Agenda item

Erection of 3 no. dwellings including associated parking, access and amenity space.

Erection of 3 no. dwellings including associated parking, access and amenity space.

 

This application had been deferred at the last meeting as there were concerns about whether a fire and rescue service vehicle would be able to access the development.

 

The Committee noted:

• The supplementary report of the Head of Planning tabled at the meeting.
• Warfield Parish Council had recommended refusal for the following reasons:

1. The site of the proposed development is not identified as a site for future housing development in Bracknell Forest Council's Site Allocation Local Plan (July 2013) and is not within the settlement boundary identified therein.

2. The proposed access road and car parking is close to the boundaries of adjacent dwellings and so the proposal would be detrimental to the living conditions of occupiers of the neighbouring properties because of noise and disturbance caused by increased traffic and the multiple manoeuvres required to access car parking spaces.

3. The proposal will generate additional traffic movements into and out of Forest Road where vehicle speeds are known to be high and this would adversely affect road safety and impede the free flow of traffic.

• A total 14 objections from 10 households had been received, summarised as follows:

- The land is outside the settlement boundary and therefore inappropriate development.

- The development would have a detrimental impact upon the rural character of the area.

- The land has never been built on.

- The design of the dwellings is not in keeping with the character of the area.

- The density is out of keeping with the character of the area.

- By removing part of the dwelling at no. 4 this would result in noise, hygiene concerns from bins and overlooking to neighbouring properties.

- The proposed dwelling would result in a reduction in natural light to neighbouring properties.

- There is a high level of housing planned in north of the borough so this site is not necessary.

- The backland development is out of keeping and would threaten the peaceful rear gardens of neighbouring properties.

- The amenity land left for 4 Hayley Green Cottages is not acceptable.

- Concern over noise and disturbance of construction vehicles.

- There will be a significant increase in noise and light pollution created by the additional dwellings.

- Approving this would set a precedent for back land development.

- The storage of caravans generates very little traffic.

- The access to the site is inappropriate and impractical and has poor visibility.

- There have been a number of crashes along Forest Road; cars regularly exceed the 30mph speed limit.

- There is not enough parking proposed.

- There is no space for visitors to park.

- There is no street lighting on Forest Road.

- Residents of Hayley Green Cottages park their cars on the land that will be used for access.

- The proposal for internal circulation and vehicular movements would therefore create a safety hazard.

- The additional vehicles entering onto Forest Road would increase the risk of accidents on the highway.

- There would be a significant increase in traffic.

- The introduction of double white lines in the middle of the road would be unsightly.

- Neighbouring property has a Right of Easement across the land.

- The proposal would reduce the security to the rear of the neighbouring properties.

- Refuse bins would clog up the frontage and create a visibility issue.

- Concerns over impact upon trees.

- Concerns over the impact upon footings of 1-4 Hayley Green Cottages which were built 1830 - 1850.

- Concerns over the capacity of the drainage system.

- Concerns over the impact upon biodiversity and that Ecology Report is out of date

- Goose Corner floods as there is a stream at the front. This development would make it worse.

- amendments do nothing to alleviate safety dangers to and from the site

- The residents of Hayley Green Cottages and the New House have been parking on the piece of land between 4 Hayley Green Cottages and the New House for a number of years. The proposed development plan shows the track being widened to encompass more of this land. This will encourage on street parking and lead to vehicles waiting in the highway to pass parked cars or to access the site.

The impact of this will:

- Reduce the visibility splays either side of the exit on to the Forest Road

- Create additional traffic problems on the Forest Road with the width of the Forest Road being reduced to a single lane due to parked cars

- Adversely impact pedestrians and cyclists using the Forest Road as cars often park partially on the pavement that runs alongside the Forest Road.

- The driveway from the proposed development to the Forest Road does not include a pedestrian walkway which means anyone walking on foot from the new development to the Forest Road will be walking on the gravel driveway, which will put these individuals in danger from traffic travelling to an from the development.

