Agenda item

Erection of 14no. dwellings following demolition of existing bowling clubhouse and garage block [Fulford and Heslington] [Site Visit]

Members considered a full major application from RMBI and Shepherd Homes Ltd for the erection of 14 numbered dwellings following the demolition of an existing bowling clubhouse and garage block.

Representations were received from the Ward Member, Councillor Aspden. He gave a short history of the site to the Committee and informed them that it was a major feature of the village. He felt that the development would harm the Conservation Area, would encourage flooding and would not tie in with the emerging Local Plan.

Representations in objection were received from a local resident, David Wilkinson. He handed out a series of photographs to Members and explained to Members using them how he felt the development of the houses would damage views looking in and out of the site.

Further representations in objection were received from the Chair of Fulford Friends, Constance Smith. She felt that the development would cause irreversible harm to the Fulford Conservation Area. She added that the design for the development should be sympathetic to the parkland setting and of smaller scale. However, what had been planned were larger and closely packed houses.

Karin de Vries from Fulford Parish Council spoke about how the Conservation Area had been extended to protect the grounds of Fulford Park. She felt that the harm to it would be substantial and that there should be a reassessment carried out.

Richard Wood, the agent for the applicant spoke in support of the application. He informed the Committee that the application had no objections from the Environment Agency and it was suitable, achievable and deliverable under the National Planning Policy Framework.

Some Members raised concerns about specialist conservation information that had only recently become available on the public website and asked whether the Conservation Officer’s views had been sought.

The Planning Officer advised that the Council’s Conservation Architect had made comments on the scheme but for technical reasons they had not been viewable by the public until recently.  The Conservation Architect, who was in attendance at the meeting, responded that she had reviewed and had an input into the relevant sections of the officer’s report.

Resolved: That the application be approved.

Reason:    The application would provide 14 dwellings in a highly sustainable and accessible location.  There would be some minor harm to designated heritage assets, i.e. Fulford Village Conservation Area, the setting of Fulford Road Conservation Area and the setting of the Grade II listed building (The Cottage).  Having attached considerable importance and weight to the desirability of avoiding such harm the local planning authority has concluded that it is outweighed by the application's public benefits of providing much-needed housing in a sustainable location.  In terms of flood risk the local planning authority has carried out a sequential test and is satisfied that there are no other appropriate, reasonably available sites for the proposed development in areas with a lower probability of flooding.  Furthermore that the development would be appropriately flood resilient and resistant.  All other issues are satisfactorily addressed. The development would contribute £84,052 towards education, £48,856 towards open space and £19,381 towards improvements to open space (bowling green facilities at Scarcroft Green). These contributions are considered to be:

          (a)   necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms;

          (b)    directly related to the development; and

          (c)     fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development,

                   and therefore comply with Regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended). These contributions have already been secured in a s.106 Obligation. The application accords with national planning policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and with the emerging policies in the Draft York Local Plan (2014 Publication Draft).