Agenda item

All Saints Ward

Full planning application for 44 new homes (use class C3) with the provision of associated parking, open spaces, SUDs and earthworks. Provision of overflow parking for Fenn Bell Conservation project and enhancement to existing access from Fenn Street on land adjacent to the Fenn Street and Ratcliffe Highway.

Discussion:

The Senior Planner outlined the application in detail for a full planning application for 44 new homes (use class C3) with the provision of associated parking, open spaces, sustainable drainage systems (SUDs) and earthworks. Provision of overflow parking for Fenn Bell Conservation project and enhancement to existing access from Fenn Street on land adjacent to the Fenn Street and Ratcliffe Highway.

The Senior Planner brought Members’ attention to the supplementary agenda advice sheet which, under the recommendations, deleted condition 7 and renumbered conditions 8 to 28 accordingly.  Kent County Council (KCC) Biodiversity were content with the information provided and the verification letter required by condition 7 was no longer required. 

He clarified that although the Flood Risk Assessment was acceptable, a collapsed surface water pipe had been identified and the applicants had agreed to address this as part of the development which would improve the existing situation on site.   

With the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Spalding addressed the Committee as Ward Councillor and raised the following concerns:

• Road safety issues – no clear visibility or sight lines when exiting the site.  The speed traffic survey showed that over 80% of vehicles were travelling above the speed limit, contrary to what the Planning Team were suggesting.
• Bus services in the area were non-existent and the proposed new bus stops were deemed not safe, along with a lack of pavements.  Looking at the S106 contributions, what would the £50,000 specifically be spent on to improve bus services?
• St Mary Hoo Parish Council had instructed a road safety audit to be undertaken.  A number of issues were raised, and it was stated that Medway Council’s Highways Consultant had not seen the report. 
• All local schools were full and there were no safe walking routes.
• KCC Ecology – the reptile and bird survey clearly stated that any habitat clearance should be undertaken outside the main nesting season which was March to August.  Esquire had cleared hedgerows in August to install a reptile fence, he considered this was Esquire getting a head start.
• Only 11 of the proposed dwellings would be for social housing, the remainder would be going to market. 

The Committee discussed the planning application noting the points raised by the Ward Councillor. 

Following the Members visit to the site, some were concerned with the road safety aspect and suggested installing a simple roundabout which could reduce speed and improve traffic flow.  It was queried whether a condition could be imposed to reduce the speed of the traffic.

Further concerns were expressed with the poor bus service in the area, a lack of suitable pavements and no safe walking routes to local schools.

In response to the concerns raised, the Highways Consultant clarified that in the traffic assessment, 15% of the traffic had exceeded the 40mph speed limit, which was not particularly unusual.  The traffic assessment did not raise any specific concerns with the access arrangements and proposals were included to help reduce speed.  He also confirmed that the traffic assessment showed a maximum increase of 20 additional vehicles within a single-hour period, which equated to 1 vehicle every 3 minutes, not a substantial increase.

The Highways Consultant confirmed that he had not had sight of the road safety audit commissioned by St Mary Hoo Parish Council that was being discussed and was, therefore, unable to comment on the safety issues raised.

The Chief Planning Officer stated that the original traffic audit had been assessed by the Highways and Safety Team and was deemed acceptable.  He confirmed the Highways Consultant would review the St Mary Hoo Parish Council road safety audit once submitted.

The Chief Planning Officer explained that the site was not being used for agricultural land and was not in a designated local landscape area.  A small to medium sized enterprise (SME) would develop the land, employing local people and was considered a good design.  This site was one of the preferred options of Regulation 18 of the Local Plan and would deliver 25% affordable homes, which was very difficult to provide currently.  

Decision:      

Recommendation - Approved Subject to S106

A.       The applicant entering into a legal agreement under the terms of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure the following contributions:

·       £10,778.24 towards community facilities within the vicinity of the site.

·       £9,293/68 towards equipment and facilities at Hoo, Grain and/or Strood and/or Mobile Libraries.

·       £14,321.56 towards sports improvements at Hoo Sports Centre and/or Deangate.

·       £10,178.96 towards waste and recycling services.

·       £42,686.71 green space contribution.

·       £74,072.88 for nursery provision within 2 miles of the development.

·       £181,815.06 for primary provision within 2 miles of development site or SEND education within Medway.

·       £144,058.32 for secondary provision within Medway.

·       £37,196.28 health contribution towards extension/refurbishment or upgrading of existing proactive premises within the vicinity or contribution to a new facility.

·       £3,300 towards public rights of way improvements.

·       £50,000 towards bus service provision improvements.

·       £14,443.88 towards strategic measures in respect of the coastal North Kent Special Protection Area.

·       Meeting the Council’s costs.

B.       And conditions 1 to 28 as out in the report for the reasons stated, although condition 7 would be deleted and conditions 8 to 28 renumbered accordingly.