Minutes:
55.1 Item A
Application DC/19/00959
Proposal Outline Planning Application (Access to be considered) – Erection of up to 49 no. dwellings and construction of Vehicular Access
Site Location MENDLESHAM – Land North East of, Chapel Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk
Applicant Mr E and Mr B Bauly
55.2 The Case Officer presented the Application to the Committee outlining the proposal before Members, the layout of the site and the officer recommendation of approval with conditions.
55.3 The Case Officer responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the response from the floods team, the location of amenities in the village, the consultee comments from Heritage, that a footpath was proposed, and that all permitted development rights would be removed.
55.4 Members considered the representation from Mike Exley of Mendlesham Parish Council who spoke against the application.
55.5 Members considered the representation from Terry Moore, who spoke as an Objector.
55.6 The Objector responded to Members’ questions on issues including: flooding that had occurred in the past decade, the purpose of the Community Land Trust, and the immediate housing need within the village.
55.7 Members considered the representation from David Barker who spoke as the Applicant.
55.8 The Applicant responded to Members questions on issues including: the details of the Surface Water Drainage System and the wildlife and amenity benefits of the site.
55.9 Members considered the representation from Councillor Andrew Stringer who spoke against the application.
55.10 The Area Planning Manager advised Members that there was a very small amount of weight that could be associated with the Draft Joint Local Plan.
55.11 The Ward Member responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the extent of flooding in the area and the consultation responses for the application.
55.12 A break was taken between 10:40-11:27 for Officers to confirm that the consultee comments were the most up to date. A set of updated consultee comments which had been omitted from the agenda were circulated to Members. Members were given the appropriate time by the Chair to read through the new consultation documents put before Members.
55.13 The Area Planning Manager apologised for the inconvenience caused and that the revised consultee comments before Members did not change the officer recommendation of approval.
55.14 Members debated the application on the issues including: the weight of the neighbourhood plan, the weight of the existing Local Plan and the Draft Joint Local plan, the drainage on the site and associated flood risk, that the proposal did not meet the criteria of the Mendlesham Neighbourhood Plan.
55.15 Councillor John Field proposed that the application be refused for the reasons as detailed below:
- The Application fails in principle to demonstrate sympathetic design as required by the Mendlesham Neighbourhood Plan (Policy MP1) by exceeding 20 houses, failing to provide a design that is sympathetic to the area by creating an urban environment, not demonstrating that dwellings would have minimum environmental impact, that it does not demonstrate green space potential and is contrary to policies CS1 and H7.
- And that the final wording on the decision be delegated to officers to agree.
55.16 Councillor Lavinia Hadingham seconded the motion.
55.17 By a unanimous vote
55.18 RESOLVED
That the application is refused for the following reason:
- The Application fails in principle to demonstrate sympathetic design as required by the Mendlesham Neighbourhood Plan (Policy MP1) by exceeding 20 houses, failing to provide a design that is sympathetic to the area by creating an urban environment, not demonstrating that dwellings would have minimum environmental impact, that it does not demonstrate green space potential and is contrary to policies CS1 and H7.
- And that the final wording on the decision be delegated to officers to agree.
Supporting documents: