Agenda item

Report of the Planning and Development Manager recommending delegated authority be granted in respect of an application for a proposed development at the above address, attached.

Redevelopment of the former school playground to provide 21 residential units (13 x 2 bedroom houses, 5 x 3 bedroom houses and 3 x 4 bedroom houses) with associated car parking and amenity space and vehicular access from Yeovil Chase (Outline application seeking approval for access, layout and scale).

UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE THE AMENDED OFFICER RECOMMENDATION TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TO GRANT CONDITIONAL PLANNING PERMISSION SUBJECT TO THE APPLICANT ENTERING INTO A SECTION 106 LEGAL AGREEMENT WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RESOLVED

that authority be delegated to the Planning and Development Manager to grant conditional planning approval subject to:-

a)  Confirmation in writing by the applicant prior to the grant of planning permission that the attached draft Heads of Terms are acceptable to the applicant.

b)  The receipt of an undertaking from the Head of Property and Procurement Services that the contract for the sale of Council owned land, the subject of this application, will be conditional upon the purchaser and any other landowner entering into a S.106 legal agreement with the Council, prior to or simultaneously with the land transfer taking place, to provide the following planning obligations:

i.   Financial contributions towards site specific transport contributions for highway improvements in the vicinity of the site in line with Policy SDP4 of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (March 2006), policies CS18 and CS25 of the adopted LDF Core Strategy (2010) and the adopted SPG relating to Planning Obligations (August 2005 as amended);

ii.  A financial contribution towards strategic transport projects for highway network improvements in the wider area as set out in the Local Transport Plan and appropriate SPG/D;

iii.   Financial contributions towards the relevant elements of public open space required by the development in line with polices CLT3, CLT5, CLT6 of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (March 2006), Policies CS21 CS25 of the adopted LDF Core Strategy (2010) and the adopted SPG relating to Planning Obligations (August 2005 as amended), to mitigate for the loss of that part of the site which is currently protected open space:-

·  Amenity Open Space (“open space”);

·  Playing Field;

·  Play space/equipment.

iv.  The provision of a minimum of 35% of the dwellings as affordable housing, in accordance with Policy CS15 of the adopted LDF Core Strategy (2010);

v.  Submission of a highway condition survey to ensure any damage to the adjacent highway network attributable to the build process is repaired by the developer;

vi.  that  a Traffic Regulation Order within the access road serving the site be secured.

c)  The receipt of an undertaking from the Head of Children’s Services and Learning, to secure:

i)  controlled community use of the woodland area as a pocket park;

ii)  Submission of a management plan to demonstrate how use of the pocket park will be controlled

d)  the conditions in the report and the deletion of condition no 28.

REASONS FOR DECISION

The proposal represents a departure from Policies CS21 of the City of Southampton Core Strategy (January 2010) and ‘saved’ Policy CLT3 of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (March 2006), because it involves a net loss of protected open space. However the mitigation offered for that set out below is considered acceptable to allow a departure from the Development Plan for Southampton.  The development is otherwise acceptable taking into account the policies and proposals of the Development Plan as set out below. 

A suitable balance has been achieved between securing additional housing, parking, on-site amenity space and landscaping, whilst ensuring that existing residential amenity is protected. 

The element of the site previously used as a playing field has not been in use for 3 years and was fenced off as part of the redevelopment of the school in 2008. The loss of this open space will be mitigated by the provision of a green within the development site, and controlled public access of the woodland fronting Yeovil Chase. The woodland will form a pocket park to be open at weekends. Whilst there will still be a net loss of open space (2,387 square metres), it is considered that this will have a limited impact on the quality of open space provision in the locality due to the existing level of provision in the locality and there would be a gain in terms of the amount and quality of publically accessible open space.

Sport England raises no objection to the loss of playing fields on the basis that substantial investment has taken place to improve the drainage of the retained playing fields thereby improving the quality and usability of the retained playing fields; and also on the basis that a community use agreement and sports development plan can be secured through planning permission 08/01317/R3CFL. Other material considerations do not have sufficient weight to justify a refusal of the application.  In accordance with Section 38 (6) of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 deemed Outline Planning Permission should therefore be granted.

'Saved' Policies - SDP1, SDP4, SDP5, SDP7, SDP8, SDP9, SDP10, SDP11, SDP12, SDP13, SDP21, SDP22, NE4, HE6, CLT5, CLT6, H1, H2, H3, H6 and H7 of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (March 2006) as supported by the City of Southampton Core Strategy (January 2010) policies CS4, CS5, CS13, CS14, CS15, CS16, CS18, CS19, CS20, CS22, CS23 and CS25.