Agenda item

To consider this application.

Consideration was given to the above application.

(Councillor Paul Bates, the Ward Councillor, Town Councillor Amanda Martin, representing Congleton Town Council, Peter Minshull, an objector and Mike Stone, representing the applicant attended the meeting and spoke in respect of the application).

RESOLVED

That the application be refused for the following reasons:-

1)         The proposed residential development is unsustainable because it is located within the Open Countryside contrary to Policies PS8 (Open Countryside), GR1 (New Development), GR2 (Design), H6 (Residential Development in the Open Countryside and the Green Belt) of the Congleton Local Plan, Policies PG5 (Open Countryside) and SD1 (Sustainable Development in Cheshire East) of the emerging Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy and the principles of the National Planning Policy Framework, which seek to ensure development is directed to the right location and open countryside is protected from inappropriate development and maintained for future generations enjoyment and use. As such it creates harm to interests of acknowledged importance. Consequently, there are no material circumstances to indicate that permission should be granted contrary to the development plan.

2)         The visibility of an existing access opposite the proposed site access has been affected by the revised access plans and the visibility has been reduced to an unacceptable distance, rendering the access unsafe and unsuitable for the existing residents. The reduced carriageway widths and on-street parking on Waggs Road and Fol Hollow are existing issues. However the inadequate infrastructure that provides access to the site and schools is considered not to be of a satisfactory standard to support further major development proposals whose generated traffic will have a direct impact on both Waggs Road and Fol Hollow. As a result the development would have a severe adverse impact on Waggs Road and Fol Hollow, due to the sub-standard nature of these two highway routes. This severe adverse impact would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the scheme namely housing land supply. The development is therefore contrary to Policies GR1 (New Development), GR2 (Design), GR3, GR7, GR9 (New Development), GR10 and GR18 (Traffic Generation) of the adopted Congleton Borough Local Plan, Policies SD1 (Sustainable Development in Cheshire East), SD2 (Sustainable Development Principles), SC3 (Health and Well-being), C01 (Sustainable Travel and Transport) of the Emerging Cheshire East Local Plan and the requirements of the NPPF

In order to give proper effect to the Board`s intentions and without changing the substance of the decision, authority is delegated to the Head of Planning (Regulation) in consultation with the Chairman (or in his absence the Vice Chairman) of the Strategic Planning Board, to correct any technical slip or omission in the wording of the resolution, between approval of the minutes and issue of the decision notice.

Should the application be subject to an appeal, authority is delegated to Head of Planning (Regulation) to secure the following obligations as part of any S106 Agreement:-

1.         A scheme for the provision of 30% affordable housing – 65% to be provided as social rent/affordable rent with 35% intermediate tenure. The scheme shall include:

- The numbers, type, tenure and location on the site of the affordable housing provision

- The timing of the construction of the affordable housing and its phasing in relation to the occupancy of the market housing

- The arrangements for the transfer of the affordable housing to an affordable housing provider or the management of the affordable housing if no Registered Social Landlord is involved

- The arrangements to ensure that such provision is affordable for both first and subsequent occupiers of the affordable housing; and

- The occupancy criteria to be used for determining the identity of occupiers of the affordable housing and the means by which such occupancy criteria shall be enforced.

2. Provision of Public Open Space and NEAP.

3. Primary and Secondary School and SEN Education Contribution of £513,063