Issue - meetings

200951

Meeting: 12/08/2020 - Planning Committee (Item 17)

17 Application No.200951 - Sonning Golf Club, Duffield Road, Woodley, RG4 6GJ pdf icon PDF 341 KB

Recommendation: Conditional approval subject to legal agreement

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal:Application for the approval of reserved matters pursuant to outline planning consent 161529 (APP/X0360/W/17/3167142) for the erection of 13 dwellings with associated highway works, public open space and landscaping. Details of Layout, Appearance, Landscaping and Scale to be determined.

 

Applicant: Mr Chris Rees, Alfred Homes

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report, set out in agenda pages 107 to 164.

 

The Committee were advised that the Members’ Update included:

 

·           Amendment to recommendation A;

·           Updated to condition 2 to include the approved plans.

 

In line with the given deadlines, four public written submissions were received for this item. These submissions were circulated to Members in advance, and noted on the evening. The submissions as provided can be found below.

 

Sonning Parish Council provided the following submission in objection to the application:

 

Sonning is a Limited Development Location with limited access to shopping facilities and opportunities to access facilities within acceptable walking distance. Occupiers would rely heavily on cars. Properties immediately to the left of the site are low, 1 ½ to 2 storey, individually designed dwellings, contributing to the area’s rural character. The plot, together with the Golf Club is in the countryside, where inappropriate development is considered ‘harmful’ and acts as a green buffer between Sonning and Woodley.

 

The outline plans (161529), allowed at appeal, included an illustrative view of the proposed development, showing modest detached 1 ½ storey dwellings, some detached, some semi-detached and a terrace of three.

 

The proposed dwellings are large 2 ½ storey dwellings of some height, that will tower over neighbouring dwellings and aimed at larger families than previously indicated. The 8 ‘5’ bedroom, detached dwellings all have ‘bonus’ rooms on the second floor and must be considered as 6-bedroomed. Therefore, is sufficient parking provided?

 

These changes will have a greater impact on the area than previously suggested at Appeal and represents overdevelopment of the site and are out of keeping with the area due to their height, bulk and size.

 

The Appeal Inspector said of 161529 ‘it is likely that the layout would be of an increased density and less spacious than the majority of surrounding development. The residential development would also diminish the existing value of green open space when viewed from adjacent residential properties’ This assessment was based on the illustrative view provided with the application. The impact will be so much greater if the proposed much larger dwellings are approved. 

 

The Inspector also said: ‘The proposal would be contrary to the countryside protection, environmental quality and landscape protection aims of policies CP1, CP3, CP9 and CP11 of the Core Strategy and policies CC02 and TB21 of the Wokingham Borough Managing Development Delivery Local Plan 2014 (MDD)’.

 

In December 2019, Sonning Parish Council carried out a speed survey along that stretch of Pound Lane with support from WBC Highway Officers, in December 2019. A daily vehicle count of almost 7000 a day southbound towards the proposed entrance/exit, which equates to 14000 vehicles per day. Speeds of 65 mph  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17