley.

The application stands referred to the Planning Committee, as when the outline planning permission was granted originally granted for a larger site, which included this application site, Members decided that the Reserved Matters application(s) would be referred to the Planning Committee for its determination. In addition, Councillor Peter Harris, the Ward Member, has requested that the application be ‘called in’ to the Planning Committee, due to his concerns about the access to the site being unsuitable; the potential inability of emergency vehicles to access all dwellings; and the proposed dwellings being too close to the existing dwellings; and the adverse impact this could have on residents’ privacy.

Members were told that this application had been referred to the Planning Committee as when Outline planning permission had been granted for the larger site, which had included this application site, Members of the Committee had agreed that the Reserved Matters application(s) would be referred  to the Planning Committee for determination. In addition,  Councillor Peter Harris, the Ward Member, acting on behalf of Weeley Parish Council, had also requested that the application be ‘called in’ to the Planning Committee for its determination, the Parish Council having raised its concerns about the access to the site not being suitable, the inability of emergency vehicles to access all dwellings; and the dwellings being too close to existing dwellings, and the adverse impact this would have on residents’ privacy.

The Committee was told that the application sought full planning permission for the erection of three dwellings on a small parcel of land that formed part of a much larger site which the Council had granted outline planning permission for. The outline planning permission (19/00524/OUT) allowed for the erection of up to 280 dwellings, a new primary school and children’s nursery, up to 3,000sqm of office (B1) floorspace and associated infrastructure and development including the provision of Public Open Space.

Officers informed Members that because it was proposed that the three dwellings were accessed across land that was outside the ‘red line’ of the outline planning permission the applicant had submitted the application for full planning permission, so it was not pursuant to the outline planning permission. A separate application which sought approval for the Reserved Matters for development (22/00979/DETAIL), including the erection of 277 dwellings on land to the south of the application site, had just been determined by the Committee under Minute 38 above. If both applications were approved a total of 280 dwellings would be erected within the area that had outline planning permission. That would be consistent with the maximum number of dwellings that had been allowed under the outline planning permission.

The Committee was made aware that there was no objection to the principle of residential development as the land already had outline planning permission for residential development. Furthermore, the site was located within the Weeley Settlement Development Boundary and was specifically designated to be part of a mixed-use development in the adopted Tendring District Local Plan. The detailed design, layout, landscaping and scale were considered acceptable by Officers. There were no objections from consultees and Officers considered that the proposal would not result in harm to residential amenity of a level that would warrant refusal of planning permission. The application was therefore recommended by Officers for approval subject to the legal agreement and planning conditions listed.

The Committee had before it the published Officer report containing the key planning issues, relevant planning policies, planning history, any response from consultees, written representations received and a recommendation of approval.

At the meeting, an oral presentation was made by the Council’s Planning Team Leader (AN) in respect of the application.

An  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39