180 homes at Deerlands Road, Wingerworth

What was proposed

The application proposed 180 dwellings with access, landscaping and associated infrastructure on land north of Spindle Drive and east of Deerlands Road.

“Proposal Description: Full application for the erection of 180 dwellings including formation of access and associated landscaping and infrastructure (Major Development) At:”

Officer report

The site

The site comprises about seven hectares of pasture and hedgerows, lies outside Wingerworth’s settlement limits, and includes land within flood zone 2.

“The application site is approximately 7ha of pasture with associated hedgerows. A tributary of Tricket Brook runs in the ditch to the south of the site, forming the boundary with the public open space associated with the existing Spindle Drive development. This brook joins Tricket/Red Lead Mill Brook close to the southeast corner of the site.”

“The site is located outside the settlement development limits (SDL) for Wingerworth and so in the countryside for planning purposes. It is also located within a secondary Area of Multiple Environmental Sensitivity (AMES) comprising the most sensitive areas of landscape in North East Derbyshire (Para 8.18 of the Local Plan).”

Officer report

Earlier permission

An outline permission and reserved matters approval for 180 homes were granted after an appeal, but the permission was not implemented.

“The site was granted outline planning permission for residential development in 2018 (ref: NED/17/00268/OL) (the application was allowed on appeal) with the reserved matters being approved in 2020 (ref; NED/20/00409/RM). The permission was not implemented as required and so the applicant is seeking consent once again for a duplicate of the previously approved scheme.”

“17/00268/OL Refused (Appeal Allowed) Outline application (with all matters except access and scale reserved) for a residential development of up to 180 houses, public open space, landscaping, highway and drainage works and associated infrastructure with…”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because affordable housing, biodiversity gains, a sustainable location and infrastructure mitigation outweighed countryside, landscape and heritage harms.

“That being the case, any successful appeal would have to identify different elements of harm arising from the fact that the site is beyond the settlement development limit. Officers consider that a ‘generic’ harm in this regard would not outweigh the substantial benefits of 40% affordable housing provision which, in this revised scheme, reflects an identified local need, as well as the provision of market housing in a sustainable location, against a trajectory of…”

“Officers wish to be clear that the above assessment applies to this application and this site. Whilst the housing trajectory issue is one that is District wide, as the Council currently has a 5 year housing land supply and the tilted balance in national policy does not apply, the conclusions of the 2018 appeal (when a five year supply could also be demonstrated), when combined with the lack of allocated sites to meet the identified need further affordable housing in…”

Officer report

What people said

Most neighbour comments objected to the unallocated countryside site, infrastructure pressure, congestion, flooding, biodiversity impacts, housing mix and loss of green space.

“(i) The site is not allocated, and it does not meet criteria to build on land outside the Settlement Development Limits (does not meet policies SS1, SS9, LC1and LC3). The Council has an up-to-date Local Plan and a 5-year housing supply. Building should be on brownfield sites. (ii) Affordable housing need is already met in Wingerworth (iii) No biodiversity survey submitted.”

“Wingerworth will lose its village “feel”. • Wingerworth is characterised by greenspaces, and this will result in the loss of one of those spaces. • The development will result in sprawl. • Loss of Public Open Space. • Loss of green fields around Wingerworth that separate it from surrounding villages. • The proposal will disrupt the tranquillity of our community. • The proposal will harm the character of the countryside and fail to meet the requirements of SDC3.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The committee heard from the local ward member, an objector and the agent before considering the application.

What members debated

Members questioned affordable housing delivery, infrastructure pressure and the weight given to the earlier appeal, while recognising a local need for the proposed housing mix.

“Committee discussed the application. Some Members expressed concern over the deliverability of 40% affordable housing. Officers confirmed that 40% had been offered by the applicant and would be included in the Section 106 agreement and was reflective of the affordable housing levels agreed in the appeal decision in 2018. Some Members expressed further concerns around the strain this development would put on local infrastructure.”

“It was felt that this proposal was finely balanced in terms of whether or not to accept it, and Committee discussed the weight that should be put on the 2018 appeal decision. Some Members suggested that there was a clear need for a housing mix, of the type that was being proposed, in the area.”

Minutes

The vote

A motion to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation was moved, seconded and approved.

“At the conclusion of the discussion Councillor K Rouse and Councillor F Petersen moved and seconded a Motion to approve the application, in line with officer recommendation, subject to the conditions and legal agreement reflecting the concerns of Members. The Motion was put to a vote and approved.”

Minutes

The decision

Planning permission was conditionally approved subject to a legal agreement, the stated conditions and informatives, and additional conditions addressing members’ concerns.

“RESOLVED – That planning permission be conditionally approved subject to a legal agreement (securing financial contributions as detailed in the report), and the conditions and informatives set out in the report, along with additional conditions to address concerns raised by Planning Committee Members, with the final wording of the conditions delegated to the Planning Manager (Development Manager).”

Minutes