Agenda item

Hybrid application 19/00976/HYB for up to 960 dwellings consisting of a full application for128 dwellings accessed off Weights Lane, new public open space, drainage system, engineering operations, associated works and an Outline application, with all matters reserved with the exception of access, for the construction of the remaining dwellings with the access point off Cookridge Close, Hawling Street and Weights Lane and including a

new district centre, new play facilities, new highway network, public open space, new drainage system and surface water attenuation, engineering operations and all associated works including landscaping.

Officers presented the report and in doing so reminded members that the application site straddled the administrative boundary between Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council, with part of the site falling into each area.  As such, parallel planning applications had been submitted to each Local Planning Authority.  At this meeting Members were being asked to consider only the consultation response to Bromsgrove relating to that part of the Bromsgrove application abutting the Redditch boundary.  Full consideration of both planning applications would take place before each authority’s Planning Committee in due course.

Officers outlined the key physical features of the site with reference to the site location plan, noting that the site was 56 hectares in size, consisting mainly of grassland.  Constraints affecting the site included the location of Red Ditch, the gas mains which crosses the site, a fuel pipeline and differences in topographical levels.

Officers referred Members to the elements making up the full application.  In summary these consisted of the construction of 128 dwellings, access to the site via a re-aligned junction at Weights Lane, internal access roads and provision of public open space.  Of the 128 dwellings, 76 would be constructed on the Redditch side of the boundary, and 52 on the Bromsgrove side of the boundary.  There would be a range of housing types with provision of affordable housing in accordance with the relevant polices for each Local Planning Authority.

The outline application covered access to the local highways network, but with all other matters reserved for subsequent approval.  Specifically, the reserved matters would include scale, appearance, layout and landscaping.  Officers confirmed that the outline element would in due course deliver 23 hectares of residential development made up of up to 832 dwellings, a mixed use district centre of 0.8 hectares, a new internal highway network and 30 hectares of public open space.

Officers outlined the key elements of the development with reference to the slides in the Site Plans and Presentations Pack on pages 53 to 64.

Members were referred to the officer consultation response set out on pages 51 to 54 of the main agenda, and in particular to the key issues of design, housing and transport.  Officers highlighted the need for the new development

to integrate well, including that the green swathes would need to link into the strategic site and surrounding area, and the importance of provision of affordable housing, which would be to meet the needs of Redditch.

Officers responded to questions from Members regarding the mix of house types, proposed access from Weights Lane, linkage of new internal roads to the existing road network, and treatment of the Red Ditch.  In particular Members requested that the Red Ditch should be subject to the same type of treatment, from an environmental and open space point of view, as had occurred on other nearby housing developments.

RESOLVED that

Members endorse the comments under the heading Officer Appraisal as set out on pages 51 to 54 of the agenda.