Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Lodge Road, Daventry

Contact: Marina Watkins and Jeverly Findlay  Email: marina.watkins@westnorthants.gov.uk and Email: jeverly.findlay@westnorthants.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

2.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

 

Minutes:

Rupert Frost

DA/2019/1000 Daventry West

Knows landowner and will leave meeting for discussion

Daniel Cribbin

DA/2020/1148 East Haddon

Knows applicant and will leave meeting for discussion

Kevin Parker

DA/2020/1148 East Haddon

Knows applicant and will leave meeting for discussion

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 238 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 21 April 2021.

 

Minutes:

That the Minutes of the Interim Planning Committee - Daventry District Area of 21st April 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record.

 

4.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed members to the first meeting of the new Committees, and reminded the committee to determine applications under the appropriate policies.

 

5.

Planning Application DA/2019/1000 Daventry West pdf icon PDF 567 KB

Minutes:

Having declared an interest, Councillor Rupert Frost left the meeting during consideration of the following item.

 

DA/2019/1000 DAVENTRY WEST – Construction of 140 dwellings and associated infrastructure including vehicular access from the A425, provision of public open space and green infrastructure including Leap, demolition of Drayton Lodge and associated outbuildings and provision of drainage infrastructure – Land at Drayton Lodge, Staverton Road, Daventry

 

The Major Projects Officer outlined the application. The proposal was for 140 dwellings along with associated infrastructure and landscaping. Access to the site would be provide via a separate access from the A425, and the site would benefit from 25% affordable housing.

 

The application forms part of the Daventry SW Sustainable Urban Extension.  An outline application for up to 1,100 dwellings and associated infrastructure came to planning committee in December 2020 (application reference DA/2019/0750).  Members resolved to grant planning permission for this scheme and delegated authority was given to negotiate the S106 and finalise the conditions.  The scheme is referred to as the Malabar site.  A two form entry primary school will be provided on the adjacent Malabar site within the local centre. The Bellway application will pay a contribution towards the primary school. 

 

It is proposed that each property will have an electric vehicle charging point installed where possible.

 

On balance, officer’s recommended that permission be granted subject to conditions and the completion of a section 106 legal agreement.

 

Karen Tweedale spoke on behalf of the Daventry Town Council and Katherine Else, the agent, addressed the Committee.

 

Councillor Wendy Randall expressed concerns regarding parking on the proposed development. Narrow roads would likely lead to parking on pavements. The children’s play area was too isolated, and there were concerns regarding bus routes and cars speeding along the roads near the site.

 

The Major Projects Officer advised that 271 parking spaces were to be provided, along with 21 visitor spaces. This met highways standards and Highways had raised no objections.

Concerns regarding the location of the play area were noted. The site however would be overlooked by four properties within the Bellway scheme and other properties which are part of the wider scheme.  There are also footpaths linking to the open space.

Issues regarding the bus routes would be discussed with colleagues later in the process.

 

Councillor Peter Matten considered that the proposed number of parking spaces to be provided was reasonable and proposed that officers advice to approve the application be accepted. The proposition was seconded by Councillor Daniel Cribbin, who was very pleased to see the inclusion of electric vehicle charging points in many properties.

 

Councillor Rosie Humphreys was disappointed with the design of the scheme which was considered unimaginative. The layout of affordable dwellings was not ideal and was not spread evenly across the site. In response, the Major Projects Officer advised that ideally the farm buildings would have been retained but they were not protected and the retention of them would have influenced the viability of the scheme. The layout of the affordable dwellings  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Planning Application DA/2020/1148 East Haddon pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Minutes:

Having declared an interest, Councillors Daniel Cribbin and Kevin Parker left the meeting during the consideration of the following item and Councillor Alan Chantler took the Chair.

 

DA/2020/1148 EAST HADDON – Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission DA/2018/0157 (erection of two storey detached dwelling utilising existing private access, plot 1 Tythe Farm (revised scheme)) – to alter the scale and appearance of the dwelling, including raising the height of the building by 1 metre to provide living accommodation in the roof at second floor, construction of first floor balcony platform on rear elevation and to increase the footprint of the dwelling (retrospective) – Tythe Farm, Holdenby Road

 

The Principal Planning Officer outlined the report. The site had an extensive planning history and was originally granted prior approval as former agricultural buildings. The application was retrospective as the building had not been built in accordance with the approved plans. However, it was pointed out that the application should be considered as new. The roof height had been increased by around one metre in height, and extended and moved closer to plot 2. Highways had raised no objections.  The principle of development had been established on the site, and it was for the Committee to determine if the harm was considered acceptable or not.

 

Sebastian Charles spoke against the application, and Eddie Nixon spoke in favour of the application.

 

Councillor Phil Bignell noted that the application was controversial. Permission had been granted in May 2018. The property was 27% bigger than on the original plan and it dominated the surroundings. Numerous objections had been received. If allowed, the decision could set a precedent. The amendments to the original application were not minor. Demolition was not the answer but compromise should be discussed to reduce the impact.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Wendy Randall, the Principal Planning Officer advised that the floor space had increased by 206 square metres, with 96 square metres of that being at roof height.

 

The Chair advised that members needed to focus on whether the additional harm outweighed the benefits. With regards to the Special Landscape Area (SLA), permission had already been granted with this consideration. Councillor Rupert Frost questioned the Chair’s comments. The Council’s Legal Adviser responded that the Chair was entitled to be involved in the debate and was factually correct in his comments. The planning regime was regulatory, not punitive.

 

The Principal Planning Officer advised that officers were recommending the application be approved but members were entitled to come to a different opinion if they considered that the additional changes were harmful to the Special Landscape Area. The Committee must consider whether the bulk and massing of the development impacted on the character of the locality. Strong planning reasons were needed to sustain any appeal.

 

Councillor Daniel Lister proposed that the application be refused as the significant scale, increase in height and massing was damaging to the Special Landscape Area. The proposition was seconded by Councillor Peter Matten and on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any items of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.