Agenda item

16/1132 - Outline Planning Application for: Site A (Land off Whitford Road) - Provision of up to 490 dwellings, Class A1 retail shop (up to 400 square metres), two new priority accesses onto Whitford Road, public open space, landscaping and sustainable urban drainage; and Site B (Land off Albert Road) - Demolition of Greyhound Inn Public House, provision of up to 15 dwellings, new priority access onto Albert Road, provision for a new roundabout, landscaping and sustainable drainage - Land at Whitford Road/Albert Road, Bromsgrove - Catesby Estates Limited and Miller Homes Limited

Meeting of Please Note: This meeting is being held in the Fairfield Suite, Holiday Inn, Kidderminster Road, Bromsgrove, B61 9AB, Planning Committee, Thursday 13th February 2020 6.00 p.m. (Item 68/19)

Minutes:

The Development Management Manager explained the format of the meeting, as agreed with the Chairman prior to the commencement of the meeting, as follows:-

· As Case Officer, he would present his report and presentation slides.

· Public Speaking, which the Chairman had extended to 15 minutes per category as follows:- Objectors

Applicant

Ward Member

· As agreed with the Chairman, a ten minute comfort break would follow.

Members would then have the opportunity to seek any points of clarifaction from Officers of the Council, Worcestershire County Council, Highways Authority, Worcestershire Regulatory Services and representatives from Mott MacDonald; should clarification be needed.

The Development Management Manager provided a brief procedural update and reminded all those present that, at the Planning Committee meeting held on 31st October 2019; Members of the Planning Committee had deferred the application in order for further discussions to take place between the main parties; Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council, Highways Officers, Mott Mcdonald, the applicant and other third parties as necessary (with specific reference to Whitford Vale Voice (WVV) and the Ward Member, Councillor L. Mallett); in order to seek further detailed information to address the concerns raised by Planning Committee Members during the course of the meeting.

The Development Management Manager drew Members’ attention to:-

Appendix 1 – Tabulated response to Deferral Reasons Arising from 31st October 2019 Planning Committee meeting:

(1) Whitford Vale Voice

(2) Worcestershire County Council (acting as Highway Authority)

Appendix 2 – Tabulated Response to Deferral Reasons Arising from 31st October 2019 Planning Committee meeting:-

(1) Catesby Esatates Limited and Miller Homes Limited

(2) Mott Mcdonald (acting as Transport Planning Advisors to Bromsgrove District Council

Members were further informed that the District Council had received notification from the Applicants on 2nd December 2019 of an intention to appeal against the failure of the Local Planning Authority to make a decision on the application within the statutory time period and in the absence of a written agreement of the parties to extend the decision-making period (this being 7th November 2019). The District Council subsequently received notification on 17th January 2020 that the Applicants had exercised their right to appeal against the non-determination of the application. The District Council formally received notification from the Planning Inspectorate on 30th January 2020 that the appeal was valid and the appeal process had now commenced.

The Development Management Manager further reported on:-

Committee Update 1 – 14 additional representations had been received objecting to the scheme. There were no new matters or issues raised above those already contained in the published report. A further letter dated 9th February 2020 from Whitford Vale Voce,which replaced their previous letter submitted on 12th October 2019, as detailed in the published Committee Update 1 Report, copies of which were provided to Committee Members and the public prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Committee Update 2 - 13 additional representations had been received objecting to the scheme. There were no new matters or issues raised above those already contained in the published report. An email received on 13th February 2020 from Councillor L. Mallett, as detailed in the published Committee Update 2 Report, copies of which were provided to Committee Members and the public prior to the commencement of the meeting.

The Application consisted of two sites:

Site A (Land off Whitford Road), was currently used as agricultural land and consisted of 23.54 hectares. The site lies on the western side of Bromsgrove. Its eastern boundary was formed by Whitford Road. Between Whitford Road and the town centre are mainly urban land uses, including the Deansway and Millfield housing areas, and Sanders Park, a large area of public open space.

To the south, the site adjoins housing around Sunningdale Road. To the north is Timberhonger Lane, a minor country lane, where there are also two existing dwellings and a pumping station. To the west, there is open countryside and the M5 motorway.

