Agenda item

Land Off Frearson Road Coalville Leicestershire LE67 2XA

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

Ms K Tudor, Parish Councillor, addressed the Committee.  She stated that the report still did not clarify the concerns of the Parish Council and that the contributions offered were not enough.  She felt that play areas were desperately needed in the area not green spaces as proposed and the contributions should be spent locally not at the Hermitage Leisure Centre.  She concluded that contributions were necessary for the Hugglescote crossroads but not for the Community Centre to be demolished.

Mr R Spurr, objector addressed the Committee and listed the following concerns:

-   The development would add an unacceptable amount of traffic to the Hugglescote crossroads and the traffic assessment used was 18 months old, so not up to date.

-   He believed that under Planning Policy S3, the application was not sustainable.

-   The development had very little affordable housing.

-   The MPPF and other Planning Policies stated that the land was only to be used as a last resort.

-   Great crested newts were established on the site.

Mr R Spurr added that as the contribution from Leicestershire Constabulary had been reduced, the money should be used for children and adult play.  He concluded by urging the Members to refuse the application.

Mr G Phillipson, applicant, addressed the Committee.  He stated that he had lived in the area for 48 years and was the Chairman of the Thomas Harley Charity which owned 70 percent of the application site.  He explained the background of the Charity and identified where the money was currently donated to.  He concluded that if the application was approved the charity would benefit greatly and would be able to continue its good work.

Councillor R Johnson stated that he had looked at the merits of the application but was very disappointed that the developer had not engaged with the Parish Council in the last three years as they had promised.  He referred to the Localism Act which stated that a developer should consult with the Parish Council as well as local residents and details of this should be included within the application when considered by the District Council, he believed the developers had not been transparent by not consulting.  He then stated the following concerns:

-   The original proposals were for 43 affordable homes, which was under the Council’s recommended percentage.  The current application did not have any affordable homes within the development which was not acceptable, especially as the Council’s website specifically refers to affordable housing in the District.

-   He believed the land should be protected as there were great crested newts in the area and it is of high agricultural quality.

-   There had been many objections to the application including Andrew Bridgen MP, Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Donington and Hugglescote Action Group.

-   He believed the development was not sustainable as the nearest supermarket was over a mile away, the local school was two miles away, plus there were no bus routes or a doctor’s surgery.

-   The transport assessment was out of date as it was 18 months old and the Hugglescote crossroads was already overused, especially as other applications had been approved that would also have an impact.

-   Out of all of the new homes built in the District, 51 percent were in the Hugglescote and Donington le Heath area.

Councillor R Johnson urged Members to refuse the application as the developer had not engaged, plus the documents on the website were not up to date.

Councillor J Geary raised concerns on the lack of affordable housing as they were desperately needed in the villages, also with other applications being permitted without any affordable housing there was a danger of setting a precedent.  He referred to a recent article published which highlighted that developers were using viability of affordable housing in developments as an excuse to not include them in applications and he felt that Members could not let this continue.  He also raised highway concerns as he believed that the opinion of the Highway Authority was a grey area.  He felt that the development would have an adverse impact on Hugglescote cross roads and the Council was selling off affordable housing for a highway improvement with no details available. It was his opinion that the Council seemed to get this wrong and therefore could not support the application.

Councillor R Johnson moved that the application be refused on the grounds that it was contrary to Planning Policies E3 and E4, failure to comply with the Localism Act due to lack of engagement and the lack of affordable homes.

The motion was put to the vote and LOST.

The chairman then put the officer’s recommendation to the vote.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Regeneration and Planning.