Agenda item

            P/58/19/PL – Erection of 9 No. dwellings with associated access, parking, cycle & refuse storage & landscape design.  This application is a Departure from the Development Plan and may affect the setting of a listed building, Rear of Inglenook Hotel, 253-255 Pagham Road, Pagham 

The Planning Team Leader presented this report, together with an officer report update which detailed additional objections received and replacement transport maps which had resulted in an amendment to Condition 2.  The Committee was advised that none of the statutory consultees had raised an objection to the proposal; County Highways were happy with the access arrangements; and, although the site was outside the Build Up Area Boundary and conflicted with policy, other material considerations made it acceptable, namely that the location was surrounded by development, the Council at present did not have a 5 year housing land supply and, under National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) guidelines, presumption should be made in favour of sustainable development.

In the course of discussion on the item, serious concerns were raised in respect of the access road to the development, which Members considered to be too narrow to provide safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians, particularly for those using wheelchairs and/or pushchairs.

The Group Head of Planning acknowledged that the access was far from ideal and that highway impact and highway safety was a valid planning consideration.  However, he advised that, as this was an existing access, an assessment had to be made on what was currently in use against what was being proposed.  County Highways had made that assessment and had determined that the difference between the two was not sufficient to cause a severe impact on highway safety.  Improvements to visibility were being made as part of the application and County Highways had demonstrated that there would not be such a severe impact on highway safety and highway users as to warrant a refusal.   In the event of any appeal, that was what would be taken account of by the Inspector.

Members still expressed concern and comment was made that the existing use as a car park for the hotel was substantially different from a permanent development with increased traffic movements and pedestrian use by families, children and disabled users.  Although the Committee had considered and approved single track access roads in the past, it was felt that this one had too many bends and so there were blind spots – the point was made that if the development was to go ahead, improvements were required to the pinch points and signage should be installed. 

The general view of Members was that there were overriding safety issues and, following advice from the Group Head of Planning, it was duly proposed and seconded that the application should be deferred to enable an independent assessment of the proposal to be carried out on the highways impacts for all users, to include safety issues for all users.

The Committee then

RESOLVED

That the application be deferred to enable an independent assessment of the proposal to be carried out on the highways impacts for all users, to include safety issues for all users.