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Councillor Warnes (as a resident of the village) declared a non-pecuniary interest in the following item pursuant to the provision of Meetings General Procedure Rule 7(5).
The Committee considered an outline planning application for: up to 50 dwellings; a new vehicle drop-off/pick up point; and access from Peldon Road All Matters reserved, except access & outline application for the erection of five dwellings. The applications were referred to the Planning Committee as they represented a departure from the adopted Development Plan and in the case of the larger application the signing of a legal agreement is required, and objections have been received.
The Committee had before it a report in which all information was set out.
Nadine Calder, Principal Planning Officer, presented the report and assisted the Committee in its deliberations. A presentation was given outlining the two sites before the Committee with Site A (213530) proposed to have 50 dwellings and will also provide additional parking for the school and site B (213531) proposed 5 dwellings with an additional footpath. The Principal Planning Officer elaborated that the footway from site B could be secured via condition, and that following a review of the crossing point Essex County Council Highways Authority had advised that a controlled crossing was not recommended and would cause a safety issue, and that primary healthcare funding had been secured through site A. Further to this the committee were informed that the officer recommendation for Site A had been updated to remove condition 31 and that condition 29 would be amended to require details of a drop off and pick up point for the school either on school grounds or Site A to be submitted prior to the commencement of any works and that for Site B condition 10 would be amended to secure the proposed footway prior to any development commencing. The Case Officer concluded by outlining the officer recommendation of approval as detailed in the Committee report with the additional conditions read out in the meeting.
Dr Simon Dougherty of Abberton Parish Council (Objector) addressed the Committee pursuant to the provisions of Planning Committee Procedure Rule 8 (as amended by the Chair to allow speakers on both applications) in objection of application 213530 and 213531. The Committee heard that most residents in the area did not want development in the area but that any development must ensure that it would address the congestion as detailed in the Local Plan and asked that pragmatic solutions were sought for the proposed developments. The Committee heard that the Head Teacher of Langenhoe Community Primary School welcomed the development of 10 drop of/ pick up spaces but confirmed that the fall-back position was not acceptable and that a further risk assessment would need to be conducted. The speaker noted that it would be unreasonable to ask for 78 spaces to accommodate all the students who did not live in the immediate area. The speaker concluded that the proposal would not meet the adopted Local Plan policies and that the proposal was not safe.
Andrew Ransome (Supporter) addressed the Committee pursuant to the provisions of Planning Committee Procedure Rule 8 (as amended by the Chair to allow speaker on both applications) in support of application 213530. As the speaker addressed the Committee it was brought to the Chairs attention that that HRH, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away. As a mark of respect for the Queen, the Chair proposed that the meeting be adjourned, and the applications be deferred. Following receipt of a seconder a vote was taken.
RESOLVED (UNANIMOUSLY) Deferred for consideration at next committee as a mark of deep respect on receipt of the news of the passing of HRH, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.