Agenda item

Site Plan

Bromsgrove Planning Application No. 17/00469/OUT

Outline application, for the erection of up to 68 dwellings to include car parking, open space provision and associated infrastructure (following demolition of all existing buildings) with details of the means of access to the site from Foxlydiate Lane submitted for consideration at this stage, with all other matters (including internal circulation routes) reserved.

Officers presented the report and explained that the application site fell within the Bromsgrove District Council (”BDC”) boundary, and that ultimately this was a matter that would be decided by the Bromsgrove District Council Planning Committee. Redditch Borough Council had been consulted because of the close proximity of the site to the Bromsgrove/Redditch boundary.

Officers had carried out a detailed appraisal of the application and Members were being asked to consider and endorse the officer response set out on pages 39 to 42 of the main agenda.

It was noted that the application was for outline permission and that the site sat within the wider Foxlydiate site which was also the subject of a planning application being determined by Bromsgrove District Council ( Planning Application no 16/0263), the consultation response for which the Members had considered under agenda item 8.

From a policy point of view, the position was the same as had already been explained under agenda item 8, namely that the site was included in the Bromsgrove District Council Plan to meet some of the developments requirements of Redditch Borough Council. The background to this was that there had been insufficient capacity within Redditch for the dwellings that the authority was required to supply.  Accordingly, under the duty to co-operate in the Localism Act, the two councils had worked together to identify two areas on the border of Redditch and Bromsgrove that could be brought forward to accommodate the shortfall.  Those arrangements had subsequently been formalised through the local plan making process and had resulted in the identification of two areas for residential development at Foxlydiate and Brockhill.

Members were referred to the relevant policy documents, namely the Bromsgrove District Council Cross Boundary Policy in the Bromsgrove District Plan (Adopted 2017) (Policy RCBD1) and the Redditch Borough Council Cross Boundary Policy which was included as an appendix to the Redditch Local Plan No 4 ( BORLP4) (Adopted January 2017).

Officers confirmed that in principle the application complied with the requirements set out in the relevant policy documents, and that officers were recommending that the application be supported subject to the comments in the officer response.

In response to questions from Members officers confirmed that on the current plans access to the development site would be from Foxlydiate Road.  A bell mouth would be included in the plans for the adjoining site (16/0263) to allow

for the option of the roads being linked at a later stage.  Members were advised that the site was being put forward as a stand alone development and any proposals to re-visit this would have to be the subject of commercial negotiation.

Officers were not able to give an answer as to whether the development would be built out by the same builders as would be used for application 16/0263 or by different builders.

Members noted that the report covered very much the same issues that they had already discussed in detail under agenda item 8. Accordingly it was moved and seconded that the officer response be endorsed and that officers be requested to highlight the same three issues that had been identified under agenda 8, namely, provision of affordable housing for Redditch, trigger points for section 106 agreements and the need for design standards to encompass energy neutral approaches and the provision of electric vehicle charging points.  In addition the comments in paragraph 5.2 concerning the potential mix of housing for sale were noted.

RESOLVED that:-

(i)            No objection be raised to the planning application;

(ii)          The comments under the heading Officer appraisal (Appendix 1 at pages 39 to 42 of the main agenda) be endorsed;

(iii)         Appendix 1 be amended by officers to add further comments from Members with regard to :-

a.    Emphasising the issue around affordable housing for Redditch as referred to at para 5 on page 41 along with the mix of units for sale as referred to at para 5.2 on page 41;

b.    Raising the need for defined trigger points to be used in the section 106 agreements to ensure that contributions are made in a timely manner, especially with regard to education contributions; and

c.    Emphasising the need for the design of the development to accommodate energy neutral approaches and provision of electric vehicle charging points.