Agenda item

Outline planning permission with some matters reserved except for access for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of five dwellings

Upon the proposal of Councillor Anna Bradnam, seconded by Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins, and by affirmation, the Committee agreed additional wording in Condition 18 to secure ongoing management and maintenance of the piped ditch.

By six votes to five, the Planning Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions (as amended) set out in an agenda supplement from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development.

(Councillors Henry Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Rippeth voted to approve the application. Councillors Bradnam, Roberts, Heather Williams, Richard Williams and Wright voted to refuse it.)

By way of clarification, officers advised Members to give significant weight to Appeal decision APP/W0530/W/20/3253436 relating to the adjacent site at land to the east of Cody Road and north of Bannold Road. Officers cited the proposal site’s context and change of outlook as the reason for not identifying it as an exception site. Members noted that the proposal fell below the threshold at which any affordable housing could be required.

Ian Skidmore (objector), Nick Moys (applicant) and Councillor Jane Williams (Waterbeach Parish Council) addressed the meeting. Councillor Anna Bradnam spoke as a local Member.

In respect of drainage, the Delivery Manager (Strategic Sites), having sought clarification from colleagues expressed satisfaction with the nature and degree of local consultation. In particular it was confirmed that a consultation request had been sent to the correct Internal Drainage Board consultation email address, covering both Waterbeach and Old West IDBs. Upon the proposal of Councillor Anna Bradnam, seconded by Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins, and by affirmation, the Committee agreed additional wording in Condition 18 to secure ongoing management and maintenance of the piped ditch.

During the ensuing debate, Councillor Heather Williams questioned whether the proposal was compliant with Policy H/19(4). She considered five dwellings on the site to be overdevelopment such as to have a negative impact on neighbour amenity and local character. Councillor Heather Williams reminded Members that each application had to be considered on its merits and that the result of the neighbouring Appeal should not influence their decision about this application.

Councillor Judith Rippeth spoke as a local Member and articulated that her main concerns with the application could be addressed as Reserved Matters rather than at the Outline stage.  She added that there was no need to attribute significant weight to the inspector’s decision to allow the planning application on the neighbouring site, where the inspector had stated that the Bannold Road was no longer of a rural nature, and was now more suburban in character.

The case officer said that density was Policy-compliant.

After further debate and by six votes to five, the Planning Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions set out in an agenda supplement from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, Condition 18 being amended to state as follows:

“No development shall take place until a scheme for the disposal of surface water and foul water drainage that can be maintained for the lifetime of the development and has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details shall include arrangements for the ongoing maintenance of the piped ditch along the frontage of the site. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure the satisfactory method of surface water drainage and foul water drainage to prevent the increased risk of flooding and pollution to the water environment in accordance with policies CC/7, CC/8 and CC/9 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018.”

(Councillors Henry Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Rippeth voted to approve the application. Councillors Bradnam, Roberts, Heather Williams, Richard Williams, and Wright voted to refuse it.)