Eight semi-detached houses at Housing Development Upper Barvas Isle Of Lewis, Barvas

“Description of development 5.3 This application seeks detailed planning permission to erect 8 semi-detached houses with air source heat pumps; as well as associated road, foot paths, car parking, landscaping, drainage and infrastructure provision.”

“The vehicle access to the development will be via a single point from the A857. The proposals include a new section of path to route pedestrians to an existing access route, which currently serves to access agricultural ground and is also the vehicular access to two houses. The new footpath route would allow pedestrian access onto the existing pavement abutting the A857. The road layout allows for refuse and other service vehicles to turn.”

“Description of site and its context 5.8 The application site extends to approximately 1.59ha (just under 4 acres). The site is located within land owned by the developer, a community landowner, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn. The site consists of uneven, rough grass with land drains. The wider area is housing to the west, and associated croftland further west across the A857; and common grazing land to the north, south and east.”

“The landscape of the site and surroundings is classed as Gently Sloping Croftland Landscape Character type. The site sits in a rural settlement area – located at the transition between Lower and Upper Barvas, which are coalesced settlements. The site sits to the rear of three Lower Barvas addressed houses, and in line with a group of established, back-land housing and agricultural development to the south and south-west of the site.”

“There is no planning history relating to the site.”

“The site is part of a wider area which is identified within the Outer Hebrides Housing Land Audit (HLA) 2021.”

“It is considered that the proposed development of 8 semi-detached houses, proposed as affordable homes, and associated infrastructure on a Local Development Plan allocation site within the rural settlement of Barvas accords with the development strategy of the OHLDP and NPF4 Policy 16 – Quality Homes.”

“Water, flooding and waste water management have been considered in the above planning assessment. Subject to conditions securing appropriate surface water management and the connection of the development to the public wastewater infrastructure, it is considered the proposals are compliant with the aims of policies relating to water and flooding.”

“Representations against the proposal have been received from 7 parties. The full terms of the representations can be read at Appendix 4 to this Report. The key issues can be summarised as follows: - The development represents over-provision of housing and overdevelopment of the area. Density of the development. - Alternative sites exist and have not been considered. - Precedent of development, including potential further/future development at this site.”

“These matters are addressed in the Planning Appraisal section of this Report, below.”

“The Planning Officer advised that it had been brought to the attention of the planning service that the applicant had failed to notify the owner of the land at the proposed vehicular access and the proposed footpath of the planning application in accordance with the terms of the procedural requirements.”

“(2) to defer the issue of the planning permission for 21 days to allow the applicant to serve Land Owner notification on the land owner of the proposed vehicular access and footpath site, and the land owner this time to make any comments on the development proposal;”