- The residents from Hayley Green Cottages 1 -3 have a right of easement across the back of No 4 and long the track at the side. There will be a safety issue with the increased traffic flow to and from the development, which will put the residents of Hayley Green Cottages at risk for their safety when using the pedestrian access.

- The current development does not comply with the 12 core planning principles outlined In NPPF para. 17.

- There is no evidence that the design of the development will be of a high quality and a good standard as evidenced by the development work completed at No 4.

- urbanising impact on semi-rural area.

- The increase in cars that will be travelling the properties of Hayley Green and Goose Corner will impact increase carbon emissions in close proximity of the existing residents’ gardens.

- The applicant has failed to acknowledge 3 Hayley Green Cottages' vehicular access in its latest application. 

- Under the Fire Access safety, Building Regulations requires access for a fire engine with a minimum road and gateway widths and turn space.  The minimum width for access road is 3.7 metres.

- Road surface noise: The access road will be made of gravel which will be noisy and I note that this will adversely affect the amenities of the nearby occupiers using outdoor space which will be located very close to the access track.  The increase in traffic in the access road will create fumes to nearby houses.

• Two further letters had been received from persons who had previously objected containing comments as set out in the supplementary report.

 

The criteria for public speaking had been met in respect of this application and the Committee was addressed by the registered speaker Lindsay Prendergast who represented the objections of local residents to the proposed development and Stephen Brown representing the agent on behalf of the applicant.

 

The Committee considered the application in the light of economic, social and environmental factors set out in the NPPF and had regard to the presumption in favour of sustainable development.  It concluded that the harm that would arise from the proposal did not significantly outweigh the benefits.  A solution to overcome whether a fire engine could navigate the internal access road could be provided by the installation of a dry riser at the entrance to the site and an outlet to the front of the proposed dwellings.

 

Affected residents at The Old Nursery, immediately opposite the planned development access road, who had not previously been consulted, were consulted on the day of the meeting, 15 October 2015, and had been given 21 days to respond.

 

RESOLVED that authority be delegated to the Head of Planning to APPROVE the application, subject to no new material consideration being raised in the further consultation, and subject to the following conditions:-

 

1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

           

2. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the following approved plans

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-03 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-04 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-05 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-06 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-07 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-08 received by LPA 01.08.2014

            Drg No 13/SP-HGC-09 received by LPA 01.08.2014

           Drg No 13/SP-HGC-10 Rev B received by LPA 06.07.2015

           

3. No development shall take place until details of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the development hereby permitted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

           

4.  The development hereby permitted shall not be begun until:

            1)  a scheme depicting hard and soft landscaping  and

            2)  a three year post planting maintenance scheme

            have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved post-planting maintenance schedule shall be implemented and complied with.

                                                                                   

            All planting comprised in the soft landscaping works shall be carried out and completed in full accordance with the approved scheme, in the nearest planting season (1st October to 31st March inclusive) to the completion of the development or prior to the occupation of any part of the approved development, whichever is sooner.  All hard landscaping works shall be carried out and completed prior to the occupation of any part of the approved development. As a minimum, the quality of all hard and soft landscape works shall be carried out in accordance with British Standard 4428:1989 'Code Of practice For General Landscape Operations' or any subsequent revision. All trees and other plants included within the approved details shall be healthy, well formed specimens of a minimum quality that is compatible with British Standard 3936:1992 (Part 1) 'Specifications For Trees & Shrubs' and British Standard 4043 (where applicable) or any subsequent revision.  Any trees or other plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development, die, are removed, uprooted, are significantly damaged, become diseased or deformed, shall be replaced during the nearest planting season (1st October to 31st March inclusive) with others of the same size, species and quality as approved.

           

5. The areas shown for soft landscaping purposes on the approved plans shall thereafter be retained as such and shall not be used for any other purpose.

