Agenda item

Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of application S.19/1054/FUL - Alteration to design of 8 affordable dwellings, with associated vehicle parking and landscaping, following the demolition of the existing buildings.

The Majors & Environment Team Manager introduced the application and explained that it was a variation to an existing planning permission due to building control regulations, the changes were outlined as follows:

·         Chimneys had been removed and gable details had been altered in order to allow for the provision of solar panels.

·         The layout of the scheme had been amended and the position of dwelling and parking spaces altered.

·         A retaining wall feature had been added to the garden.

The Majors & Environment Team Manager highlighted the key considerations of the site:

·         With the addition of the retaining wall, concerns had been raised regarding the local hedgehog populations. In response to these comments, additional wildlife corridors and gaps in the fencing had been created to mitigate the impact on hedgehogs.

·         The garden area had been levelled to allow for increased accessibility, however this had created the additional retaining wall, to reduce the impact of this on neighbouring properties the ground level had been reduced.  

He concluded by informing the committee that the revised plan numbers would be included in the application and the conditions would be updated to reflect the changes in ecology and additional conditions for the boundary treatment and retaining wall.

Councillor Tucker spoke as a Ward Member for the area. He informed the Committee that he had not been made aware of the latest ecological additions to the site which were reflected in his concerns as below:

·         Vehicles exiting the site would need to reverse out onto a busy road, which had not been helped by the new revised layout.

·         The original plans showed a lack of consideration for local wildlife including hedgehogs which were known to forage around the site. 

·         The addition of the retaining wall created issues for ground animals traveling through the site and would cause them to travel in either direction towards busy streets.

·         Although they were not a protected species, hedgehogs were listed as a declining species and steps should be taken to mitigate any impact.

·         The retaining wall on the border of the site would be topped with a 1.8m high fence which would significantly affect the view and light in the neighbouring property.

Councillor Braun spoke as a Ward Member for the area and expressed her support for the New Council Homes to be built. She provided a brief overview of the history of the site and explained that, if approved, the development would provide 8 affordable homes for up to 35 people. She echoed that the changes were a result of building regulations compliance and expressed her gratitude for the additional ecological amendments asking the Committee to approve the application.

Miss Robbins, Trainee Project Manager, spoke on behalf of the applicant Stroud District Council (SDC). She asked the committee to support the application for the following reasons:

·         The Town Council, Ward Members and adjacent residents for the area had been consulted on all proposed changes and feedback received.

·         The need for affordable housing within the district remained high, and SDC were committed to providing high quality, energy efficient affordable housing.

·         Planning permission for the site had been granted in 2019 for 8 affordable dwellings, at that time 2 of the existing properties were still occupied and therefore the ground investigation had not yet been completed.

·         Once the initial ground investigation had been completed the designs were reviewed against updated new homes specifications which resulted in the changes proposed. 

·         The updated application would now meet part M42 of the building regulations for accessible and adaptable dwellings which included level access to the home and gardens.

·         Creating the level access resulted in the additional retaining walls and in response to feedback, the height of the highest tier had been reduced in order to minimise the impact on neighbouring properties.

·         The number of parking spaces remained unchanged and the visitor space was still included.

·         The ecological impact had been carefully considered and an Ecologist had been commissioned to prepare a mitigation enhancement strategy.

·         Access points had been included for hedgehogs to move throughout the site and hedgehog houses would also be provided. Provisions would be made for swifts and bats in line with the Ecologists recommendations.

Councillor Ryder questioned whether the sighting of the heat pumps was an item for the Committee to consider, the Majors & Environment Team Manager confirmed it would come under permitted development.

In response to Councillor Schoemaker it was confirmed that the proposed wildlife corridor would be under the applicants control to maintain.

In response to Councillors, the Majors & Environment Team Manager confirmed that the retaining wall on the western boundary would be approximately 3.6m at its highest point. That section had been reduced in length and stepped down with the garden in order to minimise the impact on the neighbouring properties. There was approximately a 3m gap between the retaining wall and the nearest neighbouring property.

Councillor Schoemaker proposed the Officer advice to permit the application and Councillor Brown seconded.

Councillor Haydn Jones expressed support for the application and for the additional hedgehog mitigation.

The Majors & Environment Team Manager summarised the conditions which needed to be updated as part of the resolution which included:

·         Approved Plan Condition required an update.

·         Condition 4 – Updated to reflect the latest submission and request for a species list with a sign off requirement.

·         Condition 7 – updated the drawing numbers for the parking.

·         Condition 13 – Updated to require full details of the boundary treatment to be submitted.

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED To permit the application subject to the amendments to conditions as listed above.