Issue - meetings

Recommendation: Conditional approval subject to legal agreement

Proposal: Hybrid Planning application (part outline/part full) comprising outline application with all matters reserved for up to 171 no. dwellings, public open space and associated infrastructure and full application for Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).

Applicant: Charles Church Development Ltd.

The Committee considered a report about this application, set out in agenda pages 13 to 142 and within pages 3 to 110 of the supplementary agenda.

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

·         Comment that an additional representation had been received from a correspondent who had also commented on the original and first re-consultation, and the issues raised had been covered within the officer report;

·         Correction to paragraph 9;

·         Additional cross reference to condition 3;

·         Explanation with regards to condition 20;

·         Additional condition 60 and additional associated informative 35.

Fitzroy Morrissey, resident, spoke in objection to the application. Fitzroy stated that the area immediately to the south of the development including his own property in Chapel Green was subject to regular flooding, with the driveway and garage being continually flooded between January and March of last year resulting in the fire brigade being called, whilst the tributary of the Emm Brook regularly flooded and the ditch to the side of Luckley Road was constantly waterlogged. Fitzroy added that the road and underneath the railway bridge regularly flooded during the winter months as did a number of properties on Luckley Road and Luckley Wood, which had become significantly worse in recent years as a result of rising water tables and climate change. Fitzroy was particularly concerned that the plans for the development did not take the risk of increased flooding to this area in to account, with the latest version of the flood risk assessment showing that there would be no increased flood risk to neighbouring properties as a result of this development, however this conclusion was based on an assessment of the likely flooding of the Emm Brook itself and did not take into account the risks associated with the flooding of the tributary. Fitzroy commented that according to the flood risk assessment, no flood risk measurement nodes had been allocated to this stream. Fitzroy stated that the current situation was already dangerous and unsustainable and would be made worse as a result of climate change, and there was concern that the area will be constantly under the threat of inundation if subject to further development unless much more severe flood mitigation measures were put in place. Fitzroy added that there were concerns that users of the SANG and the allotments may try to gain access via the emergency access route via Luckley Road, which was not suitable for vehicular parking. Fitzroy stated that there was already considerable damage to the road and verge of Luckley Road as a result of parking, which would only get worse should the application be approved. Fitzroy asked that additional measures be put in place to prevent users of the SANG and allotments from using Luckley Road  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83