 

6. The development shall not be begun until a Sustainability Statement covering water efficiency aimed at achieving an average water use in new dwellings of 110 litres/person/day, has been submitted to, and agreed in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the Sustainability Statement, as approved, and retained as such thereafter.

 

7. The development shall not be begun until an Energy Demand Assessment has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  This shall demonstrate that a proportion of the development's energy requirements will be provided from on-site renewable energy production (which proportion shall be at least 10%).  The buildings thereafter constructed by the carrying out of the development shall be in accordance with the approved assessment and retained in accordance therewith.

           

8. No development shall take place until the vehicular access has been constructed in accordance with the approved drawings.   

 

9. No dwelling shall be occupied until the associated vehicle parking and turning space  has been surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved drawings. The spaces shall not thereafter be used for any purpose other than parking and turning.

           

10. The garage accommodation shall be retained for the use of the parking of vehicles at all times.

           

11. No development shall take place until a scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, to accommodate:

            (a) Parking of vehicles of site personnel, operatives and visitors     

            (b) Loading and unloading of plant and vehicles

            (c) Storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development

            (d) Wheel cleaning facilities

            (e) Temporary portacabins and welfare for site operatives

            and each facility shall be retained throughout the course of construction of the development, free from any impediment to its designated use.  No other areas on the site, other than those in the approved scheme shall be used for the purposes listed (a) to (e) above.

           

12. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, no additional windows, similar openings or enlargement thereof shall be constructed in the east or west elevation of the dwellings hereby permitted except for any which may be shown on the approved drawing(s).

           

13. The first floor en-suite windows of the dwellings shall not be glazed at any time other than with a minimum of Pilkington Level 3 obscure glass (or equivalent) to a height of 1.7m from floor level.  The windows shall at all times be fixed to a height of 1.7m from floor level.

                                   

14. No development shall take place until details showing the slab level of the buildings in relation to a fixed datum point have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall be constructed in accordance with the approved drawing.

           

15. No development shall commence until details of a scheme of walls, fences and any other means of enclosure has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved scheme shall be implemented in full before the occupation of the dwellings approved in this permission.

           

16. No demolition or construction work shall take place outside the hours of 08:00 hours and 18:00 hours Monday to Friday; 08:00 hours and 13:00 hours Saturday and not at all on Sundays and Public Holidays.

           

17. No development (including initial site-clearance) shall commence until a detailed scheme for the protection of existing trees, hedgerows, groups of mature shrubs and structural planting areas to be retained, in accordance with British Standard 5837 (2012) 'Trees In Relation To Construction Recommendations' (or any subsequent revision), has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Protection measures shall be phased as necessary to take into account and provide protection during demolition/site clearance works - all construction works - hard landscaping works.  Details shall include an approved development layout plan at a minimum scale of 1:200, showing  the following:              

            a) Accurate trunk positions and canopy spreads of all existing trees within the site and on adjoining land adjacent to the development within influencing distance of the development.

            b) Positions and spreads of existing hedgerows and groups of mature shrubs.

            c) All proposed tree, hedge or shrub removal. Shown clearly with a broken line. 

            d) Proposed location/s of 2m high (minimum) protective barrier/s, supported by a metal scaffold framework, constructed as a minimum in accordance with Section 6 (Figure 2), to include appropriate weatherproof tree protection area signage (such as "Keep Out - Construction Exclusion Zone") securely fixed to the outside of the protective fencing structure at regular intervals.

            e) Illustration/s of the proposed protective barriers to be erected.

            f) Proposed location/s and illustration/s ground protection measures within the main root protection areas of retained trees, designed as necessary for pedestrian light traffic or heavy plant machinery, as necessary to prevent contamination and ground compaction.

            g) Annotated minimum distances between protective barriers and trunks of retained trees at regular intervals.

            h) All fenced off areas clearly annotated as Tree Protection Areas/Construction Exclusion Zones.

            i) Notes regarding restrictions which apply to Tree Protection Areas/Construction Exclusion Zones.

