37 homes at Wellwick Site, Colchester Road, St Osyth

“Executive Summary 1.1 This application seeks outline planning permission (with all matters reserved aside from access) for the erection of 37 dwellings at the Wellwick Site, Colchester Road, St Osyth. The application comes before the planning committee as the proposal represents a departure from local plan policies which govern the location of new housing development.”

“Assessment Site Context 8.1 The application site forms two parcels of land at the northern and southern end of the ‘Wellwick’ site, in the parish of St Osyth. The parcels of land are situated within a wider site (‘Wellwick’ site), which is situated to the north-eastern side of the B1027 Colchester Road.”

“The wider site is formed of a 12-hectare crater resulting from gravel extraction undertaken in the 1970s and now lies around 4/5 metres lower than its surroundings. The area is generally flat with steep verges at the sides. To the southern and western boundaries there are patches of vegetation running alongside Colchester Road. A caravan holiday park lies to the north.”

“Simply put, this is the amount by which the cost of repair (and conversion to optimum viable use if appropriate) of a heritage asset exceeds its market value on completion of repair or conversion, allowing for appropriate development costs. The enabling development to be secured as part of this application submission will fund identified restoration works at St Osyth Priory (Abbot’s Lodgings) to put back into beneficial use to sustain them for future generations.”

“To meet the requirements of the NPPF, an enabling development proposal can only be considered for approval if it provides benefits that outweigh the disbenefits, and where the decision-maker is confident that the scheme would secure the conservation of the heritage asset(s) – this involves assessing the position now and considering the asset’s future.”

“The Chairman (Councillor Fowler) informed the meeting that she was proposing to defer consideration of Planning Application A.1 – 24/00560/OUT – Wellwick, Colchester Road, St Osyth, CO16 8HS until another meeting of the Committee on the grounds that the Committee had not been able to get access on the site visit for the St Osyth Priory to look at the Heritage building (associated, and to be enabled, as part of the proposal).”

“RESOLVED that any consideration of application A.1 – 24/00560/OUT – Wellwick, Colchester Road, St Osyth, CO16 8HS be deferred until another meeting of the Committee to enable a further site visit to be arranged that will include the necessary access to the Priory Grounds.”