Agenda item

RECOMMENDATION: Conditional Approval subject to a legal agreement.

CASE OFFICER: Stefan Fludger

Proposal: Full application for the proposed erection of a building to form a residential care home (Use Class C2) with access, parking, landscaping and associated works, following demolition of all existing buildings on the site.

Applicant: R Ruscoe, Propco (Woodley Green) Ltd

The Committee considered a report on this application, set out in agenda pages 17 to 61.

The Committee were advised that updates contained within the Supplementary Planning Agenda included:

·         Developer contributions- The NHS had provided additional information related to their request for funding (secured by planning obligation), to provide upgrades to local serves. This information did not demonstrate that the use of an obligation to secure the funding met the tests in the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations and therefore this was not justified.

·         Housing Land Supply contribution.

Keith Baker, Woodley Town Council, spoke in favour of the application. He thanked the applicant for the changes made in response to previous refusals. He added that the developer had been constantly engaging with the community and had sat down with local residents and Members. He urged members of the Committee to approve the application.

David Lobb, applicant, spoke in support of the application. He explained that the business was family run and was the best small care home developer in the UK. He mentioned that they had constantly been working with officers and the local community with meetings and newsletters. He also said they were running an outreach programme with local schools and had an open-door policy with the local community. He commented on employment, telling Members that the care home would lead to 74 full time job equivalents and that they would recruit locally.

Alison Swaddle, ward member, spoke in support of the application. She was pleased the application had been recommended for approval. She mentioned that local residents were happy with the use of the site as there had been issues with illegal encampment. She added that there had been great community engagement from the developer and that there was 100% support from the ward.

All members of the committee had attended a site visit except Councillors Cornish, Munro and Soane.

Councillor Mickleburgh commented on the developer and their community engagement being a positive. He added that he was interested in the idea of ongoing engagement. He believed there were many merits to the application and that he would be minded to approve the application.

Councillor Skuse asked whether there had been poor communication between Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) and the NHS as they hadn’t provided evidence regarding the Community Infrastructure Levy. Brian Conlon, Operational Lead, Development Management explained that there was ongoing communication between the NHS and WBC on multiple applications and that there had not been sufficient evidence on this specific application.

Councillor Smith questioned the calculation that added 38 homes to the Housing Land Supply when the care home had 68 beds. Stefan Fludger, case officer, explained that the calculation was the net increase in the number of bedrooms which was 68 divided by the average number of adults in households in England which was 1.8, this led to 38.

It was proposed by Councillor Cornish and seconded by Councillor Shepherd-Dubey that the application be approved.

RESOLVED: That application 233168 be approved subject to:

·         Completion of S106 legal agreement to secure the Employment Skills Plan – To secure a construction phase Employment Skills and Training Plan or equivalent financial contribution in accordance with Policy TB12 of the MDD and based on the value of the Construction Industry Training Board Benchmark and the conditions and informatives set out on pages 40 to 49 of the report.

OR

·         REFUSE full planning permission if the legal agreement is not completed within three months of the date of this resolution (unless officers on behalf of the Assistant Director – Place and Growth agree to a later date for completion of the legal agreement)