Agenda item

HYBRID APPLICATION COMPRISING OF FULL APPLICATION FOR PHASE 1 FOR 30 NO RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, NEW ACCESS FROM BILSHAM ROAD, PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, LANDSCAPING, SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE AND ASSOCIATED WORKS; AND OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION FOR FURTHER PHASES OF UP TO 110 NO DWELLINGS AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE (WITH ALL MATTERS RESERVED). THIS APPLICATION IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND IS IN CIL ZONE 3 AND IS CIL LIABLE AS NEW DWELLINGS.

4 Public Speakers

          Andrew Knight – Objector

          Lisa Jackson – Agent

          Anna Harper – Applicant

          Cllr Worne – Ward Member

          The Planning Area Team Leader presented the report and referred members to the report update that had been provided to them ahead of the meeting. He also advised the members that on page 2 of the update report it contained an updated recommendation that requested for the Committee to delegate to the Group head of Planning in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair that should the s106 not be completed in 5 months from the date of the Planning Committee’s resolution to grant permission, then the application shall be refused for the reasons outlined in the report update. He then drew members attention to pages 11 and 12 of the update report where it detailed a number of Housing Land Supply and NPPF issues that could be used to refuse the application. However, he advised members that as this application was adjacent to the village boundary, should it be refused, the council would not be able to defend the refusal on an appeal. 

          Members then took part in debate where a number of questions and concerns were raised;

Concern raised in relation to the having a fixed boundary so as not to render the village a small town in years to come. The suitability of the roads in/out and surrounding the village were stated to be unsustainable for the level of development. It was also commented that in relation to policy DM1 the policy criteria that should be met required a land assessment comprising of mitigation measures be responded to by the applicant and this had not happened. One member made a statement highlighting his objection to comments raising issues with the 5-year land supply. He stated that the Arun District Council did not have control over the 5-year land supply and in his opinion the issues being seen across the district were at the fault of the local plan and developers not building at the rate they should be.

The Chair asked for clarification on the comment on page 2 of the update report that stated that the applicant had verbally objected to the inclusion of the National Highways (formally Highways England) condition. The Planning Area Team Leader advised that National Highways had a number of tick box checks that were required. Specifically for this application the council was not departing from National Highways advice.

It was expressed by the vice-chair that he had the upmost sympathy to the residents of Yapton, in his opinion the amount of development facing the area was an indictment of the current planning system. In summing up he stated he liked the idea of modular building and the use of timber. 

          The recommendation was then proposed by Councillor Bower and seconded by Councillor Chapman upon re-taking the vote it was split, therefore the Chair used his casting vote to approve the application.

The Committee

                     RESOLVED

That the application be APPROVED CONDITIONALLY as detailed in the report and report update subject to the conditions as detailed.