Agenda item

Application no - 162829 - Plot to North of Church Lane, Three Mile Cross

Recommendation:  Approval

Minutes:

Proposal:  Application for Reserved matters application for 175 dwellings including internal access roads, garages, parking places, open spaces, allotments, Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and Locally Equipped Area of Play.

 

Applicant:  Taylor Wimpey Homes

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 55 to 90.

 

The Committee were advised that the Members’ Update included:

 

·         Clarification to the report regarding car parking and the methodology of determining the amount of spaces required;

·         Proposed amendment to conditions 2 to include approved plans;

·         Proposed amendments to conditions 3, 6, 9 and 13;

·         Proposed deletion of conditions 5 and 10 due to duplication;

·         Proposed additional condition to whit that plans of allotment plots and locations of water supplied would be submitted for approval;

·         Proposed re-designation of condition 15 as an informative,

·         Additional comments from residents in objection to the application.

 

Philippe Nozay and Neville Swift, Residents, led the Members through a presentation, suggesting that an increase in housing was not an imperative, going on to state that the application presented issues in terms of building height, traffic and flooding, and questioning the location of the affordable housing stock.

 

Andy Barron, Taylor Wimpey, spoke in favour of the application, commending the officers on their hard work.  He explained that the images shown by the first speakers were of standing water, not flooding, and that, as there was no existing infrastructure in the area, the steps taken to mitigate drainage and flood prevention that were part of the application would, in fact, improve the existing situation.

 

In response, the Service Manager, Highways Development Management, stated that traffic and access had been part of the outline application, and as such did not form part of the application in front of the Committee. He also informed the committee that a number of junctions and road improvements had already been put in place.  He confirmed that the flood risk strategies that had been secured for the site, including the attenuation ponds and other Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) features, would improve the current issues that the site had with regards to any potential surface water flooding on the site.

 

The Case Officer explained that the type of affordable housing proposed was   mixed in accordance with policy. The siting of this housing proposal could not be dictated and the Housing Provider would seek for it to be clustered for management purposes.  He indicated that there were only two 3-storey buildings, and that their placement and appearance, in terms of their overall design were in accordance with parameters. 

 

In response to Member questions regarding parking and traffic flow, the Service Manager, Highways Development Management explained how the proposed number of parking spaces had been calculated and complied with the Council’s Parking Standards Study Report, and also advised that the garages were of a larger size (3m X 7m) which would also encourage use for cars and cycle storage.  He indicated that large refuse vehicles had been tracked as part of the supporting information for the scheme and that the main spine road was wide enough and accorded with the Council’s standards. 

 

In response to Member questions regarding flooding and surface run-off, the Service Manager explained that the design and provision for flood prevention had to take into account a 1 in 100 year event plus 30% increase due to climate change in line with the Environment Agencies requirements.  He stated that the drainage system had been reviewed and is designed to ensure that the existing greenfield runoff rates from the site were not exceeded. 

 

The SDL Service Manager went on to explain that the proposed scheme took the water table into account as part of the drainage strategy.  He stated that where necessary the ponds would be dry-lined so that there would be no ingress from the water table.  In regards to pond safety, he indicated that the ponds would have graded sides to enhance safety with appropriate landscaping along the edges. He sought clarity that the ponds would be dry / wet ponds.  The ponds would be maintained by Wokingham Borough Council.

 

Resolved:  That application no 162829 be approved subject to the conditions set out in Agenda pages 55 to 90 and the amended, deleted and additional conditions as laid out in the Members’ Update.

 

Supporting documents: