Issue - meetings

Land N of Old Hill

Meeting: 26/11/2019 - Planning Committee (Item 64)

64 BICKINGTON - 19/01204/OUT - Land To The North Of Old Hill, Bickington - Outline application for four affordable dwellings and five market dwellings, (approval sought for access) pdf icon PDF 517 KB

Decision:

Resolved

 

Permission be refused for the following reasons:

1. The proposed development would constitute the provision of open market housing within the open countryside which is contrary to Policy S22. Whilst an element of affordable housing is proposed, the application is not accompanied by a viability assessment which evidences the requirement for the open market housing to cross subsidise the delivery of affordable homes on a rural exception site. The application is therefore contrary to Policies S21, S22 and WE5 of the Teignbridge Local Plan.

2. Insufficient information has been supplied to demonstrate that the proposal would not have a harmful impact on protected species contrary to policies EN8 (Biodiversity, Protection and Enhancement) and EN10 (European Wildlife Sites) of the Teignbridge Local Plan.

 (11 votes for, 3 against and 2 abstentions)

 

Minutes:

Public Speaker, Objector – Objected on the following grounds: the majority of residents have objected, the land is classified as open countryside, a similar application was refused in 2018, the need for affordable housing can be met without development in the countryside, the presence of foxes & bats, lack of on road parking, increased flooding risk, roads are narrow and emergency vehicles currently have difficulty negotiating narrow roads.

Public Speaker, Supporter – Supported on the following grounds: An identified need for new housing, the importance of housing for reinvigoration, good public transport links, and that most opposition had come from people living close to the development.

Comments from Councillors included: Merit for a site inspection to assess the value of the site for housing, approval of the application would be premature, the site is outside the village envelope, the site should be reviewed as part of a neighbourhood plan, no viability assessment for open market housing which is contrary to policy WE5, contrary to policy S22 as is within the Countryside, concerns about the precedent of building in greenfield area and concerns about the inclusion of market housing.

The Solicitor advised that approval of this application may establish the principle of open market houses in the Countryside and may make it harder to refuse similar applications in the future.

It was proposed by Councillor H Cox and seconded by Councillor J Petherick that consideration be deferred pending a site inspection.

An amendment was proposed by Councillor J Hook and seconded by Councillor Dewhirst that the application be refused for reasons set out in the agenda report. The amendment was carried.

Resolved

 

Permission be refused for the following reasons:

1. The proposed development would constitute the provision of open market housing within the open countryside which is contrary to Policy S22. Whilst an element of affordable housing is proposed, the application is not accompanied by a viability assessment which evidences the requirement for the open market housing to cross subsidise the delivery of affordable homes on a rural exception site. The application is therefore contrary to Policies S21, S22 and WE5 of the Teignbridge Local Plan.

2. Insufficient information has been supplied to demonstrate that the proposal would not have a harmful impact on protected species contrary to policies EN8 (Biodiversity, Protection and Enhancement) and EN10 (European Wildlife Sites) of the Teignbridge Local Plan.

 (11 votes for, 3 against and 2 abstentions)