Agenda item

Erection of two self-build detached dwellings, alterations to existing vehicular access and land levels and proposed associated landscaping at The Dell, Long Lane, Heronsgate.

Recommendation: that subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement securing an off-site affordable housing financial contribution, two self-build dwellings and associated monitoring fee(s) that the application be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to grant planning permission subject to conditions.

The application was for erection of two self-build detached dwellings, alterations to existing vehicular access and land levels and proposed associated landscaping at The Dell, Long Lane, Heronsgate.

The Planning Officer reported that there were no updates.

Parish Councillor Alistair Park of Chorleywood Parish Council spoke on the application.

A representative of Heronsgate Residents’ Association spoke against the application.

The agent spoke in favour of the application.

Issues raised by speakers against the proposal included: the impact on the Heronsgate Conservation Area and the historic Chartist village and the rural character of Long Lane; the unsustainable location with a lack of pavement and street lighting on Long Lane, poor walking and cycling conditions and poor public transport links; the impact of two substantial five-bedroomed private dwellings in terms of domestic activity, vehicle movements, parking, deliveries, lighting and access works in what had long been experienced as a green Conservation Area edge; the proposal offered modest mitigation compared to the previously refused application; there remained objections from Herts Highways and the Conservation Officer; and the heavily reduced affordable housing contribution meant that there was a lack of benefit to outweigh the harm caused.

Points raised by the speaker in favour of the application included: the proposal was appropriate development in the Green Belt as the site was previously developed land and no substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt would be caused; the proposal would contribute towards meeting a demonstrable unmet housing need; significant reductions had been made to the extent of the built form compared to the previous application in order to ensure there was no harm to the Conservation Area; only a small section at the front of the site was within the Conservation Area, and only limited alteration was proposed at this part of the site; the properties would be set back from Long Lane and be partially sunken and would therefore appear as single storey dwellings with green roofs, limiting their views from Long Lane; extensive landscaping and new tree planting was proposed, enhancing the existing vegetation and preserving the verdant nature of Long Lane; given its semi-rural location the site was sustainable; and the scheme would offer benefits through an affordable housing contribution, the use of previously developed land, ecological enhancements, economic opportunities during construction work, and energy efficiency enhancements.

Committee Members asked questions about the detail of the application which were responded to by officers.  The Committee’s discussions included the following:

·       A Committee Member expressed the view that the Heronsgate Conservation Area was of exceptional importance and there was a need to ensure that its rural character was not harmed.  For this reason, very substantial weight should be given to any harm to the heritage asset as required by paragraph 212 of the NPPF, and this included the strip which formed part of the application site.  The Committee Member highlighted the comments of the Conservation Officer, who had concluded that the proposal would cause harm by bringing residential development to the edge of the Conservation Area, undermining its existing verdant character.  Additionally, the Heronsgate Conservation Area Appraisal made clear that the 1km long, 10m wide strip to the north-eastern side of Long Lane at the boundary of the Conservation Area had been chosen to protect the character and nature of the historic sunken lane.  The proposal before the Committee, which challenged this strong boundary, was therefore harmful.

·       Another Committee Member commented that the existing entrance, which was somewhat untidy, already had the effect of altering the uniformly green boundary of the Conservation Area.  Therefore, weight should be given to the improvement which the dwellings and the associated planted schemes may bring.  Another Committee Member noted a comment made by a public speaker that the reason for the untidy appearance was due to very recent clearing of the site by the applicant, where previously it had had a rural appearance which had blended with the surroundings.  Therefore, approval should not be justified on the basis that the existing appearance would be improved.

·       In response to a Committee Member’s question, the Planning Officer clarified that Hertfordshire County Council did not object to the proposal on the grounds of access arrangements or the provision of visibility splays which would be secured by condition.   However, it did object on the grounds of the unsustainable location of the site.  This was agreed by Planning Officers and been taken into account in their assessment.  However, in considering the tilted balance the benefits of the scheme in terms of the provision of housing, the affordable housing contribution, and the uplift in energy saving measures were considered to outweigh the harm arising from the unsustainable location.

·       A Committee Member commented that whilst it was acknowledged that the applicant had made efforts to ensure that the proposed dwellings would blend in with the surrounding area in terms of their appearance, the intensification of the use of the site, which would likely include increased traffic movements, delivery activity and the introduction of domestic paraphernalia, meant that they would not be unobtrusive and there would be intrusion on the rural setting of the area.

·       A Committee Member commended the applicant for bringing forward a proposal which lessened the impact on the surrounding area and which had also been designed to be sustainable.  However, the Committee Member expressed the view that the concerns about harm to the heritage asset which had been expressed by the Conservation Officer and the unsustainable location of the site meant that, on balance, the officer recommendation in favour of approval may not be supported.  This was endorsed by other Committee Members, who highlighted the Conservation Officer’s concerns about the proposal’s prominence over the sunken lane and erosion of the Conservation Area boundary and the resultant undermining of the character of the area.  In assessing the benefits of the scheme, Committee Members considered that substantial weight should be given to the provision of housing due to the lack of a five-year housing land supply.  Other benefits of the scheme were the contribution towards affordable housing and the provision of self-build accommodation.  However, these were not considered to outweigh the harm to the Conservation Area.

Councillor Morris proposed, and Councillor Cooper seconded, that the application be refused on the grounds that it would cause harm to the Conservation Area and to the character of the area, the unsustainable location of the site, and the failure to complete a S106 Agreement to secure an affordable housing contribution.  Full wording of the reasons for refusal would be circulated following the meeting.

On being put to the vote this was carried, the voting being 5 for, 0 against and 3 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

That the application be refused on the grounds that it would cause harm to the Conservation Area and to the character of the area, the unsustainable location of the site, and the failure to complete a S106 Agreement to secure an affordable housing contribution. Full wording of the reasons for refusal would be circulated following the meeting.