Issue - meetings

Construction of 192 no of dwellings (Use Class C3), public open space, landscaping, new vehicular access and pedestrian accesses and associated infrastructure at Land At Woodside Road, Woodside Road, Abbots Langley.

Recommendations:

(i) that members agree for officers to arrange a site visit prior to this application being presented to Planning Committee for a decision; and

(ii) that the Committee notes the report and is invited to make general comments with regard to the material planning issues raised by the application.

The Committee received a preliminary report on an application for construction of 192 no dwellings (Use Class C3), public open space, landscaping, new vehicular access and pedestrian accesses and associated infrastructure at Land At Woodside Road, Woodside Road, Abbots Langley.

The Committee was invited to note the report, comment on any material planning considerations and consider undertaking a site visit.  The application would be brought back to the Committee in due course for determination.

The Planning Officer advised that there were currently a number of objections to the application as set out in the officer report including from the Environment Agency, the Lead Local Flood Authority, National Highways and Herts Highways.  Since the publication of the report, National Highways had requested further information and this was currently with the applicant.

The applicant had also provided further information in relation to the tenure split for affordable housing.

The agent spoke on the proposal.

Committee Members asked questions about the detail of the proposal which were responded to by officers.  Members’ comments included the following:

·           The proposal deviated from Council policy in that no social rented housing was proposed.  The affordable housing would comprise a mix of affordable rented dwellings, shared ownership and First Homes.  Officers had requested further justification for this split, and the information provided by the applicant was under consideration by housing officers. 

·           The proposal appeared to be over-subscribed in terms of the number of single-occupancy dwellings, which was not the area of greatest housing need within the district.  It was requested that the applicant should be asked to provide justification for this.

·           A Committee Member recommended that, in light of issues experienced at other developments, conditions should be included in relation to wheel washing and prevention of construction vehicles using nearby narrow roads when the application came to the Committee for determination.

·           A consultation response had referred to the traffic survey having been done during half-term.  Given that Parmiter’s and St Michael’s Schools were nearby, it was recommended that the applicant should consider doing another survey within school term time.  It was also recommended that the proposed site visit should take place during term time, with potentially also the possibility of a visit during the rush hour.

·           There was a parking shortfall, with limited visitor spaces.  It was recommended that the applicant should consider ways of preventing parking on the pavement which often happened in developments and which impacted on use of the pavement by those using wheelchairs or buggies.

·           The site location was considered to be Grey Belt, but officers would have regard to the new Green Belt review if this became available during consideration of the application.

The Chair moved the recommendations in the report, which were agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED: that

(i)    Members agree for officers to arrange a site visit prior to this application being presented to Planning Committee for a decision; and

(ii)    the Committee notes the report.