Agenda item

The Committee received an application for full planning permission for the construction of 91 new homes with associated infrastructure, internal roads, open space as part of Phase 3 within the Marleigh development as a modification to outline permission S/2682/13/OL to increase the overall unit numbers across the site to 1391 homes.

 

The Committee noted the following amendments presented in the Amendment Sheet:

i.    amendments to the Officers report at

a.  paragraph 24.4  Heads of Terms – under Highways - Eastern Access; to clarify, the Newmarket Road cycle scheme relates to the GCP Eastern Access Project and the Chism Trails cycle bridge refers to the Stourbridge Common Cycle Bridge. The sums of money are unchanged.

b.  paragraph 24.4   Proposed Variations to 2016 Agreement

                   a.        3rd item – relating to tennis courts and additional sports pitches – omit reference to “Phase 3”, as phasing is subject to change, to say “Add tennis courts and additional sports pitched and update the Sports Pitches Phasing Plan; and

                   b.        4th item – relating to the trigger for Phase 3 recreation works – change to “additional triggers for proposed additional recreation works.” (no change to existing recreation works triggers proposed.); and

                    c.       to clarify, FOG units are not subject to part M4(2) of the Building Regulations. The Nationally Described Space Standards relate only to the 91 up-lift dwellings; and

ii.  an amendment to condition 20 (Clerk of Works) to reword the condition and to separate it into two conditions (condition 20 and condition 49):

a.    condition 20. Clerk of Works

Prior to the commencement of any planting or soil related ground preparation, details of the proposed landscape phasing and evidence that a suitably qualified clerk of works has been appointed shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.  The clerk of works shall oversee the delivery of all landscaping within a particular phase to ensure that it accords with the approved landscaping details. 

Reason:  To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023; and

b.    condition 49. Landscape Monitoring and Completion Report

Within three months of the final occupation of any building within a landscape phase a monitoring and completion report evidencing compliance (including a photographic record of delivery), with the approved landscaping scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme, in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023.

 

Will Cobley (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Councillor Cone (Ward Councillor for Fen Ditton and Fulbourn) and Councillor Hofman (Ward Councillor for Fen Ditton and Fulbourn) addressed the Committee about the application.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Strategic Sites Manager and the Principal Planner said the following:

      i.         In response to issues raised by Ward Councillors around the application not going far enough in terms of affordable housing and community facilities provision advised that the application had been assessed against the current South Cambridgeshire District Council Local Plan and the proposals complied with Local Plan requirements.

    ii.         All the Heads of Terms for the Section 106 Agreement had been assessed and met the Community Infrastructure Regulations (CIL) test and were reasonable and appropriate.

   iii.         The Local Plan advised that average housing density on new development sites should be 40 dwellings per hectare but that this figure could vary depending on the particular circumstances of the application. Officers considered the housing density for this application (42 dwellings per hectare) was acceptable and appropriate. The Cambridge East Area Action Plan noted that new development in this location could achieve a potential average housing density of 50 dwellings per hectare.

  iv.         The small meeting space requirement was 22 square metres. A lot of discussion had taken place about how and where this small meeting space could be provided. The allotment building had a room suitable for this space, which would meet the planning obligation requirement for meeting space. Noted representations made by Ward Councillors for a preference for the meeting space to be provided in the sports pavilion.    

    v.         Advised that two community buildings were being proposed in the ‘Plains’. One was the allotment building which would provide facilities for those using the allotments and the second was the sports pavilion which was a larger building and provided all the facilities needed for sporting activities. 

  vi.         Advised that this application was required to provide 40% affordable housing because the application was a full application and therefore had to comply with current requirements set out in the South Cambridgeshire District Council Local Plan 2018. This was different to the previous application (reference 23/04930/REM) where the affordable housing requirement was 30% as the affordable housing requirement was set by the original outline consent S/2682/13/OL.

 vii.         Officers were striving to achieve better water efficiency measures than the 110 litres per person per day requirement within the Local Plan. Officers were satisfied that the water efficiency measures proposed within the application (being 100 litres per person per day) were the best that could be achieved in these circumstances. 

viii.         Burial and ambulance contributions could not be sought if they did not comply with the CIL tests.

