Agenda item

To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

 

Note:   A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

 

Mrs Bell referring to item 1 on the Plans List (Uplowman Road, Tiverton) stated: I refer to the Barratt’s application.  On 11^th July, this Committee deferred its decision so that three issues could be re-considered, one of which was the re-positioning of the new turning point for Uplowman Road which is due to be closed to through traffic.

 

A new drawing submitted by Barratt’s shows that the turning point has been re-positioned near to the end of the road closure. Also, the driveway previously planned to be located directly opposite an existing driveway has also been moved slightly eastwards and now avoids conflict.

 

We thank Barratt’s for this new and safer arrangement.

 

We have not however, seen the equally important re-consideration of a re-arrangement of the new cul-de-sac that would save a substantial length of historic Devon Bank which is a significant habitat of Dormice, hares and a busy nesting site for a variety of birds each Springtime.

 

We believe that a re-arrangement of the cul-de-sac properties will serve both Barratt’s interests and that of local residents.

 

Over 40 metres of Devon Bank will be saved, the local character and amenity of this area will be preserved and road safety in the vicinity of this new cul-de-sac will be improved.  We believe this section of Devon Bank was shown to be intact on the outline plans which you approved.

 

Mr Cook will offer one alternative view of how the cul-de-sac could be re-designed to achieve our two remaining aims as well as serve the developers’ objective.

 

If the Devon Bank was retained both wildlife and residents would benefit, and most importantly for Barrett’s, provides a better ambience for the promoting and selling of the new properties. 

 

On behalf of residents will this Committee please support our request via your powers to use Conditions and thus, achieve the two remaining and we think very important aims.

 

 

Mr Cook referring to item 1 on the Plans List (Uplowman Road, Tiverton) stated: I refer you to the Barratt application and two of the three items that, on 11^th July, this Committee deferred for re-consideration by the Developer.

 

The two items are:

- loss of so much Devon Bank

- and re-positioning of the Barratt show homes.

 

The latest plans still show a complete loss of the existing historic Devon Bank in this location and, the varied styles of Barratt show homes still have driveway accesses directly onto Uplowman Road to be used by show home visitors.

 

These driveways and the pedestrian pathways to each house are separated by a new small mound with a hedge on top.

 

We asked for all the new cul-de-sac properties to be built behind the existing bank so as to preserve the historic bank, preserve and respect local character and amenity and lessen the impact of the sales activity on existing residents including improving local road safety.

 

We are told by Planning that Barratts are unwilling to re-design this small area as it is likely to result in the loss, to them, of a house in this cul-de-sac.

 

We disagree and offer one possible solution which we now place before you.

 

Layout Diagram 1 is Barratt’s current plan.

 

As you can see, the old bank has gone and there are four show homes numbered 168- 171 with vehicle accesses directly onto the re-aligned section of Uplowman Road.

 

This road section will be used by residents and others requiring access eastwards of the cul-de-sac, as well as the residents of the cul-de-sac.

 

This has to be an unnecessary safety issue for local road users.

 

Referring to Diagram 2,

 

Much of the original bank is now preserved and all the cul-de-sac properties are well within a more regularised area each with plots that are better suited to garden use and not awkwardly shaped as some are in Diagram 1.

 

There are still eight properties here, five of which have garages as required by Barratts.

 

Such a layout would serve Barratt’s needs and achieve all we aim for,

 

- save much of the historic bank,

- respect existing local character and amenity and,

- allay our traffic safety concerns.

 

On behalf of residents will this Committee please support our aims and assert your influence via Conditions to achieve them.

 

Dr Bell referring to item 1 on the Plans List (Uplowman Road, Tiverton) stated:

We draw this Committee’s attention to inaccuracies in the Officers’ published report to this Committee relating to the Applicant’s responses to the matters deferred by you on 11^th July.

 

In Paragraph 2.4 – this should refer to house number 18 and not 16 which is a very different location.

 

Paragraph 2.9 - states that show home parking will be relocated to driveways of dwellings that will be constructed elsewhere in the development.  This is not so, and Mr Green can confirm this, sales staff and visitor parking is to be on the driveways of the show houses still fronting Uplowman Road with access to the show houses via one of their garages requiring visitors to walk along the road for access.

 

Paragraph 2.10 - states that residents have been consulted as to the location of the show homes and associated parking and that we are now satisfied and have no objection as regards show home parking. 

This is not the case, -we are not satisfied and we still object.

 

The only consultation we had was on 16^th July and concerned only the location of the turning head and moving house plot 175 eastwards to which we did respond positively.

 

We are, therefore, still facing 6 years of house sales activity directly onto a vulnerable section of Uplowman Roadway and our objections remain.

 

Paragraph 2.7 referring to the cul-de-sac: this states that at Outline Planning: ‘it was agreed that a significant length of the hedgebank would be lost’.

 

The approved Outline plan referred to in the report is just a line drawing of the road structure without any indication of the Devon banks on either side of the road; however, the associated Outline Hedgerow plan actually showed the retention of much of the Devon Bank so we were unaware that the bank was at risk. If we had known this to be the case, we would have objected strenuously against this at the time.

 

We ask the Committee to note and consider our comments in your deliberations and we ask the Planning Officers if they will address these issues and correct and clarify them for both this Committee and the Residents.

 

The Chairman indicated that answers would be provided to the above during the debate.

 

Cllr Mrs J B Binks (Ward Member for Sandford and Creedy) referring to Item 8 on the agenda (Major Applications) explained that last Friday, an article in the Crediton Courier had stated that the Creedy Bridge and Higher Road applications were both due to be determined by the Planning Committee at its meeting on 8 August.  She asked what the official rebuttal to this statement was.  She asked the Chairman if she could explain what new conditions were in the NPPF which had brought about the deferral and whether any other pending applications would be likely to be deferred because of the updated NPPF.

 

The Chairman stated the Creedy Bridge application had always been due to be determined on the 15^th August, but had now been deferred, further guidance with regard to the impact of the updated NPPF was still awaited; a number of applications had been deferred.

 

The Group Manager for Development explained that there was an element within the updated NPPF which referred to calculations with regard to the 5 year land supply; officers were currently assessing and analysing parts of the NPPF document in relation to this. Any rebuttal to the statement made in the Crediton Courier would come from the Chief Executive.