Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies of absence were received from Councillors Gray, Fenton and Brine.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2021.

RESOLVED    That the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2021 are approved as a correct record.

To receive Declarations of Interest in relation to planning matters.

There were none.

(Note: For access to information purposes, the background papers for the applications listed in the above schedule are the application itself and subsequent papers as listed in the relevant file.)

Representations were received and taken into account by the Committee in respect of Applications:

The Principal Planning Officer (Majors) introduced the report and explained it was for the erection of 28 dwellings which included:

• Fourteen 4-bed units.
• Six 3-bed units.
• Four 2-bed units (Affordable housing – Shared ownership).
• Four 1-bed units (Affordable housing – Social rent).

The Principal Planning Officer (Majors) informed the Committee that this was the last of the developments for the Littlecombe site and would share its access with the most recently approved Zone F. He shared the plans of the development and explained that there would be lots of informal open space which would link in with the open space throughout the rest of the development creating a biodiversity net gain. He further informed the committee that:

• The affordable housing had been designed in the same way as the private housing and the rest of the development.
• The site sat within the Littlecombe allocation from the 2005 Local plan however, due to the time of the application it was to be considered as a standalone full application.
• The Highway Authority were satisfied with the highway safety.

Councillor Cornell spoke as a ward Member for Dursley in support of the application, she stated that she originally called in this application to the Committee due to the large number of resident objections. She drew attention to the key considerations of the application which included:

• It was the largest regeneration site in the South-West.
• The river flowing through the site had been de-culverted during the previous development which supported the biodiversity net gain.
• The site had experience large disruption through the removal of earth.
• There had been a large number of objections from residents mostly due to the clearance of the site before approval.

• It was not mentioned in the report but there was a long standing proposal for a cycle/walking route from Dursley to Uley close to the site which would help promote active travel.
• After consultation the affordable housing design had been revised and is now more in keeping with the private houses and rest of the development.
• The Town Council had objected over the loss of green spaces however; this was a sustainable site for housing of which the Town has very few left.
• Were the conditions strong enough to support the application.
• Was there a biodiversity net gain and how would this be maintained and monitored in future years.
• The affordable housing provided was under 30% therefore the developers had offered the cash alternative to provide affordable housing elsewhere.

The Principal Planning Officer (Majors) commented on the biodiversity net gain, he showed the committee the plans for the development and highlighted the undeveloped areas within the plans.

The Biodiversity Officer explained that the site had a lot of potential for biodiversity gain with the proposed wildflower meadows. They also commented that there was room for further improvement which was why they had suggested to add conditions into the landscape plan. They further spoke of the long term management of the landscape to ensure it was looked after. They explained  ...  view the full minutes text for item DCC.029

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of thirteen affordable dwellings, with landscaping, parking and associated works.

The Majors & Environment Team Manager introduced the report to the Committee and explained it was an application for the erection of 13 new dwellings on the land of a former sheltered housing site. He drew attention to a few key points of the application which included:

• The proposed dwellings were a mix of 2 and 3 bed properties.
• The materials from the previous sheltered housing building would be reused in the new dwelling if possible, for example; the solar panels.
• There was a condition placed on the application for the materials to be approved pre-commencement.
• The frontages of each dwelling were stepped back.

The Majors & Environment Team Manager proposed to add a condition recommending that a waste minimisation plan is submitted and approved.

Councillor Cornell spoke as a ward member for Dursley in support of the application. She informed the Committee of the following points:

• The former sheltered housing site was deemed not fit for purpose in a review held in 2015. In June 2016 it was decided to keep the 4 bungalows and sell the site to the private market. In 2019 the arrangements on borrowing changed and allowed for SDC to keep the site and redevelop the site.
• One of the last places available to build Council homes in Dursley due to its close proximity with the Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB).
• Materials would be reused where possible.
• The dwellings proposed were small family houses which were in great need.
• The Town Council raised concerns over the colour and uniformity, requested a variation of colour within the plan which was agreed to be looked at. They had also raised concerns over the roofing material.
• Sustainable location.
• The nearby playground needed refurbishing as the new residents would want to utilise this.

Johnathan Headland spoke in support of the application as the agent. He explained the application was for 13 high quality affordable family homes. He further informed the Committee of the following considerations:

• A primary need for affordable 2 & 3 bed family homes had been identified in 2015/16.
• The dwellings had been designed around sustainability. The roof orientation faced the solar panels south for maximum efficiency.
• The houses would be heated with air source heat pumps which would also lower bills for future tenants.
• The proposed materials for the build offered a more sustainable approach to development.
• The alternative roof material offered significant benefits through reduced maintenance and environmental savings. It also had sealed edges which reduced the opportunity for leeks and was much lighter than conventional roofing.

Councillor Ryder asked for confirmation if the Officer was satisfied with the reverse turning points located at plot 1 & 13. The Majors & Environment Team Manager confirmed they had consulted with Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) Highways who were happy with the layout and that there was enough space for a vehicle to reverse out of all spaces. 

In response to questions, the Majors & Environment Team Manager confirmed:

• The proposal showed the solar panels to be included on the roof and there would  ...  view the full minutes text for item DCC.030