Agenda item

Application for the approval of all reserved matters (appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) for 5 no. dwellings pursuant to outline planning permission ref: 20/03370/OUT (Outline planning permission with some matters reserved except for access for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of five dwellings).

By 6 votes to none, with three abstentions, the Committee approved the application in accordance with the officer’s recommendation, and subject to the conditions and informatives, as laid out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, as well as the additional condition agreed by the Committee.

Councillor Judith Rippeth withdrew from the Committee in line with her Declaration of Interest

The Senior Planner, Alice Young, presented the report and informed the Committee that an additional condition regarding landscaping was to be added to the recommendation. The condition was written as follows:

“No development above ground level, other than demolition, shall commence until

details of a hard and soft landscaping scheme have been submitted to and

approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These details shall include:

a) proposed finished levels or contours; car parking layouts, other vehicle and

pedestrian access and circulation areas; hard surfacing materials; minor artefacts

and structures (e.g. Street furniture, artwork, play equipment, refuse or other

storage units, signs, lighting, CCTV installations and water features); proposed

(these need to be coordinated with the landscape plans prior to be being installed)

and existing functional services above and below ground (e.g. drainage, power,

communications cables, pipelines indicating lines, manholes, supports); retained

historic landscape features and proposals for restoration, where relevant;

b) planting plans; written specifications (including cultivation and other operations

associated with plant and grass establishment); schedules of plants, noting species,

plant sizes and proposed numbers/densities where appropriate and an

implementation programme;

If within a period of five years from the date of the planting, or replacement planting,

any tree or plant is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies, another tree or plant of

the same species and size as that originally planted shall be planted at the same

place as soon as is reasonably practicable, unless the Local Planning Authority

gives its written consent to any variation.

c) boundary treatments (including gaps for hedgehogs) indicating the type,

positions, design, and materials of boundary treatments to be erected.

d) a landscape maintenance and management plan, including long term design

objectives, management responsibilities and maintenance schedules for all

landscape areas.

Reason: To ensure the development is satisfactorily assimilated into the area and

enhances biodiversity in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South

Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018.”

Questions of clarity were asked by the Committee regarding a number of topics. It was clarified that drainage had been addressed at the Outline stage and was secured by condition. Concerns of overlooking were discussed and officers clarified the reasons for why they felt that there was no harmful overlooking. Hard and soft landscaping was discussed, with Members stating that the fencing described in paragraph 9.19 of the report potentially being out of keeping with the setting. Officers responded with reference to the added condition as the mechanism for ensuring that landscaping would be appropriate, noting part (c) of the condition, detailed how officers would approach landscaping proposals as part of the discharge of the condition and noted the desire to see softening of the boundary treatments. GP provision was raised as a concern and officers stated that the matter was considered at the Outline stage. It was confirmed that the roads within the site were not to be adopted by the Local Highway Authority and would be managed by a private management company.

The Committee was addressed by a neighbour, Ian Skidmore, who objected to the application. Members asked questions of the objector regarding his comments suggesting that the development would lead to a loss of light to neighbouring properties. The agent of the applicant, David Jones of AR Planning, addressed the Committee in support of the application. The local Members, Councillors Paul Bearpark and Judith Rippeth, addressed the Committee in opposition to the application a raised a number of concerns, ranging from the impact of the development in the wider context of Waterbeach to concerns over scale, layout and appearance. Councillor Bearpark responded to a question on his concerns over the use of glyphosate, as referenced in the drainage statement.

In the debate, some Members raised concerns regarding overlooking, but it was noted that these concerns were with the principle of development and that there were no apparent reasons for refusal of the application.

Councillor Anna Bradnam declared that she had voted against the approval of the Outline consent for the development. Following advice from the Senior Planning Lawyer, Councillor Bradnam proceeded to take part in further debate and the vote.

Concerns were raised over density and impact on neighbouring properties, but the Committee noted that paragraphs 9.55-58 gave the reasons as to why these concerns were not viewed as a reason for refusal. Other reservations around the principle of development and some of the issues raised by the public speakers were discussed, but the Committee agreed that none of the concerns or reservations raised amounted to reasons for refusal. The Committee further discussed the concerns of overlooking. Officers offered clarity on the reasons why they viewed the levels of overlooking in the proposal were acceptable, as described in the report and presentation. Councillor Bill Handley proposed a move to the vote as no reasons for refusal had been found. This was seconded by Councillor Peter Fane and agreed to by affirmation.

By 6 votes to none, with three abstentions (Councillors Anna Bradnam, Dr Richard Williams and Eileen Wilson), the Committee approved the application in accordance with the officer’s recommendation, and subject to the conditions and informatives, as laid out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, as well as the additional condition agreed by the Committee.

Councillor Heather Williams rejoined the Committee. Councillor Judith Rippeth left the meeting.