Agenda item

Conversion of existing buildings to provide 11 x one-bedroom starter homes, 6 x two-bedroom starter homes, one commercial unit (salon) and a farm shop, together with parking, access and landscaping.

The committee considered application P16/S3254/FUL and P16/S3255/LB to convert the existing buildings to provide 11 one-bedroom starter homes, six two-bedroom starter homes, one commercial unit (salon) and a farm shop, together with parking, access and landscaping on the former farm buildings and pharmacy at Cholsey Meadows, off Reading Road, Cholsey

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting.

Officer updates: since publication of the agenda, there have been four further neighbour comments on the application regarding concern for the increase in traffic at the junction with Reading Road and insufficient parking.

Mark Gray, a representative of Cholsey parish council, spoke objecting to the application. His concerns included the following:

·         Parking on site is already very constrained – the additional development would exacerbate this problem and include parking on a pavement;

·         It would be overdevelopment of the site;

·         There are no gardens and under minimum provision for others on the site;

·         The main gas and electricity supply runs past the future residents’ entrances; and

·         The applicants have not worked with the neighbourhood plan group.

Christopher Philips and Marianne Hill, local residents, spoke objecting to the application. Their concerns included the following:

·         This application is contrary to the original vision of Cholsey Meadows being a self-contained community with communal facilities providing shopping, socialising and employment provision;

·         There has never been any drive to rent the property out commercially;

·         There is a lack of residential parking;

·         It constitutes overdevelopment;

·         The applicants have not worked with the local community;

·         Ms Hill, a local farmer has tried to engage with the developers for five years to try and establish a farm shop on the site; and

·         Over a dozen people have tried to take it the property on for business purposes.

Nik Lyzba, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application:

·         The economic development officer has concluded that the marketing of the property has been active and comprehensive;

·         Currently there is a great hall, cricket pavilion and open space regarding community facilities within Cholsey Meadows;

·         The only viable interest for the site has been for a hairdressing salon;

·         There is a proposed space of 500 square metres for a shop on site, which will be rent free for five years;

·         There is a higher parking provision per unit than in the wider Fairmile hospital site overall; and

·         Starter homes will be provided, which is a form of affordable housing.

In response to questions from the committee, the applicant’s agent confirmed that:

·         The commencement date could be reduced to two years;

·         The parking over the pavement could feasibly be moved by condition; and

·         There were no viable proposals or formal offers coming forward for the entire space to be given over to commercial usage.

A motion was moved to approve planning permission for application P16/S3254/FUL but it was not seconded.

The committee considered the planning application, with advice from officers where appropriate. The committee were concerned that the marketing exercise had not been conducted at the right place at the right time and that there would be a loss of facilities and employment space should the development go ahead

A motion, moved and seconded, to refuse planning permission was declared carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to refuse planning permission for application P1/3254/FUL for the following reasons:

Cholsey Meadows was designed to be a mixed use sustainable development. The loss of the approved employment and local services (day nursery, restaurant and shop) would reduce the ability of the Cholsey Meadows community to meet its day to day needs, contrary to paragraphs 17, 28 and Section 8 of the NPPF particularly paragraph 70.

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve listed building consent was declared carried on being put to the vote

RESOLVED: to grant listed building consent for application P16/S3255/LB, subject to the following conditions:

1.    Commencement listed building consent - three years.

2.    Approved plans.

3.    Joinery details.

4.    Works to match existing.