88 affordable homes at Land At Halsnead Farm, Foxs Bank Lane, Cronton

What was proposed

The application proposed demolishing existing buildings and building up to 88 affordable homes, with access, roads, footways, landscaping and associated works.

“DEMOLITION OF EXISTING BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION OF UP TO 88 AFFORDABLE HOMES, CREATION OF ACCESS FROM FOX'S BANK LANE, CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNAL ROADS AND FOOTWAYS, LANDSCAPING WORKS TO TREES AND ASSOCIATED WORKS”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The 3.42-hectare site forms part of the Halsnead Garden Village allocation and includes farm buildings, a farmhouse, a menage, woodland and surrounding development.

“The application site consists of an area of land measuring approximately 3.42 hectares which is allocated as part of the Halsnead Garden Village Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE). The site includes land and buildings associated with Halsnead Farm together with a menage located to the north of the site. A dwelling (Halsnead Farmhouse) lies within the southeast corner and pylons run along the northern edge of the site.”

“The site is bound by the M62 to the north, with the northern land parcel of the Halsnead Garden Village allocation lying beyond the M62. Fox’s Bank Lane lies to the east with agricultural land beyond. Three residential properties lie directly adjacent to the southern boundary of the site which…”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because housing and affordable housing benefits, alongside other benefits, outweighed the policy, heritage and interface harms identified.

“Delivery of 88 affordable homes, significantly exceeding the 25% affordable housing requirement and making a substantial contribution towards identified borough-wide affordable housing needs, including identified needs for one, two and four-bedroom homes. Substantial weight is given to this benefit. This is also identified as a substantial public benefit against the heritage harm identified.”

“Having weighed all matters in the balance, it is considered that the substantial weight attached to housing delivery, particularly the delivery of affordable housing, together with the other benefits identified in favour of the development, outweigh the harms associated with the proposal. Therefore, on that basis, the development is recommended for approval.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Council and external consultees generally raised no objection subject to conditions, while highways, flood risk, heritage, ecology, safety and infrastructure matters received specific responses.

“Environmental Health (Knowsley Council) - No objections subject to the following conditions: contaminated land (risk assessment, submission of remediation scheme, implementation of remediation scheme, reporting of unexpected contamination, materials management plan and importation of soil/material); construction/demolition management plan and hours of work; noise report recommendations to be implemented and a noise mitigation plan detailing specific glazing and ventilation)…”

“National Highways - No objections subject to the following conditions: submission of a plan showing the alignment and elevation of a 1.8m high (minimum) close-boarded fence which requires prior approval from National Highways; the fence, as approved, shall then be erected in accordance with the approved details; and submission of a detailed Construction Management Plan (including a Risk Assessment Method Statement).”

Officer report

Who spoke

The applicant and the applicant’s agent spoke in support during the three-minute period allowed for representations.

The committee’s decision

The committee authorised delegated approval subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement, with delegated refusal if the agreement was not completed within six months.

“The conditions set out in the attached schedule, or such additional or amended conditions that the Head of Planning and Building Control (in consultation with the Chair of Planning Committee) considers appropriate;”

“(ii) In the event of the applicants not entering into a Section 106 agreement within 6 months of Planning Committee’s resolution to secure the obligations, that authority be granted to the Head of Planning and Building Control to refuse planning permission under delegated powers, on such grounds, should it be deemed that insufficient progress has been made in completing the s106 agreement.”

Minutes