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.

Recommendation: to delegate to the Head of Regulatory Services and following completion of a S106 Agreement (securing the Heads of Term set out at 7.20 including affordable housing provision, contributions to highways improvement and monitoring of the travel plan, contributions to infrastructure including education and waste infrastructure and a monitoring fee in relation to BNG) that planning permission is granted subject to conditions.

The application was for 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.

The Planning Officer reported that with regard to managing the bridleway/footpaths which would cross the site during the construction works, Herts Highways had suggested that a further point was added to condition 3 for the Construction management plan to include the following:

‘provisions for protecting the safe use of public rights of way though the site and/or any mitigation required’.

In addition, Herts Highways had suggested a further informative reminding that the public rights of way should remain unobstructed and that safe passage should be maintained across the site. If safe passage cannot be reasonably achieved, then a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) would be required to close the affected route for any periods necessary.  Officers noted that the TTRO would be a matter for County Council.

The Planning Officer also reported that comments had been received from Hertfordshire County Council’s Rights of Way Officer, who had suggested that a contribution of £172,425,000 be sought for surface improvements to Footpath 34 (Abbots Langley) from Jacketts Field to Footpath 64 leading to the junction at Woodside Road as this links the village to the local secondary school and amenities. In addition, the contribution would allow for surfacing improvements to footpath 60 (Abbots Langley) to the north of the site.

In response, officers had regard to the Regulation 22 tests which set out that planning obligations must be necessary, directly related to the development and fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development. Officers did not consider the contributions above would meet these tests. Footpath 34 is located away from the application site and its resurfacing is not necessary to make the development acceptable. In addition, Footpath 60 is a rural pathway and its resurfacing would not be required to make the development acceptable.

The application includes other improvements to improve access as well as a £1.3million pound contribution to HCC towards enhanced local pedestrian/cycle crossings alongside active travel schemes in the vicinity of the area that help connect to key local facilities and transport hubs.

The Rights of Way Officer had also commented that the definitive line of Footpath 61 would be accommodated away from the private estate carriageways/footways within the landscaped area.  This would reduce the risk of conflict between non-motorized path users and private motorized traffic on the estate carriageway. 

The Rights of Way Officer had also advised that there was no recorded definitive link between Footpath 61 and Bridleway 80 Abbots Langley. However, the site layout plan indicated a link between the two by the war memorial. The Rights of Way service requires that this short length of path is dedicated as a definitive right of way.  Officers considered that a condition could be attached requiring that this is dedicated prior to occupation of the development.

The Rights of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62