Agenda item

Application no. 152192 - 7-9 Wiltshire Road

Recommendation: Conditional Approval, subject to a Legal Agreement.

Minutes:

Proposal: Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a block of 33 sheltered apartments for the elderly; construction of basement parking and surface parking spaces; associated integral refuse bin store, electric pavement car store and cycle store; modification of existing access.

 

Applicant:Renaissance Retirement Ltd and Bancroft Developments

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 35 to 66.

 

The Committee was advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       clarifications on the parking provision, the contribution for affordable housing and visibility at the access; and

·       a recommended deletion of condition 25.

 

It was noted that Members visited the site on 4 December 2015 to assess the impact on the character of the area and adjacent properties.

 

Peter Tanner, Applicant, spoke in favour of the application.

 

The Chairman suggested that condition 23, which specified that one or more occupants of each dwelling must be over 60 years of age, should be amended to 65 which is likely to result in a lower level of car ownership.  The Applicant indicated agreement with this.

 

Members asked about the visibility at the access and safe routes for users of mobility scooters.  Chris Easton, Service Manager, Highways Development Management, confirmed that visibility, although partially restricted by a tree, was adequate and that access to the town and other facilities for users of mobility scooters or wheelchairs was deemed appropriate.

 

In response to queries about the level of the contribution for affordable housing, Clare Lawrence, Head of Development Management and Regulatory Services, clarified that the contribution in this case was around 3% instead of the usual 30%.  She explained that the matter was examined by an independent consultant who confirmed that the development would not be commercially viable if the company was required to pay the full contribution.

 

RESOLVED: That application No. 152192 be approved, subject to the completion of a Legal Agreement and conditions set out on Agenda pages 36 to 42 with condition 25 deleted as set out in the Members’ Update and condition 23 amended to state 65, instead of 60, years of age.

Supporting documents: