Agenda item

To determine the application.

David Rowen presented the report to members.

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 Peter Humphrey, the agent. Mr Humphrey stated that he does not believe that he has seen such as strong letter of support from a Parish Council, which he read out and there has been one letter of objection, five of support and as the application is for 6 dwellings they would happily take a planning condition that the dwellings will be either chalet or two-storey. He stated that a traffic survey has been instructed, with the results received this afternoon too late for today’s meeting but in any event the Parish Council want to move the speed limit signs so that the whole of High Road is 30mph.

Mr Humphrey expressed the opinion that key to this is the new footpath and referred committee to Paragraph 160 of the NPPF which states that development on the exception test would provide wider sustainable benefits to the community that outweigh the flood risk, which was used by Fenland District Council in its own planning application in Parson Drove. He expressed the view that the development would be safe for its lifetime taking into account the vulnerability of its users without increasing the flood risk elsewhere and where possible will reduce flood risk overall, with this detail being supplied at a technical stage as this is a Permission in Principle (PIP) application.

Mr Humphrey stated that as highlighted by officers within the report Newton Parish Council feel this will allow an appropriate level of growth to ensure the long-term sustainability of the village. He summarised that it is supported strongly by the parish, the Environment Agency has no objection, the footpath will provide community benefit, 6 dwellings is 11 per hectare and officers say this is an acceptable density, the site is acknowledged as infill and the proposed Local plan has one allocation for 6 within the village of Newton so this shows clearly that this development of 6 will be of a similar standing and requested support for the application.

Members asked questions of Mr Humphrey as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs French acknowledged that this is only a PIP application but asked if this was approved would the applicant be prepared to contribute towards a footpath and the reduction of the speed limit? Mr Humphrey responded that he has suggested to the client that they will have to do both of these in order to achieve planning permission so one plots value will be used up in putting the footpath along High Road and around the corner into Rectory Road. He stated that they have undertaken a speed survey, which will be passed to the Parish Council and see how they want to take this forward if this is approved.

David Rowen referred to the comments regarding the provision of a footway and also accepting conditions relating to safe refuge in the dwellings or the dwellings to be two-storey and reminded members that this is an application for Permission in Principle, with the Government advice being that you cannot grant a PIP subject to any conditions or any legal agreements it is purely looking at location, use and amount so issues on what can be achieved in terms of delivering footway improvements are not material to this application.

Members asked questions of officers as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs French stated that she was not proposing to put on a condition.

·       Councillor Benney asked that although committee cannot put a condition on this PIP application when this is submitted as a Full or Outline application a condition could be put on at this time? David Rowen responded that this would be dealing with a separate application at a later stage with a degree of detail to it but the point is at this moment in time those issues cannot be considered as part of the determination of the PIP application.

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

·       Councillor Mrs French stated that she has been on committee a long time and she has never heard a Parish Council support something so much, normally Parish Councils do not want anything built and if this application is approved it ticks a lot of boxes for the parish.

·       Councillor Benney agreed with the comments of Councillor Mrs French, he had a ride around Newton about a month ago and there are applications just up the road that have been granted, realising that every application is different and judged on its own merits, and there has been development over a long period of time and different types of development so who is to say this is wrong. He feels if he lived in Newton he would be welcoming this application because of the community benefit in completion of the footpath, which he knows cannot be guaranteed but sometimes there has to be faith in people and he feels that the benefits that this scheme would bring to the wider community outweigh the reasons for refusal.

Proposed by Councillor Benney, seconded by Councillor Imafidon and agreed that the application be GRANTED against officer’s recommendation.

Members do not support officer’s recommendation of refusal as planning permission as they feel this is good use of land, the site does not lie outside the settlement of Newton-in-the-Isle and is within it, the proposal would not have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area and would enhance it and the community benefits of the proposal outweigh the reasons for refusal.

(All members declared that as this applicant is a relative of Councillor Sam Clark that they know Councillor Clark but would approach the application with an open mind)