Issue - meetings

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report for full planning permission to redevelop the site with enabling residential development to provide 9 residential units together with associated car parking, open space, and refuse and recycling facilities (linked to applications EPF/2617/14 & EPF/2518/14) (DEV-007a-2015/16).

The Assistant Director of Governance (Development Control) presented a report regarding the redevelopment of the site at Foster Street Farm in Foster Street to provide 9 residential units together with associated car parking, open space, refuse and recycling facilities. This was an enabling development for the linked applications EPF/2517/14 and EPF/2518/14, as the approval of the two residential schemes would financially support the relocation of C J Pryor to an expanded site at Harlow Gateway South.

The Assistant Director reported that the proposal sought permission for two 3-bedroomed, five 4-bedroomed and two 5-bedroomed properties to be erected. The dwellings would all be two-storeys in height, and although the original plans had included three-storey dwellings these had been amended to lower the height of the buildings. A pair of semi-detached dwellings and a single dwelling would front Foster Street, with a linear development of detached dwellings to the rear of these. A small pond would be sited in the south east of the site and the site access would be relocated to allow for better visibility.

Planning Officers had concluded that the proposed development would not result in any greater harm to the openness of the Green Belt and would not cause any significantly greater impact on the character and appearance of this rural area. There would be no perceptible increase in vehicle movements and the relocation of the access road would improve highway safety. The loss of amenity to existing properties would not be excessive, and there were some amenity benefits to the local area from this development. Adequate parking and private amenity space had been provided, and the small scale of the proposed development was sufficient in respect of sustainability. The proposal complied with the National Planning Policy Framework and the relevant Local Plan policies, and was therefore recommended for approval.

The Assistant Director added that this application, along with the two linked applications, was originally considered by Area Plans Sub-Committee East at its meeting on 13 May 2015. However, all three applications were referred directly to this Committee without discussion. This application had been deferred by the Committee at its previous meeting to enable proper consultation to be undertaken as the submitted plans had been amended by the Applicant following the publication of the agenda.

The Assistant Director informed the Committee that a High Court ruling had been received following publication of the agenda, which required 50% of the units to be allocated for affordable housing on the site. The application had not included any provision for affordable housing, and if this application had been dealt with at the previous meeting then this ruling would not have applied. However, the Council did not have to comply with this ruling if it felt that very special circumstances existed.

The Committee noted the summary of representations. Twelve letters in support of the application had been received, including the local Member of Parliament for Harlow and six employees of C J Pryor; eleven letters of objection had been received, including North  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report for full planning permission to redevelop site with enabling residential development to provide 9 residential units together with associated car parking, open space and refuse and recycling facilities (enabling development for linked application EPF/2517/14) (DEV-007-2015/16).

The Assistant Director of Governance (Development Control) presented a report regarding the redevelopment of the site at Foster Street Farm in Foster Street to provide 9 residential units together with associated car parking, open space, refuse and recycling facilities. This was an enabling development for the linked applications EPF/2517/14 and EPF/2518/14, as the approval of the two residential schemes would fund and enable the relocation of C J Pryor to an expanded site at Harlow Gateway South.

The Assistant Director stated that the application site was on the northern side of Foster Street and was part of a small development compromising commercial sites and approximately 50 residential sites. The site contained a large former agricultural building and various smaller storage buildings, with residential properties to the east and south of the site and open land to the north and west. There was a single access road to Foster Street and the site was within the Green Belt.

The Assistant Director reported that the proposal sought permission for two 3-bed, five 4-bed and two 5-bed properties to erected. The dwellings would all be two-storeys in height, and although the original plans had included three-storey dwellings these had been amended to lower the height of the buildings. A pair of semi-detached and a single dwelling would front Foster Street, with a linear development of detached dwellings to the rear of these. A small pond would be sited in the south east of the site and the site access would be relocated to allow for better visibility.

The Assistant Director informed the Committee that the main issues concerning this application were the principle of the development as the site was located within the Green Belt and was previously developed land; the very special circumstances for development with the Green Belt put forward by the applicant for the three linked applications; whether the location was sustainable for this development as it was a small rural hamlet; the highways issues relating to the development; the visual impact of the development on the area; the potential loss of amenity for the existing residential properties in the area; and the ecological impacts of the proposed development. Other matters considered for this development included flooding, contamination and the collection of waste from the proposed residential dwellings.

Planning Officers had concluded that the proposed development would not result in any greater harm to the openness of the Green Belt and would not cause any significantly greater impact on the character and appearance of this rural area. There would be no perceptible increase in vehicle movements and the relocation of the access road would improve highway safety. The loss of amenity to existing properties would not be excessive, and there were some amenity benefits to the local area from this development. Adequate parking and private amenity space had been provided, and the small scale of the proposed development was sufficient in respect of sustainability. The proposal complied with the National Planning Policy Framework and the relevant Local Plan policies, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6