Agenda item

This application was a reserved matters application pursuant to planning application TWC/2018/0701 (200no. dwellings, retention of the existing sports hall building for community uses with associated access, car park, public open space, attenuation areas and associated infrastructure) including details of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale on the site of former Charlton School, Severn Drive, Dothill, Telford, Shropshire.

This application was deferred at the Planning Committee held on the 6 April 2022 to allow officers to negotiate with the application in respect of the layout of the site and in particular the garden sizes and to request additional information in respect of the SUDS feature.

The Planning Officer confirmed that revised plans had been submitted showing each property had now achieved the minimum garden standard by realigning property boundaries and reducing three beds to two bedroom properties where necessary.  It was suggested to Members that this meant it was no longer necessary to remove the permitted development rights on these plots.   With regard to the SUDS feature a 1.2m high post and rail fence would be installed and the unfettered access to the SuDS feature was.for maintenance purposes.

Councillor K Tomlinson, Ward Councillor, was pleased that the item had been deferred and that the issue relating to garden space had been addressed, but continued to be disappointed in relation to the parking for the gym which she considered an under allocation and that this would cause parking issues on Harley Close.  She queried the mini roundabout on the junction of Whitchurch Road and North Road junction and whether there were S106 monies for this due to the hazardous bend. It was asked that the application be rejected and a site visit be held.

Councillor L Jinks spoke on behalf of the Wellington Town Council who raised concerns regarding the junction of Whitchurch Road and North Road and felt that the highway impact had been substantially overlooked and not addressed satisfactorily.  Parking on Harley Close was a genuine concern of residents and had been raised on numerous planning applications and she asked that the application be refused and a site visit undertaken for Members to consider the issues.

Ms S Griffiths, Applicant’s Agent, spoke in favour of the application which was a key site for the Council and they wished to get it right.  They sympathised with the speakers but felt that the highways impact had been considered at the outline stage, the site had been vacant for a long time and the capital receipt was important as it was part funded by the Council.  A revised site layout had been undertaken to improve separation distances, the buffer and improve the parking with an improved setback and greater biodiversity.  There was a safe and secure access to the SUDS area and the application had been reduced by 5 dwellings with landscaping as a focal point.  Highways had not asked for an increase in parking spaces and a financial contribution was sought for off-site highway improvements to impact and mitigate in relation to local traffic.  There was a long term management plan and the Local Nature Reserve and play area would be maintained by the applicant Vistry.  She asked that Members approve the application.

The Planning Officer confirmed that the parking had been assessed at the outline stage and had been conditioned for 66 spaces for both the gymnasium and the football pitches.  This had been agreed by Members and was sufficient under policy EC2 and there were no objections from highways.  Financial contributions had been agreed at the outline stage which included Apley Avenue/Whitchurch Road for strategic highway network improvement.  The applicant had addressed the garden sizes and the fencing to the SUDS pond.

The Chair confirmed to Members that Condition 4 contained in the recommendation would need to be removed as the permitted development rights no longer needed to be removed as the gardens now met the required standards.

During the debate, some Members were pleased that the dwellings now complied with the standards and the SuDS pond would be fenced off.  The car parking could be increased if there were a few less trees planted and raised concerns in regard to the issue of the mini roundabout which had not been resolved and they felt that this should have been negotiated prior to coming to Committee.  Other members felt that as the condition relating to the car park had been approved at outline stage and there was no objection from highways and due to the explanation in relation to Whitchurch Road/Harley Close they felt the application could be approved.

The Planning Officer confirmed that there was no one size fits all on gardens and that Officer strived to meet the standards where they could.  In relation to the gymnasium car park, due to the differences in levels the car park could not be made any larger and that it met the parking requirements.

The Development Management Service Delivery Manager informed Members that Local Plan Standards allowed for 59 spaces and this was increased to 66 and conditioned at outline consent and this was over and above the standards.

On being put to the vote it was, unanimously:

RESOLVED – delegated authority be granted to the Development Management Service Delivery Manager to grant reserved matters subject to the following (with authority to finalise conditions and reasons for approval to be delegated to Development Management Service Delivery Manager):-

1.         A02 – Time Limit - Reserved Matters

2.         C020 – custom highways condition – parking and turning areas to be provided

3.         C076 – Landscaping implementation Hard and Soft

4.         C076 – Landscaping implementation Hard and Soft

5.         B130 The tree protection plans Drawing Ref 1255-TPP-005H & 007H can be used as the approved tree protection documentation for the application.

6.         B139 The Arboricultural Method Statement featured on pages 12 -16 of the AIA January 2022 is a condition of the scheme, including pre-commencement meetings with the Arb Clerks of Works (ACW) and the site manager. The ACW will also be required to oversee the tree removals from G12 to facilitate the attenuation basin & drainage connection which is routed through TWC owned trees G13, G14 & T22 and the formation of the path through G8 & G12. In addition to the above the ACW will also be required to make 3 visits to the site during the build and complete three site supervision records as featured in Appendix 5 of the AIA, these are then to be sent to the Local Authority.

7.         C020  Unfettered vehicular access to SuDS feature for   maintenance.

8.         C38 – In accordance with approved plans

and the informatives contained within the report.