Agenda item

To determine the application.

Graham Smith presented the report to members and drew their attention to the update report that had been circulated.

The committee had regard to its inspection of the site (as agreed in accordance with the Site Inspection Policy and Procedure (minute P19/04 refers)) during its deliberations.

Members received a presentation, in accordance with the public participation procedure, from Adam Conchie, on behalf of the applicant. Mr Conchie stated that Bellway Homes are a five-star house builder who prides itself on delivering high quality contemporary development that its customers are proud to live in and understands that every site is unique and design the scheme accordingly, with the site in Wimblington being no different. He expressed the view that the development has been designed to draw on its traditional Fenland vernacular using a simple palette of high-quality materials that includes a variation of facing bricks, roof tiles, weather boarding and render with detailed fenestration and roofscapes.

Mr Conchie expressed the opinion that the design seeks to define the distinct character that responds sensitively to its location and connects the lower and high-density areas along March Road. He feels the exceptional landscaping plays an integral role in defining the appearance of the scheme, the tree-lined streets marking the main routes connecting to the new trees and the fantastic area of public open space to the north of the site, which includes an equipped play space, with the hard and soft landscaping creating a setting for the buildings and featuring a number of trees, shrubs and planting species and the existing arable field margins are retained to ensure the development delivers a biodiversity net gain.

Mr Conchie stated that the scheme has been designed to be sustainable and energy efficient and electric car charging points will be installed to every property. He expressed the view that throughout the determination of the application they have worked collaboratively with planning officers to make amendments to the scheme to improve its design as well as responding to comments from local residents, with changes to the scheme including significantly setting back the homes that front onto March Road that enable additional tree and shrub planting to be incorporated, windows have been inserted into the side elevation of these plots to address the public highway and provide a well-designed scheme that reflects the existing character along March Road.

Mr Conchie referred to the layout of the scheme and number 40 March Road, with the site containing a number of constraints which the scheme has been designed around such as a 6 metre wide surface water sewage easement that runs from the northwest corner of the site to the eastern boundary and a 9 metre wide maintenance access strip running along the eastern boundary, which has enabled them to deliver a generous amount of open space to the north which incorporates the sewage easement providing a green buffer to existing homes on the northern side of Bridge Lane expanding the front to front relationship between properties as well as maintaining a separable step into the existing street. He stated that the open space is visible from Bridge Lane and March Road encouraging existing local residents to use it and in addition to the SUDs basin, which is located in the lowest part of the site in the south-eastern corner, the rest of the site is developed to deliver the 88 new homes, 22 of which are affordable.

Mr Conchie stated that thought has been given to the location of these new homes which have been offset from the southern boundary by a significant distance as well as being staggered from No.40 and the newly constructed Matthew Homes development all of which are side on to this southern boundary. He expressed the opinion that the proposed layout plus additional tree planting to the southern boundary at the request of officers provides some additional green space and protects the residential amenity of existing occupants of No.40 and the other families residing in the Matthew Homes development.

Mr Conchie stated that Bellway Homes are well aware of the previous discussion of the committee at the outline stage in relation to flood risk and drainage matters and wants to ensure that this development does not have or does not suffer from any flooding or drainage issues whatsoever and a detailed drainage strategy report has been prepared to accompany this application and demonstrates that infiltration is not possible due to the clay rich soil, therefore, an appropriately sized attenuation basin has been provided to the southeast corner of the site in addition to the provision of underground storage crates to deal with any worst case storm event, with the controlled release of the stored surface water then being discharged into the existing ditch in the southeast corner. He made the point that the foul and surface water drainage strategy has been reviewed and approved by Cambridgeshire County Council and Anglian Water and in addition Condition 11 to the outline planning permission requires an independent survey of the surface water drainage to be undertaken once it has been constructed to ensure that it has been built in accordance with the approved drainage scheme before it is adopted. 

Mr Conchie expressed the view that enhancements to the bus stop were agreed as part of the outline application and Conditions 18 and 19 to the outline consent require these details to be submitted and approved separately. He stated that Bellway Homes are really excited to provide a beautiful development for families to enjoy and thrive and hopes members would support the officer’s recommendation.

Members asked questions of Mr Conchie as follows:

·       Councillor Cornwell asked if there is dyke along the main road. Mr Conchie responded that there is a ditch along March Road. Councillor Cornwell asked whose responsibility is it? Mr Conchie responded that this falls within public highway land. Councillor Cornwell asked about the southern boundary as there is a dyke along here. Mr Conchie responded that there is drainage ditch along the southern boundary and that is the responsibility of Bellway Homes. Councillor Cornwell asked if each of those properties whose gardens are along this boundary will be made aware of their riparian responsibilities? Mr Conchie responded that it would be covered by the management company and there is a 3-metre easement along that southern boundary to provide access. Councillor Cornwell stated that what the management company does with each householder is up to them as long as somebody takes responsibility for it and the one on the western side he knows is a drainage board ditch and he sees there is the usual access strip so his concern was the southern dyke as there have been previous difficult experiences.

·       Councillor Connor referred to the Parish Council being rightly concerned about the positioning of the bus stop because the driver refuses to stop there as he considers it too dangerous but he does stop further up the road and asked if Bellway Homes would liaise with the Parish Council about finding an alternative location for the bus stop. Mr Conchie responded in the affirmative making the point that within the Section 106 on the outline permission there is a financial contribution of £30,000 and conditions 18 and 19 requires them to agree and discharge details of the north bound bus stop as well as the south bound bus stop so they are happy for it to be located wherever it is wanted.

·       Councillor Connor requested a wheel wash and a sweeper at all times during construction and reconstruction to prevent mud on the road and asked for assurances that this will happen as there are nasty bends in the vicinity and the last thing that is wanted is skidding and vehicles coming off the road. Mr Conchie responded that Bellway Homes is a considerate contractor and it does have a construction environment management plan so it is more than happy to ensure that vehicles are wheel washed and the roads are maintained in a safe manner including the provision of a sweeper.

Members asked questions of officers as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs French stated that she is a member of six drainage boards and she does know there was problems with drainage on another development but there is no mention of drainage boards within the application and assumes that they have not responded. Graham Smith responded that this was correct.

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·       Councillor Purser stated that he has a few concerns about this application, with the first concern being that he feels it is massively overdeveloped with there already being oversubscribed doctors, schools and dentists and one of the big things when he was a lad was that Wimblington bends were very dangerous, it was a race track in this area and with the entrance where it is he is concerned that having 66 more dwellings coming out onto that quite a blind dangerous bend it could be a nasty accident waiting to happen.

·       Councillor Mrs French made the point that this is a Reserved Matters application and members cannot consider issues that have already been considered.

Proposed by Councillor Mrs French, seconded by Councillor Mrs Mayor and agreed that the application be GRANTED as per the officer’s recommendation to include the requests for a wheel wash and sweeper.

(Councillor Mrs Davis declared that she was pre-determined in relation to this application and took no part in the discussion and voting thereon)

(Councillor Sutton declared an interest, by virtue that his nephew works for Bellway Homes, and on advice from the Legal Officer took no part in the discussion and voting thereon)

(All members present declared, under Paragraph 2 of the Code of Conduct on Planning Matters, that they had been lobbied on this application)