To consider any Part I Business accepted by the Chair as urgent.
Decision:
Planning application 21/00256/FPM - Land to the West of Stevenage
The Chair announced that he had accepted as an urgent item of business an information update that had been circulated to Members of the Committee in respect of the Land to the West of Stevenage planning application, which had been approved by the Committee in December 2021, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.
For the benefit of newer Members and as a reminder to longer-standing Members of the Committee, the Development Manager reprised the presentation he had given to the December 2021 meeting. He advised that the development would comprise 1,500 new homes in two phases (390 units in Phase 1 (Detailed) and 1,110 units in Phases 2 – 4 (Outline)), as well as a Neighbourhood Centre, Primary School, Cricket pavilion/pitch, employment units and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), together with a variety of green and open spaces throughout the site. He described the access and egress arrangements for the site and explained that a new bus route through the development would be funded by the developer.
The Development Manager advised that, since 2021, there had been significant changes in the National Planning Policy Framework and the Housing Delivery Test. Application 21/00256/FPM, together with the associated Section 106 Agreement, had been tested against these changes, and legal advice had been sought.
The Development Manager reported that it had been concluded that the application was still acceptable when measured against current policies and therefore did not need to be re-determined by the Committee. In view of the scale of the application, the Chair and Vice-Chair had agreed that the matter be placed before the Committee for information.
Following a period of questions and answers, it was RESOLVED that the update on application 21/00256/FPM be noted, and that the approach outlined by the Development Manager be supported.
Minutes:
Planning application 21/00256/FPM - Land to the West of Stevenage
The Chair announced that he had accepted as an urgent item of business an information update that had been circulated to Members of the Committee in respect of the Land to the West of Stevenage planning application, which had been approved by the Committee in December 2021, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.
For the benefit of newer Members and as a reminder to longer-standing Members of the Committee, the Development Manager reprised the presentation he had given to the December 2021 meeting. He advised that the development would comprise 1,500 new homes in two phases (390 units in Phase 1 (Detailed) and 1,110 units in Phases 2 – 4 (Outline)), as well as a Neighbourhood Centre, Primary School, Cricket pavilion/pitch, employment units and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), together with a variety of green and open spaces throughout the site. He described the access and egress arrangements for the site and explained that a new bus route through the development would be funded by the developer.
The Development Manager advised that, since 2021, there had been significant changes in the National Planning Policy Framework and the Housing Delivery Test. Application 21/00256/FPM, together with the associated Section 106 Agreement, had been tested against these changes, and legal advice had been sought.
The Development Manager reported that it had been concluded that the application was still acceptable when measured against current policies and therefore did not need to be re-determined by the Committee. In view of the scale of the application, the Chair and Vice-Chair had agreed that the matter be placed before the Committee for information.
A Member asked a question relating to the location of the development in relation to the Franklin Park development. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) advised that there was protected space for a potential road that would separate the two developments in addition to a green space.
Some Members asked questions regarding the proposed landscaping and acoustic barrier. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) responded that the current proposal was for a landscaped mound, as shown in the presentation. The Development Manager added that there was a proposed fence running along the top of the mound which would act as an acoustic barrier for the upper levels of dwellings and flat blocks that otherwise would be subject to noise from the A1(M). The fence was unlikely to be visible from the properties once the vegetation had grown out due to heavy landscaping of the mound.
A Member asked a question relating to the status of the application. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) advised that permission had not yet been issued as the Section 106 agreement had not yet been signed. The resolution of the Committee in December 2021 was to grant permission subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement. Once the permission was issued following the signing of the Section 106 agreement, the condition requiring the development to be commenced within three years would take effect.
A Member asked a question regarding affordable housing. The Development Manager advised that the developed site as a whole, would deliver a policy compliant provision of 30%. Further details were not available as this would be delivered across different phases, each of which would come through to the Committee for decision. It would be at that time that a decision would be made as the whether the level of affordable housing was compliant with Council policy.
A Member asked a question in relation to Dye’s Lane Gypsy & Traveller site and the Council’s consideration of a further Gypsy & Traveller site. The Development Manager responded that the Dyes Lane site was managed by the County Council and that there was a provision in the Local Plan for a Gypsy & Traveller site further north in the Borough that was unaffected by this development.
A Member asked a question relating to biodiversity net gain. The Development Manager responded that the development was unable to achieve the required 10% biodiversity net gain. This was, in part, because the development encompassed a former landfill site which had a mosaic habitat. The Development Manager recalled that the site included approximately 141 habitat units. The Section 106 agreement would secure a contribution of approximately £2M towards biodiversity net gain. The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) advised that the Section 106 contribution would be received in stages and would be directed to biodiversity net gain across the Borough, including supporting the delivery of the Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
A Member asked a question relating to the potential of further developments in the area and subsequent access points. The Development Manager advised that the Council’s Local Plan safeguarded an area of land to allow access to a North Herts Council development were it to come forward. Any future developments would be subject to a detailed transport assessment to demonstrate that the development did not cause harm to the highway network and to provide suitable mitigation.
A Member asked a question relating to an existing underpass. The Development Manager responded that Herts County Council would provide enhanced lighting to this underpass under their Section 38 powers. The underpass would still be maintained by Highways England.
It was RESOLVED that the update on application 21/00256/FPM be noted, and that the approach outlined by the Development Manager be supported.