Issue - decisions

Upon a proposal from Councillor Heather Williams, seconded by Councillor Anna Bradnam, the Planning Committee approved, by six votes to three, the addition of the wording “in consultation with the Parish Council” be added to condition 3 set out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development.

By affirmation, the Planning Committee approved the application subject to the conditions set out in the report by the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development and the addition of the agreed wording to condition 3.

By six votes to three, the Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development.

(Councillors John Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Roberts, Richard Williams, and Wright voted to support the application. Councillors Hawkins, Rippeth and Heather Williams voted against. Councillors Bradnam and Daunton were not present and did not vote.)

Members visited the site on 11 February 2020.

Mr. Ratcliffe (applicant) and Councillor Will Wright (Swavesey Parish Council) addressed the meeting. Members also received an e-mail from Henry Doble (applicant’s agent).

Councillor Deborah Roberts pointed out the conflict between this application and the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018, The site was outside the Village Framework and the District Council now had a five-year housing land supply.

The Committee refused the application for the reasons set out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Econom Development.

(Councillor Deborah Roberts paid tribute to Aaron Sands, the case officer, who was leaving South Cambridgeshire District Council to join Huntingdonshire District Council as a Planner. The Committee expressed its appreciation of Aaron Sands’ work for the Planning Committee over the years.)

The Committee refused the application, contrary to the recommendation contained in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development. Members agreed the reasons for refusal as being the adverse impact on the rural character of the surrounding countryside, the density of development, and the impact on the capacity of surface water drainage infrastructure in Swavesey.

The Committee refused the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development. Members considered

1.     that the proposed development, outside the village framework represented unsustainable development because of the lack of public transport from the proposed site to the village centre, and the cumulative impact of the additional population growth on the capacity of services and facilities in Swavesey;

2.     that the level of trips generated by additional traffic, and the number of primary and secondary school age children occupying the development, would have an adverse impact on the capacity of the road network, schools and the doctor’s surgery;

3.     that the proposal did not make adequate provision for the mitigation of foul sewage drainage, and therefore failed to meet the definition of sustainable development because of its detrimental social and environmental impact;

4.     that the harm resulting from the proposal significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits and, as a result, that the proposal was contrary to paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework,    and Policies  DP/1 and DP/2 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Development Framework 2007.

The Committee refused the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Head of Development Management. Members agreed the reasons for refusal as being that

1.     The harm resulting from safety concerns relating to the proposed pedestrian access from the north eastern corner of the site, along Fen Drayton Road, was not outweighed by the benefits of the scheme; and

2. notwithstanding the proposal in the emerging Local Plan to upgrade Swavesey to a Minor Rural Centre, there were significant infrastructure capacity issues (specifically primary and secondary education, foul drainage, traffic volumes and health) due to the cumulative impact of development within the village, giving rise to concerns about sustainability.

The Committee refused the application, contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Head of Development Management. Members agreed the reason for refusal as being that, notwithstanding the proposal in the emerging Local Plan to upgrade Swavesey to a Minor Rural Settlement, there were significant infrastructure capacity issues (such as educational, drainage, highway and medical) because of cumulative development within the village, giving rise to concerns about sustainability;

The Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions and Informatives set out in the report from the  Head of Development Management.

The Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application subject to the prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing payment of a financial contribution towards off-site affordable housing, and the Condition referred to in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.

The Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions and Informative set out in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.

The Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application subject to the consideration of any comments received in respect of the revised scheme, and confirmation that the viability of the scheme precludes a different market housing mix, the prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in respect of affordable housing, public open space and community facilities, and Conditions including those referred to in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director

The Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application subject to:

1.    The prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing financial contributions towards public open space, community facilities and waste receptacle provision; and

2.    The Conditions referred to in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.

The Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.

The Committee gave officers delegated authority to approve the application,  subject to

1.    completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

a.    securing contributions towards public open space, community facilities, waste receptacles, monitoring and legal fees and provision of the houses as affordable dwellings

b.    including a provision for priority to be given to those with a direct link to Swavesey but that if such persons are not available to take a vacant unit within 8 to 10 weeks of a relevant dwelling becoming available (as opposed to four weeks as proposed by the applicant) then there should be a cascade approach such that priority is then given to those with a direct link within an agreed radius of the village

c.    including a Mortgagee in Possession clause requiring the dwellings to be affordable in perpetuity if officers determined financial appraisal of the scheme meant delivery could not be achieved without this

2.    the Conditions set out in paragraphs 54 to 65 in the  report from the Planning and New Communities Director, the words “adopted sewage system”  in paragraph 59 being replaced by the words “adopted piped services” (or similar); and

3.    the application being advertised as a Departure from the adopted Development Plan and not being called in for determination by the Secretary of State.

The Committee gave officers delegated authority to approve the application subject to the prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing contributions in respect of public open space, community facilities and waste receptacle, and to the Conditions referred to in he report from the Planning and New Communities Director..

The Committee deferred the application and instructed officers to enter into negotiations with the applicant about design, layout, size of scheme and the maximum number of affordable housing units that could be provided while still maintaining viability of the scheme.

The Committee approved the application subject to the prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing financial contributions towards community infrastructure and public openspace in Swavesey,and the provision of refuse bins, and to the Conditions and Informatives referred to in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.