To receive a report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration regarding this application.
Minutes:
The Committee had before it a report * of the Head of Planning and Regeneration regarding the above application. The Area Planning Officer outlined the contents of the report by way of presentation and informed Committee Members that there were now two additional reasons for refusal on the update sheet which related to insufficient information being provided by the applicant.
Discussion took place with regard to:
· Both Willand and Halberton Parish Councils were against this application for reasons relating to site location and it falling outside of the current Local Plan, the additional strain on local schools and the availability of jobs. The area was currently designated as an industrial site and any development, if allowed, would be surrounded by industrial units.
· The comment was made that the developer was offering 35% affordable housing.
· The proposal was contrary to COR12 of the Mid Devon Core Strategy and failed DM2.
· More infrastructure was needed in Willand rather than further housing development.
RESOLVED that planning permission be refused for the following reasons:
1. Policy COR17 of the Mid Devon Core Strategy (Local Plan Part 1) seeks to deliver minor development proposals in the recognised villages in the District, of which Willand is one. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority the development of 97 dwellings in Willand would be a significant development in the context of policy COR17 and therefore be contrary to the objectives of the policy and the development focus set out in policy COR12 of the Mid Devon Core Strategy (Local Plan Part 1) which seeks to reduce housing rates in the rural areas.
2. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the development of the site, sandwiched between two areas of employment development and physically divorced from the existing pattern of housing development in the village would not represent the high quality development required by policy DM2 of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies) and the National Planning Policy Framework as it would be out of context with the spatial pattern of development in the village and would not be well integrated with surrounding buildings, streets, landscapes and uses.
3. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that there is no commercial interest in the use of the site for employment generating purposes, particularly having regard to the high land values which have been sought for the development of plots of land on the site, taking into account prevailing local market values for similar developments. Accordingly the application is contrary to the requirements of policy DM21 b) of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies).
4. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that the development of the application site for mixed use purposes that incorporate an employment-generating use would not result in a financially viable development. The application is therefore contrary to the requirements of policy DM21 c) of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies).
(Proposed by Cllr Mrs M E Squires and seconded by Cllr Mrs L J Holloway)
Notes:
i. Cllrs: Mrs H Bainbridge, M D Binks, Mrs D L Brandon, Mrs F J Colthorpe, J M Downes, A V G Griffiths, P J Heal, Mrs L J Holloway, D J Knowles, E G Luxton, R F Radford, J D Squire, Mrs M E Squires, R L Stanley and K D Wilson made declarations in accordance with the Protocol of Good Practice for Councillors in dealing with planning matters.
ii. Cllrs Mrs F J Colthorpe and R L Stanley declared personal interests in that they had attended Parish Council meetings where the developer had been in attendance.
iii. Cllr D L Brandon also declared a personal interest in that she had attended a meeting with the Managing Director of Devonshire Homes.
iv. Cllrs Mrs H Bainbridge and A V G Griffiths declared personal interests as they knew the Managing Director from Devonshire Homes.
v. Mr Russell (the Applicant) spoke.
vi. Cllr Warren (Willand Parish Council) spoke.
vii. As the application related to a split site, Ward Members Mrs D L Brandon and R F Radford both spoke.
viii. The Chairman read out a letter from another of the Ward Members, Cllr R Evans.
ix. The following late information was reported:
A commercially sensitive and confidentially held independent report commissioned by Mid Devon District Council has been received regarding the value of the site and the marketing exercise undertaken by the landowners.
In summary the report makes the following findings/conclusions:
Your Officers have considered the content of the consultant’s report and the implication of these alongside the information and assessment already contained in section 1 of the material considerations section of the committee report (pg. 150) and have assessed the application against policy DM21 of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies). Taking account of the other employment sites in the locality which may provide some competition to the application site, including the recent permissions at Hitchcocks Farm and Venn Farm, which are not existing employment allocations) and the findings of the Employment Land Review, which recommends having an overall lower quantum of employment development, it is considered that criterion a) of policy DM21 is met.
The findings of the consultant suggests that the land values being sought by the landowners for the development of plots on the site are high in the current market and have been so since the economic downturn. This is likely to have been in order to see a return on their investment in the site. It is clear that there have been a relatively high number of enquiries to develop plots on the site over the years and it is noted that a contract has been entered into to dispose of the plot recently given planning permission for a foodstore (14/02116/FULL). Taking these facts into account alongside the commentary in section 1 of the committee report, it is considered that insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate compliance with criterion b) of policy DM21.
As previously mentioned, no sequential viability test has been provided based on the requirements of criterion c) of policy DM21.
Revised recommendation:
Refuse planning permission for the following reasons:
1. Policy COR17 of the Mid Devon Core Strategy (Local Plan Part 1) seeks to deliver minor development proposals in the recognised villages in the District, of which Willand is one. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority the development of 97 dwellings in Willand would be a significant development in the context of policy COR17 and therefore be contrary to the objectives of the policy and the development focus set out in policy COR12 of the Mid Devon Core Strategy (Local Plan Part 1) which seeks to reduce housing rates in the rural areas.
2. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the development of the site, sandwiched between two areas of employment development and physically divorced from the existing pattern of housing development in the village would not represent the high quality development required by policy DM2 of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies) and the National Planning Policy Framework as it would be out of context with the spatial pattern of development in the village and would not be well integrated with surrounding buildings, streets, landscapes and uses.
3. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that there is no commercial interest in the use of the site for employment generating purposes, particularly having regard to the high land values which have been sought for the development of plots of land on the site, taking into account prevailing local market values for similar developments. Accordingly the application is contrary to the requirements of policy DM21 b) of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies).
4. In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that the development of the application site for mixed use purposes that incorporate an employment-generating use would not result in a financially viable development. The application is therefore contrary to the requirements of policy DM21 c) of Local Plan Part 3 (Development Management Policies).
(x) *Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed Minutes.
Supporting documents: