Agenda item

New 3 bedroom house with associated parking (amended plan to reduce the height of the dwelling, alter car parking and drainage layout and show surrounding street scene elevations received 25 May 2023 and 27 June 2023).

Councillor Ben Manning declared an interest in item and left the meeting room during consideration of this application. 

The committee considered planning application P22/S4391/FUL for a new three bedroom house with associated parking (amended plan to reduce the height of the dwelling, alter car parking and drainage layout and show surrounding street scene elevations received 25 May 2023 and 27 June 2023), on land at 36 Greenmere, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.  

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 brought to the committee due to the objection of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Parish Council. The parish council’s objection was principally about the precedent it would set for building in back gardens as well as over the concerns around access.

The planning officer informed the committee that the site was in the built-up area of the village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell for a three-bed dwelling which, in his opinion, would represent infill as it was closely surrounded by other dwellings and would fit in with the local character.

The proposed dwelling would front onto the road to the north and be 1.8 metres below the neighbouring dwellings to the north-west due to the site levels. The planning officer added that the proposal met the required distance between the windows of the dwelling and neighbouring properties as required in the Design Guide.

The planning officer also noted the concern of neighbours about harm to their amenity during the construction phase and clarified that a condition on times of works could be included on an approval of the application.

In addition, as the car parking proposed was policy compliant, highways had no objection subject to car parking compliance condition. A vehicle traffic plan was also provided, which highways considered and found to be acceptable as they believe the application would result in a modest increase in vehicle numbers that would be unlikely to adversely impact the highway.

Overall, as there was no objection from technical consultees, and on balance the benefits of the scheme outweighed the harm, the planning officer recommend that the application be approved.

Councillor James Davys spoke on behalf of Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Parish Council, objecting to the application. 

Kelsey Proctor, the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

Councillor Ben Manning, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application. 

The committee asked about the access to the proposed dwelling and about the concerns raised by neighbours. In response, the planning officer clarified that highways assessed the access in the redline application area, and the visibility and car manoeuvring out of the site, and they found it to be acceptable. He also informed the committee that highways noted that it was an existing access that would be used but that the speed cars would be going would be low and the addition of an addition dwelling would have limited impacts.

Overall, as members agreed that the site was an infill development, and as highways had no objection, they could see no material planning reasons for refusal and so agreed to approve the application subject to conditions.

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

RESOLVED: to approve planning application P22/S4391/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1. Commencement 3 years - Full Planning Permission

2. Approved plans

3. Surface water drainage

4. Foul water drainage

5. Landscaping Scheme (trees and shrubs only)

6. Parking & Manoeuvring Areas

7. Energy statement compliance

8. Electric Vehicles Charging Point (implementation)

9. Cycle Parking Facilities

10. Materials as on plan

11, Community Infrastructure Levy - informative

12. Brightwell cum Sotwell Neighbourhood Plan - informative

13. S151 informative

14. S137 informative