60-home outline scheme at Land Adjacent To Baldwin Drive Radford Way, Okehampton

What was proposed

Outline permission was sought for residential housing and infrastructure, with access considered now and layout, scale, appearance and landscaping reserved.

“The application seeks outline planning permission “for a mix of residential housing and associated infrastructure, to include affordable housing.”

“Access is the only matter of detail tabled for consideration; the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping of the development being reserved at this outline stage.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The 1.7-hectare site is agricultural land enclosed by housing, with bungalows to the south and two-storey homes elsewhere.

“The site comprises some 1.7ha of land, principally agricultural land with a pronounced fall of some 11m across the site from a high point of 207.5m AOD to the south-west site boundary to 196.2m AOD the north-east.”

“The dwellings adjoining the site to the south comprise bungalows, with two-storey housing adjoining the site to the north, east and west.”

Officer report

Earlier permissions and appeals

The site has earlier permissions for residential development, including 43 homes, and a later outline appeal for around 60 homes was dismissed.

“When the wider area around the site was originally identified for residential development, the site itself was to provide a primary school and associated facilities. Permission was thus sought and secured for such development (11590/2008/OKE). However, it was subsequently decided to site the school on the north side of Crediton Road and the development of St James CofE Primary School has now taken place on that land.”

“1661/17/ARC is referenced above as it sought the Council’s confirmation that this residential development had been lawfully commenced. The Council’s decision letter dated 1st June 2017 states as follows: “In respect to the details and evidence of commencement of the development received by ourselves on the 15 May 2017 and my subsequent site visit on 31/5/17, I can confirm that the works on site are considered to constitute commencement of the development as set out in…”

Officer report

Main planning issues

Officers considered housing supply, sustainability, access, housing mix, design, amenity, drainage, ecology, climate measures, contamination and infrastructure.

“Key issues for consideration: Policy background [NPPF/5yr housing land supply and the tilted balance]; Principle & Sustainability; Highways [access]; Housing Need/Mix; Highways - Vehicular, pedestrian and cycleways; Design – amount, scale, layout, appearance and landscaping 6. Residential Amenity; Flood Risk and Drainage; Ecology and Biodiversity; Climate change and carbon reduction measures 10. Ground contamination 11.”

Officer report

Council and technical responses

The parish and town councils objected, while highways, ecology, waste, flood, health, water, environmental health and trees consultees raised no objection subject to measures.

“Okehampton Town Council: object for the following reasons: “Amenity and Health & Safety - proper consideration has not been given to pedestrians with lack of provision for pavements creating an absence of amenity and raising health and safety concerns for pedestrians who would need to walk in the road.”

“Environmental Health – no objection, recommends undiscovered contamination condition and conditions to secure CEMP and CMP. • OSSR – no objection subject to s106 to secure on-site open space provision (within the SuDS attenuation basin area) and ongoing management, together with financial contributions towards improvements to, and on-going maintenance of, existing off- site facilities – subject to viability and other contributions. See commentary below for more detail.”

Officer report

Who spoke

An objector raised access concerns, the agent supported the scheme, and the parish council asked for Kellands Lane to open before construction.

Members’ debate

Members discussed affordable housing, viability and traffic from the single Baldwin Drive access, with requests for earlier Kellands Lane completion.

“Cllr Leech asked that an additional condition be included whereby the completion of Kellands Lane be carried out as soon as the application had been agreed. If the planned position of the attenuation tank were to be moved, access could be made from Kellands Lane onto the site. He had tried to find a solution for the current situation of the blocked road at Kellands Lane for residents for the past eight years and did not want to see it continue for years to come.”

“Cllr Dexter made the point about the single access increasing traffic through Baldwin Drive and felt that access was needed through Kellands Lane also. He suggested that the Committee deal with the issue within the decision on the current application.”

Minutes

The vote

The committee voted to grant the application conditionally in line with the officer report and recommendations, including an amendment to condition 21.

“It was then PROPOSED and SECONDED and, when put to the vote, declared CARRIED that the application be Granted Conditionally as per the Planning Officer’s report and recommendations, including the addendum to Condition 21 of the added words ‘above base’.”

Minutes

The decision

Conditional consent was granted subject to a section 106 agreement securing affordable housing, Kellands Lane connections, a site footway and ongoing open-space management.

“Recommendation: Conditional Consent subject to S106 agreement:”

“The on-site provision of 2x1-bed social rented flats; • Details of footway and carriageway connections on Kellands Lane to be provided at reserved matters stage; • The submission of a S38/278 trigger point (tbc); • The footway to one side of Kellands Lane to be completed and Kellands Lane to open to through traffic on foot/cycle prior to the occupation of any dwellings on the application site; • The carriageway on Kellands Lane (inc.”

Minutes