 

With the permission of the Chair the Applicant advised that they had committed to providing additional community space (22 square metres) and that this could be provided in several ways; within the allotment building or within the foyer of the sports pavilion. The Communities Officer was satisfied that the additional community space was provided within the allotment building. Noted that there was commercial space on the ground floor of the Austin Building. Advised had given a commitment to Councillor Hofman outside of the planning application process to investigate whether the foyer of the sports pavilion could be utilised as extra community space above that required by the planning application requirements in the future.   

 

The Strategic Sites Manager offered the following summary of amendments to the Officer’s recommendation for the planning application reflecting Members’ debate during the meeting to approve the full planning application 23/04936/FUL subject to:

        i.       the planning conditions and informatives as detailed in section 29 of the Officer’s report, with delegated authority to Officers to carry through minor amendments to those conditions and informatives (and include others considered appropriate and necessary) with the addition of:

a. an amended condition 20 - Clerk of Works

Prior to the commencement of any planting or soil related ground preparation, details of the proposed landscape phasing and evidence that a suitably qualified clerk of works has been appointed shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.  The clerk of works shall oversee the delivery of all landscaping within a particular phase to ensure that it accords with the approved landscaping details. 

Reason:  To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023; and

b.  an additional condition 49 - Landscape monitoring and completion report

Within three months of the final occupation of any building within a landscape phase a monitoring and completion report evidencing compliance (including a photographic record of delivery), with the approved landscaping scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme, in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023; and

c.  a review of passive EV charging provision for apartments to see whether active charging provision could be secured; and

d.  an additional condition to restrict the conversion of residential dwellings to Houses in Multiple Occupation; and

e.  an additional informative relating to letterbox accessibility and height; and

f.   an additional informative relating to downpipes of flats to encourage water butt installation; and

ii. the prior completion of a planning obligation by deed under S106 and S106A (as appropriate) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) which secures the necessary modifications to the 2016 Agreement supporting S/2682/13/OL, to release those obligations no longer required as a consequence of the approval of this proposal, and to the new planning obligations specified in this report, with delegated authority to officers to include other relevant planning obligations necessary to make the proposal acceptable in planning terms, and to negotiate, settle and complete such planning obligation in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of JDCC.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously) to approve the full planning application 23/04936/FUL subject to:

i.  the planning conditions and informatives as detailed in section 29 of the Officer’s report, with delegated authority to Officers to carry through minor amendments to those conditions and informatives (and include others considered appropriate and necessary) with the addition of:

a. an amended condition 20 - Clerk of Works

Prior to the commencement of any planting or soil related ground preparation, details of the proposed landscape phasing and evidence that a suitably qualified clerk of works has been appointed shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.  The clerk of works shall oversee the delivery of all landscaping within a particular phase to ensure that it accords with the approved landscaping details. 

Reason:  To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023; and

b. an additional condition 49 - Landscape monitoring and completion report

Within three months of the final occupation of any building within a landscape phase a monitoring and completion report evidencing compliance (including a photographic record of delivery), with the approved landscaping scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the approved landscaping scheme, in accordance with Policies HQ/1 and NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and paragraphs 8 and 11 of the NPPF 2023;

c. a review of passive EV charging provision for apartments to see whether active charging provision could be secured; and

d. an additional condition to restrict the conversion of residential dwellings to Houses in Multiple Occupation; and

e. an additional informative relating to letterbox accessibility and height; and

f.  an additional informative relating to downpipes of flats to encourage water butt installation; and

ii. The prior completion of a planning obligation by deed under S106 and S106A (as appropriate) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) which secures the necessary modifications to the 2016 Agreement supporting S/2682/13/OL, to release those obligations no longer required as a consequence of the approval of this proposal, and to the new planning obligations specified in this report, with delegated authority to officers to include other relevant planning obligations necessary to make the proposal acceptable in planning terms, and to negotiate, settle and complete such planning obligation in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of JDCC.