24 residential apartments at Ice Flower Court Site At Mount Pleasant Farm And Stag House Farm Newton Lane Darlington

What was proposed

The application sought reserved matters approval for a two- and three-storey apartment building containing 24 homes, with landscaping and infrastructure.

“DESCRIPTION: Application for reserved matters approval relating to access, layout, scale, appearance & landscaping attached to outline planning permission 15/00450/OUT dated 31/10/2018 (Outline application for residential development comprising approximately 1200 dwellings, residential and link roads, public open space, landscaping and drainage works together with education and playing fields) for the erection of 24 no.”

“This revised reserved matters application has been submitted in order to remove eleven dwellings that were approved under 21/01111/RM1 and to replace them with a two and three storey apartment building comprising 24 units set out below:”

Officer report

The site

The site forms part of phases MP8 south and MP9 within the northern West Park development, with parking and landscaped grounds proposed.

“The application site is located within the northern part of the West Park development and forms part of phases known as MP8(south) and MP9 which are being built by the applicant, Bussey and Armstong Projects Ltd.”

“The apartment building would be located within the residential development that forms the remaining part of phases MP8 (south) and MP9. West Auckland Road (A68) forms the northern boundary of the site and dwellings which have been built on Phase MP6”

Officer report

Earlier permissions

Outline permission was granted for up to 1,200 dwellings, while an earlier reserved matters permission approved 72 dwellings and 14 properties were built or under construction.

“Reserved matters approval has previously been granted (ref no: 21/01111/RM1) to construct 72 dwellings on MP9 and the southern part of MP8 and fourteen of the properties have been built or are under construction (Plots 1 to 14).”

Officer report

Officers’ recommendation

Officers recommended granting reserved matters permission subject to conditions.

“This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 41. This application has been submitted under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to make some changes to the previously approved Reserved Matters for Phases MP8 and MP9. The general traffic generation and highway safety impacts, visual impacts on the surrounding area and the offsite highway works were agreed at the outline planning application stage.”

Officer report

Why officers supported it

Officers considered that the revised layout retained good connectivity, highway and pedestrian safety, suitable design, biodiversity enhancements and integration with surrounding development.

“The amendments to the proposed layout still ensure good connectivity throughout and to the existing and proposed infrastructure and the development remains acceptable in terms of highway safety and pedestrian and cycling safety, especially along the existing Bridleway.”

Officer report

Consultation and technical views

The committee considered views from environmental health, highways, ecology, Northumbrian Water and Durham County Council’s archaeology team.

“(In making its decision, the Committee took into consideration the Planning Officer’s report (previously circulated), the views of the Council’s Environmental Health Officer, Highways Engineer and Ecology Officer, Northumbrian Water, Durham County Council’s Archaeology Team, the Applicant and an Object, whom the committee heard.)”

Minutes

Who spoke

The committee heard from the applicant and an objector.

The committee’s decision

The committee approved the application subject to planning conditions, including approved drawings and later approval of external materials.

“RESOLVED – That approval be granted subject to the following planning conditions:”

“The building hereby approved shall not be constructed above damp-proof course until precise details of all external materials to be used in the construction of the building have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall not be carried out otherwise than in complete accordance with the approved details.”

Minutes