Agenda item

Demolition of existing dwelling. Redevelopment of existing site to provide 4 dwellings with associated development including access works to Gold Street access (as amplified by;

- Preliminary Ecological Appraisal received 29 March 2022

- Energy information received 25 July 2022 

- Services Plan received 27 July 2022, 

- Drainage Information received 6 October 2022,

- Ecological and landscape information received 21 November 2022, images received 29 November 2022 and information received 25 January 2025 and Nature Space information received 8 March 2023 

- Email from agent dated 8 March 2023

and as amended by;

- Drawings received 13 July 2022 reduction in height of houses, alteration in garage, materials and layout).

The committee considered planning application P22/S1241/FUL for the demolition of existing dwelling and redevelopment of existing site to provide four dwellings with associated development including access works to Gold Street access (as amplified by; - Preliminary Ecological Appraisal received 29 March 2022 - Energy information received 25 July 2022  - Services Plan received 27 July 2022, - Drainage Information received 6 October 2022, - Ecological and landscape information received 21 November 2022, images received 29 November 2022 and information received 25 January 2025 and Nature Space information received 8 March 2023 - Email from agent dated 8 March 2023 and as amended by; - Drawings received 13 July 2022 reduction in height of houses, alteration in garage, materials and layout), on land at The Site Of Milton House, Gold Street, Little Milton.  

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 the meeting. 

The planning officer introduced the report and highlighted that the application was called into the committee by the former local ward member, Councillor Caroline Newton. The planning officer also made a number of clarifications to the report; firstly, to paragraph 1.6 which should read ‘1 x 3 bedroom’ rather than ‘1 x 4 bedroom’, and secondly, to paragraph 6.61 where the distance should be 25 metres rather than 10 metres.

The planning officer informed the committee that the application site was within the Little Milton Conservation Area, where height levels move up the further in the site you go. He also informed the committee that he believed the principle of a housing development was acceptable as it constituted infill development. The planning officer also noted that there was no heritage objection to the demolition of the existing building.

The planning officer did note that the development would have less than substantial harm on the conservation area, but that the National Planning Policy Framework stated that where this occurs it needs to be outweighed by the public benefit. As the application would provide south facing public seating, community infrastructure levies, and an increased village population to support the local communities and their facilities, the planning officer believed that these benefits would outweigh the less than substantial harm identified by the conservation officer.

In addition, the planning officer believed that the dwellings would not be significantly harmful to neighbouring amenity due to their height, distance between dwellings, and location and suggested that the removal of permitted development rights through a condition could help secure this.

Overall, as the proposal was in accordance with the development plan and the planning officer believed that the public benefit outweighed the less than substantial harm to the conservation area, he recommended that the application be approved.

Councillor David Wakeling spoke on behalf of Little Milton Parish Council objecting to the application. 

Lucy Ireland and Barry Coward spoke objecting to the application. 

Henry Venners, the agent representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

Councillor Georgina Heritage, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application. 

The committee asked the planning officer about the area around the application being used for school pickup and drop-off and about the potential conditioning of a construction traffic management plan around school time. In response, the planning officer said highways did not request it, but it was noted that the developer had indicated that they would be agreeable to the condition should members be minded to approve the application.

Members queried the impact the development would have on the conservation area through the design of the houses but were satisfied that the conservation officer had no objection and with the suggested planning condition number eight requiring the building materials to be seen and approved before the main construction could begin.

The committee also inquired into the developments carbon reduction goals. In response, the planning officer noted that the Local Plan policy requirement was for new housing to provide carbon reduction of 40 per cent from a 2013 baseline or 9 per cent on a 2022 baseline and members were satisfied that the development would achieve this and with the proposed condition to require it. 

On the ecology side of the application, the committee considered that the additional trees would be of benefit to the site although a point was made to the developer to try to plant more mature trees.

Finally, members considered the houses themselves and agreed that they were well suited to the site and did not consider the height of them to be grounds for refusing the application.

Overall, as the principle of development on the site was established and the committee agreed that there would be less than substantial harm to the conservation area that would be outweighed by the public benefit, they decided that the application should be approved, subject to the additional condition for a construction traffic management plan which would limit traffic around school drop-off and pickup times.

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve the application was carried on being put to the vote. 

RESOLVED: to approve planning application P22/S1241/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

Standard conditions:

1. Commencement 3 years - Full Planning Permission

2. Approved plans *

Prior to commencement conditions:

3. Construction traffic management plan

4. Implementation of Programme or Archaeological Work

5. Archaeology (Submission and implementation of Written Scheme of Investigation WSI)

6. Tree Protection (Detailed)

7. Surface water drainage works (details required)

8. District Licence certificate

Prior to development above slab level conditions:

9. Submission of sample materials

Prior to occupation conditions:

10. Landscaping implementation

11. Existing vehicular access

12. Vision splay protection

13. Parking & Manoeuvring Areas Retained

14. Landscape Management Plan

15. Energy Statement Verification

16. Electric Vehicles Charging Point (implementation)

Compliance conditions:

17. Compliance with District Licence

18. Wildlife protection (mitigation as approved)

19. Withdrawal of Permitted Development (Part 2 Class A) - no walls, fences etc

20. Withdrawal of Permitted Development (Part 1 Class E) - no buildings etc