Agenda item - 21/01626/REM - Reserved Matters Application of Phase 1, 149 residential units on land abutting Stourbridge Road/Perryfields Road, which is in line with the Outline Planning Permission for 1,300 dwellings (application reference 16/0335) allowed at appeal under reference APP/ P1805/W/20/3265948. The Reserved Matters application seeks consent in line with condition 1 for detailed matters of appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale. Land At, Perryfields Road, Bromsgrove. Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agenda item

21/01626/REM - Reserved Matters Application of Phase 1, 149 residential units on land abutting Stourbridge Road/Perryfields Road, which is in line with the Outline Planning Permission for 1,300 dwellings (application reference 16/0335) allowed at appeal under reference APP/ P1805/W/20/3265948. The Reserved Matters application seeks consent in line with condition 1 for detailed matters of appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale. Land At, Perryfields Road, Bromsgrove. Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Minutes:

The Chairman asked the Committee Members to note that as detailed in the Officer’s report, this was an allocated development site and that outline planning permission with the Reserved Matters of Access had been allowed on appeal in 2021.

 

Therefore, for consideration by Members at the meeting was the Reserved Matters Application which sought consent in line with Condition 1 for detailed matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale.

 

Officers drew Members’ attention to the Committee Update, which detailed three additional comments received and the Officers responses; and also included four additional conditions as requested by North Worcestershire Management - Conditions 6, 7, 8 and 9.  A copy of the Committee Update was provided to Members and published on the Council’s website prior to the commencement of the meeting.

 

Officers presented the report and the presentation slides, as detailed on pages 46 to 76 of the main agenda report.

 

The Reserved Matters Application of Phase 1, for 149 residential units on land abutting Stourbridge Road/Perryfields Road, which was in line with the Outline Planning Permission for 1,300 dwellings (application reference 16/0335); that was allowed at appeal under reference APP/ P1805/W/20/3265948.

 

The Reserved Matters application sought consent in line with Condition 1 for detailed matters of appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale, land at Perryfields Road, Bromsgrove.

 

Officers drew Members’ attention to the comments received from Highways – Bromsgrove and Mott McDonald, who had no issues or objections, as detailed on pages 27 and 28 of the main agenda report.

 

The major urban design criteria was connectivity and the layout related well on this criterion, for both pedestrians and vehicles, with links to the neighbouring residential development under construction on Perryfields Road, as well as Stourbridge Road.  The revised plans showed a footpath link onto Perryfields Road adjacent to the smaller open space area to the southern boundary of the site.  Officers clarified that the issue of external access off the Stourbridge Road had already been determined and approved, so was therefore not included in the current application.

 

The footpath link at Perryfields Road would involve the removal of hedgerow in order to achieve the access and adequate visibility. Whilst it was regrettable that a section of hedgerow along Perryfields Road would need to be removed to enable this provision, the hedgerow mainly contained a fair volume of Elm which would in time, be most likely to die out. Therefore, it would be appropriate to replace the hedgerow with a better-quality hedge for the longer term.

 

Officers referred to the comments received from the Council’s Arboricultural Officer, as detailed on page 31 of the main agenda report.

 

Officers further explained that the developers had clarified that whilst there was a shortfall of affordable housing on this phase by 2 dwellings, this shortfall would be made up in the next phase of the development. Officers had accepted this approach in respect to the affordable housing provision for this phase and considered that the proposed development met the development policies in respect of affordable housing requirements.

 

At the invitation of the Chairman, Ms. J. Slade, Chair of the Bromsgrove Society, addressed the Committee in objection to the application.  Councillor L. Mallett also addressed the Committee in objection to the application and in doing so, also read out the speech received from Mr. G. Dallas, local resident who was also in objection to the application.

 

The Committee then considered the Application, which Officers had recommended for approval.

 

Members stated that having read and listened to the concerns raised by the Bromsgrove Society and those in objection to the application, who had addressed the Committee; that they still had some concerns with regard to the volume of additional traffic the development would create in Sidemoor.  There were some traffic calming solutions, however, the crossing by Perryfields Road was already considered really difficult, due to the volume of traffic.

 

Members further stated that apart from the obvious traffic concerns, the comments from Community Safety, as detailed on page 30 of the main agenda report, should be taken into consideration and mitigated.

 

Officers responded and stated that the scheme had been amended to address the concerns raised by Community Safety; and that with regards to cameras, these were not required as there would be natural surveillance now due to the revisions being made to the scheme.

 

Following on from the concerns and issues raised, Committee Members suggested deferring the reserved matters application, in order for Committee Members to conduct a Site Visit.

 

In response, Officers confirmed that a Site Visit could be arranged.  Officers sought further clarification from the Committee as to their main concerns, were they access, crossing and the scheme?  Members agreed and were of the opinion that a Site Visit was necessary in order to provide a clearer picture of the scheme. This was a very sensitive application and Members felt that they needed to be scrupulous and that a Site Visit was therefore necessary. It was important for members of the public to see that the Committee were taking this application seriously.  There were a lot of mixed feelings about this development and Ward Members and residents of Bromsgrove, and every measure needed to be taken.

 

In response to further questions from the Committee with regard to timescales, Officers highlighted that the Site Visit would be caried out in a timely manner and referred to a future meeting of the Committee.  Members were asked to note that there were no scheduled meetings of the Planning Committee in this Municipal Year.

 

Following on from this debate, an Alternative Recommendation was proposed that the Reserved Matters Application be deferred in order for Committee Members to attend a Site Visit.

 

On being put to the vote, it was

 

RESOLVED that the Reserved Matters Application be deferred and brought back to a future meeting of the Committee once Planning Committee Members had carried out a Site Visit.

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