Agenda item

 Outline application with some matters reserved (appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) for the construction of 50 retirement homes comprising a mix of 2/3 storey apartments and single storey bungalows with ancillary meeting room, gymnasium, office, parking and garaging with new vehicular access to View Road.

Discussion:

The Planning Manager outlined the planning application in detail and suggested that if the Committee was minded to approve the application, the proposed Section 106 agreement be amended to include the following:

5)         To pay the cost of providing parking restrictions within the sightlines either side of the access onto View Road.

In addition, proposed condition 5 required amendment and a new condition 21 was proposed as follows:

5.         The details submitted pursuant to condition 1 shall include details and samples of all materials to be used externally. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

21.       The details submitted pursuant to condition 1 shall incorporate the flood risk mitigation measures as set out in section 6 of the Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and Surface Water Drainage Strategy (SWDS) dated June 2017 reference 3246 version Drat v1.0. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure the development mitigates against potential flooding in accordance with Policy CF13 of the Medway Local Plan 2003.

The Planning Manager referred in particular to the proposed ‘no pets policy’ as part of the proposed Section 106 agreement. She advised that this had been requested by Natural England in the light of the proximity of the application site to Special Protection Areas.

With the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Williams spoke on this planning application as Ward Councillor and outlined objections to the application for the following reasons:

·         Loss of Grade 2 agricultural land and the precedent that this development could have on other local farmland.

·         The application site is outside the village boundary.

·         The development will have a detrimental impact on the sewage system

·         There is insufficient parking for residents and visitors.

·         The proposed entrance is on a dangerous bend with limited visibility.

·         The addition of extra vehicle movements on the B2000 will add to traffic congestion, noise and pollution.

·         The development will place additional pressure on existing GP facilities where patients already have a 3 week wait for appointments and the local GP practice is experiencing difficulties recruiting staff.

·         There are no local shops and therefore residents will be required to travel to undertake their shopping. However, the existing bus service to this area is very limited.

·         Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Parish Council and many local residents have objected to the planning application.

The Committee discussed the application in detail and concern was expressed that as the application site was located outside the village boundary, should this application be approved, this could lead to a domino effect with nearby land being submitted for residential development. It was suggested that if this section of land was to be approved for residential use such consideration would more appropriately take place through the Local Plan process also having regard to the emerging Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Neighbourhood Plan.

A Member suggested that if retirement accommodation was to be provided at this rural location, it was necessary to take into account the need for good connectivity for public transport, health and retail facilities.

There was also concern that should the Committee approve the current planning application for retirement accommodation, at a later stage, the applicant could submit a revised application for general housing.

Reference was made to the existing public transport system and it was noted that buses ran once per hour between 7am – 6.30pm, twice a day on Saturdays and with no service on Sundays. It was therefore considered unsatisfactory for retired persons to be housed at a location with such limited public transport service as it could lead to them becoming socially isolated as visitors would experience difficulties getting to them. In addition, as many individuals aged 55+ continued to work, the limited bus service would mean that they would be reliant on use of a car to get to and from work and the existing parking provision at the application site was considered to be insufficient.

A Member expressed concern that to prohibit retired persons from owning a pet could also increase the likelihood of social isolation.

Other Members indicated support for the planning application based on the requirement to identify housing for retired persons so as to free up larger properties for families and the view was expressed that the proposed development would be served by a little village which had local shops and a restaurant and that people should make their own decisions on whether relocation to a rural area would suit their personal needs. It was also suggested that prospective residents of the proposed development may be drawn from the local rural area so they may already have knowledge of the facilities and services available to them.

Decision: 

a)     Refused on the following grounds:

1.    Should this planning application be approved, the Committee is concerned about the potential domino effect on adjoining agricultural land.

2.    The proposed development is unstainable and is located outside the village boundary. It is therefore premature to consider such application at this location without having regard to the Local Plan and the emerging Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Neighbourhood Plan.

3.    There is a lack of connectivity owing to the limited availability of public transport to and from the proposed development.

4.    There is lack of access to health and retail facilities for prospective occupiers of the proposed development which could lead to social isolation particularly as the residents are to be aged 55+.

5.    The requirement for there to be a ‘no pets’ restriction placed on future occupiers of properties within the development could lead to social isolation to the detriment of prospective occupiers particularly as the residents are to be aged 55+.

b)        The Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to finalise the specific wording of the refusal grounds with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Opposition Spokesperson.