Site B (Greyhound Inn Public House: Albert Road/Fox Lane/Rock Hill); amounts to 0.277 hectares. This contains a now closed and vacant Public House, garden area and associated car park.

The site has a frontage and an access onto Fox Lane, a mix of residential properties including terraced and semi-detached houses and bungalows to the north and east. The public house is located at the junction of Fox Lane and Rock Hill. There is a separate frontage onto Albert Road which also includes a now disused point of access.

In the adopted Bromsgrove District Plan, Site B was located in a designated residential area.

The development relates to an outline planning application for:

Site A (Land at Whitford Road), the provision of up to 490 dwellings, Class 1A retail shop (up to 400 square metres), two new priority accessess onto Whitford Road, public open space, landscaping and sustainable urban drainage; and

Site B (Land of Albert Road), demolition of the Greyhound Inn Public House, provision of up to 15 dwellings, a new priority access onto Albert Road, provision for a new roundabout, landscaping and sustainable drainage.

The Development Management Manager further drew Members’ attention to the only elements of the proposed development that were for consideration at this stage and fixed by the outline application (as detailed on page 42 of the main agenda pack):-

Site A: maximum number of dwellings (490)

the inclusion of a retail unit of a maximum of 400 square metres

the location and form of the two accessess onto Whitford Road

Site B: the demolition of the Greyhound Inn Public House

maximum number of dwellings (15)

the location and form of the access onto Albert Road

part-provision for accomodation of a new roundabout

The Development Management Manager further highlighted that the Applicants had submitted an Indicative Masterplans indicating the form of the development with an accompanying Design and Access Statement that detailed the underlying development principles and addressed the constraints of the site and the surrounding locality. The Masterplans should be treated as purely illustrative but if necessary, other elements could be secured by suitable conditions.

Paragraph 2.8 on page 43 of the main agenda pack detailed the programme of highway mitigation measures external to Site A and Site B.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. A. Bailes (on behalf of Whitford Vale Voice) addressed the Committee in objection to the Application. Mr. G. Mitchell, Director, Framptons, on behalf of the Applicants and Councillor L. Mallett, District Councillor and County Councillor, in whose Ward the Site was located also addressed the Committee.

The meeting stood adjourned at 18:58 hours to 19:10 hours, in order for Committee Members to take a comfort break.

Having reconvened and at the invitation of the Chairman, Officers from Worcestershire County Council, Highways Authority and Mott MacDonald provided clarification on the following matters:-

· Roundabout Improvements at the Junction of Charford Road / Rock Hill / Worcester Road. The new roundabout at the junction of Fox Lane / Rock Hill had been through a Stage 1 and 2 safety audit. The developer had submitted detailed designs through the Worcestershire County Council, Highways Authority, Early Technical Approval Process. The Stage 1 and 2 safety audit had addressed any concerns. All junctions would be safety audited through the technical approval process associated with a S278 agreement should the development be granted approval.

· Footpaths – Highways Authority would look at the route that pedesterians were most likely to use in order for additional footpaths to be created.

The Committee further debated the impact on highways and were mindful that they still had concerns with regard to the severe impact the development would have on the local community, highway safety and road congestion. Members also noted the loss of parking spaces on the Rock Hill layby and the concerns raised with regard to deliveries at the convenience store sited there.

Members also discussed the potential for a Western link Bypass.

Having considered all of the additional information, as requested at the Planning Committee meeting held on 31st October 2019, whereby Planning Committee Members agreed to defer consideration of the Application, and having received further clarification from Officers; the Committee reiterated that they still had a number of concerns with regard to the severe impact on highway safety and traffic congestion as highlighted and discussed during the meeting.

Therefore the substantive view of the Committee was as follows:

RESOLVED the scheme would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety and the residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe as set out in paragraph 109 of the National Planning Policy Framework and would be contrary to Policy BDP1.4(a), Policy BDP5A.7(e) and Policy BDP16.1 of the Bromsgrove District Plan.

Supporting documents: