Agenda item

The Committee received an application for full planning permission and two applications for non-material amendments.

The full planning application sought approval for construction of a drainage pond (relocation of drainage pond permitted under reference S/0001/07/F) to support Darwin Green 1 site wide strategic drainage including revised access and landscaping details.

The non-material amendment applications sought approval for variations to surface water drainage conditions on the Darwin Green 1 outline planning consent 07/0003/OUT and the Darwin Green 1 full planning permission S/0001/07/FL to be consistent with the proposals within the full planning application.

Mr Fry (Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

      i.          Expressed concern over the lack of open space in Darwin Green 1 development. Green space replaced by housing/balancing pond. Queried why the need to locate the balancing pond outside the site was not picked up when the Darwin Green 1 outline was granted. 

     ii.          Darwin Green 1 residents need amenity space and should not have to wait until Darwin Green 2/3 provided it.

   iii.          Expressed concern about considering the proposal separate from the Darwin Green 2/3 outline proposals and potentially building more houses on the site of the approved balancing pond.

   iv.          Queried public access to the pond.

    v.          Queried works to hedgerows.

The Principal Planner said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.          Darwin Green 2/3 is a Local Plan site allocation. How the site of the approved balancing pond would be used is part of Darwin Green 2/3 proposals rather than this application. An outline application has been submitted for Darwin Green 2/3. 

     ii.          The balancing pond was appropriate for the site in the context of the Darwin Green 2/3 outline proposals and illustrative masterplan.

   iii.          The Darwin Green development as a whole was expected to provide sufficient amenity space once phases 2 and 3 are complete.

   iv.          Plans show there would access trails indicating public access. Would be managed by the City Council. Long-term access to the pond would be considered in Darwin Green 2/3 proposals.

    v.          There were no objections from the Drainage Officer.

   vi.          The proposal is not inappropriate development in the green belt.

 vii.          A biodiversity net gain was expected.

viii.          Tree Officer comments in the report from November 2021 were out of date and superseded by paragraph 8.32.  Condition 8 required compliance with tree works.

The Committee:

S/1355/17/FL - Land Immediately West Of The Electricity Pylon And Foul Pump Station Histon Road Impington.

Resolved (by 10 votes to 0) to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report, and subject to the conditions recommended by the Officer including delegated powers to Officers to make minor amendments to conditions in the interest of good planning.

07/0003/NMA2 - Land Between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road Cambridge.

Unanimously resolved to grant the application in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report.

S/0001/07/NMA1 – Land Immediately West of the Electricity Pylon and Foul Pump Station Histon Road Impington.

Unanimously resolved to grant the application in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report.