Two houses with garages at Land To The West Of Woodbine Cottage Kingsdown Lane Blunsdon, Swindon

What was proposed

The application sought two detached four-bedroom houses, detached double garages, a shared access and pedestrian improvements.

“The proposal is for full planning permission to erect two detached 4-bed houses with detached double garages. The houses would be traditional, Georgian-style, constructed from facing brickwork (colour: ‘Atherstone’) under ‘slate’ (‘Cedral Rivendale’ Fibre Cement Slate (colour: ‘Blue/Black’)) roof tiles.”

“The houses would front Kingsdown Lane with a single, shared vehicular access from the lane serving both, this requiring the removal of a section of the front boundary hedge / tree line.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The site is a grassed and overgrown area beside Woodbine Cottage, with housing nearby, a construction site to the north and a drainage ditch along its rear boundary.

“The c. 0.15ha application site is located on the north side of Kingsdown Lane, close to its junction with Turnpike Road. To its east side is a residential property, Woodbine Cottage; historically the site formed the side garden of Woodbine Cottage but is now in separate ownership. To the south of the site – and on the opposite side of Kingsdown Lane – are further residential properties, including several of relatively recent construction.”

“The site itself is now somewhat overgrown with a mainly grassed area to its centre and high hedges or tree lines to most of the edges. A drainage ditch runs along the northern (rear) boundary. In terms of levels, the site falls gently from west to east; overall levels are slightly lower than Kingsdown Lane and Longfield.”

Officer report

Earlier permissions

An earlier permission for two houses and garages expired after reserved matters were not submitted, while nearby permissions remain extant or are under construction.

“On 30 June 2022, application no. S/OUT/20/0548 was granted outline planning permission for two detached houses and garages. All matters were reserved except access which was to be singular (serving both houses) from Kingsdown Lane and centrally sited along the frontage. Reserved matters were not submitted by the three-year deadline, and so the permission has now effectively expired.”

“Relating to land on the east side of Woodbine Cottage, on 16 May 2023, application no. S/OUT/20/0549 was granted outline planning permission for eight self-build dwellings. To date no reserved matters applications have been submitted, and the planning permission…”

Officer report

Officers recommended approval

Officers recommended granting permission subject to the SAC mitigation contribution and planning conditions.

“That the Chief Planning Officer be authorised to GRANT full planning permission subject to –”

Officer report

Why officers supported it

Officers considered the surrounding development, previous permission, housing supply and limited scale outweighed the conflict with the housing location policy.

“For the purposes of the SBLP, the application site is located in a ‘rural and countryside location’ outside of any settlement boundary. New residential development for general occupation is, therefore, not strictly acceptable here under the terms of Policy SD2. However, there are a number of circumstances which on this occasion weigh in favour of the proposal.”

“Added to the above, at the time of writing the ‘five-year land supply’ position across the borough remains just the wrong side of 5 years being at 4.9 years, this meaning that the housing policies of the SBLP are still strictly out of date.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Highways, drainage and ecology consultees raised no objections subject to conditions, while the parish council objected on highways, drainage, infrastructure and character grounds.

“Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA): No objection – subject to conditions for detailed surface water drainage scheme and surface water drainage maintenance plan.”

“Swindon Borough Council Local Highway Authority (LHA): No objection – subject to conditions requiring (a) works in Kingsdown Lane to facilitate safe pedestrian refuges within the highway verge and (b) an extension to the existing footway in Turnpike Road into Kingsdown Lane.”

Officer report

Who spoke

An objector and a parish council representative spoke against the application, and nobody present spoke in support.

Members considered the application

Officers answered a question about where biodiversity net gain funds could be spent before a proposal to grant permission was made and seconded.

“It would not be possible to condition where any Biodiversity Net Gain funds are spent specifically.”

“Councillor Matthew Courtliff proposed than planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the Case Officer’s report. Councillor Abdul Amin seconded the proposal.”

Minutes

The committee voted

The committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to the conditions in the case officer’s report.

“Resolved – That planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the Case Officer’s report.”

Minutes