The development shall be carried out in full accordance with the approved scheme.

           

      18. The protective fencing and other protection measures specified by condition 17 shall be erected in the locations agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of any development works, including any initial clearance, and shall be maintained fully intact and (in the case of the fencing) upright, in its approved locations at all times, until the completion of all building operations on the site (unless agreed otherwise in writing by the Local Planning Authority). Where phased protection measures have been approved, no works shall commence on the next phase of the development until the protective fencing barriers and other protective measures have been repositioned for that phase in full accordance with the approved details. No activity of any description must occur at any time within these areas including but not restricted to the following: -

            a) No mixing of cement or any other materials.

            b) Storage or disposal of any soil, building materials, rubble, machinery, fuel, chemicals, liquids waste residues or materials/debris of any other description.

            c) Siting of any temporary structures of any description including site office/sales buildings, temporary car parking facilities, porta-loos, storage compounds or hard standing areas of any other description.

            d) Soil/turf stripping, raising/lowering of existing levels, excavation or alterations to the existing surfaces/ ground conditions of any other description.

            e) Installation/siting of any underground services, temporary or otherwise including; drainage, water, gas, electricity, telephone, television, external lighting or any associated ducting.

            f) Parking/use of tracked or wheeled machinery or vehicles of any description.

                                   

            In addition to the protection measures specified above, 

            a) No fires shall be lit within 20 metres of the trunks of any trees or the centre line of any hedgerow shown to be retained.

            b) No signs, cables, fixtures or fittings of any other description shall be attached to any part of any retained tree.

           

19. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, no external lighting shall be installed on the site or affixed to any buildings on the site.

           

20. Prior to the commencement of development a scheme for the provision of biodiversity enhancements including a plan or drawing showing the location of these enhancements, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved scheme shall be performed, observed and complied with.

           

21. No site clearance shall take place during the main bird-nesting period of 1st March to 31st August inclusive.

           

22. No development shall take place until any trees to be felled have been surveyed for the presence of bats, and

            (ii) the survey has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority, and

            (iii) either the Local Planning Authority have agreed that no relocation of bats is necessary or the relocation of bats has been achieved in accordance with proposals previously submitted in writing to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.

           

23. No development shall take place until the visibility splays shown on the approved drawings have been provided.  These areas shall thereafter be kept free of all obstructions to visibility over a height of 0.6 metres measured from the surface of the adjacent carriageway.

           

24. The dwellings shall not be occupied until visibility splays of 2.0 metres by 2.0 metres have been provided at the junction of the access road and the adjacent carriageway with Forest Road; and at the junction of the driveways and the shared access surface to the front of the dwellings.  The dimensions shall be measured along the edge of the access road and the edge of the carriageway from their point of intersection; and the edge of the drive and back of the shared access surface. The visibility splays shall thereafter be kept free of all obstructions to visibility over a height of 0.6 metres measured from the surface of the carriageway.

           

25. No development shall take place until a scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority for covered and secure cycle parking facilities.   The dwellings shall not be occupied until the approved scheme has been implemented.  The facilities shall thereafter be retained.

           

26. No gates shall be provided at the vehicular access to the site. 

           

27. The existing hedge located along the eastern boundary of the site with 1 Goose Corner shall be cut back to the boundary and retained as such thereafter to ensure that it does not overhang the access road serving the development and provides the necessary visibility for pedestrians and vehicles.

           

28.No dwelling shall be occupied until a scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority for the installation of a dry riser including details of maintenance. The approved scheme shall be implemented in full before any of the dwellings hereby approved are occupied and shall thereafter be retained.

 

29.The development shall incorporate surface water drainage that is SuDS compliant and in accordance with DEFRA "Sustainable Drainage Systems - Non-statutory technical standards for sustainable drainage systems" (March 2015).  It shall be operated and maintained as such thereafter.