Issue - meetings

Outline application with all matters reserved, except for Access (excluding internal estate roads) for the erection of up to 24 no. residentialdwellings.

DEFER

Mr Bushell presented the item to Members and drew attention to the information provided on the update sheet.

The Committee received the following speakers:

Chris Agar – Parish Council

Stuart Holmes – Objector

David Neame – Agent

Gareth Evans – District Council (statement read)

Mr Bushell responded to Members’ comments and questions.  With regards to the weight which could be afforded to progress being made revising the Neighbourhood Plan (NP), Mr Bushell confirmed that the NP was in its very early stages looking at potential housing sites and was not yet sufficiently advanced to carry weight in terms of decision making. The previous application for 22 units was currently the subject of an appeal and had been refused on the basis that the Council at that time was able to demonstrate that it had a five year supply of housing land and that its housing policies which resisted new housing outside of settlement boundaries were up to date.  As of 15th July 2020, the housing policies in the Development Plan which for planning purposes in Loxwood comprises the adopted Local Plan (LP) and the made NP were now out of date and the Council had now introduced its Interim Policy Statement to manage the determination of new applications for housing outside of settlement boundaries.  With regards to the three metre landscape buffer zone as opposed to five metres, Mr Bushell explained that it was necessary to balance the wildlife and screening benefits of the buffer whilst ensuring an effective use of the land for delivering housing and that three metres was considered sufficient for both the planting of vegetation and protection of tree roots and allowing an acceptable density of development.  On the matter of the carriageway widths, the internal layout of the site was a reserved matter which would be assessed as part of the subsequent reserved matters application.

With regard to foul water drainage, Mr Bushell confirmed that there was an on-going dialogue with Southern Water which was looking to improve infrastructure going forward but that on this application Southern Water had raised no objection.

Rev Bowden made a proposal to defer the decision pending a report regarding the progress of the revised NP and further consultations with Southern Water.  The Chairman advised this would result in a delay and therefore a potential appeal against non-determination of the application.  Mr Whitty confirmed that with an appeal currently in progress on the previous application for 22 dwellings a timely decision would be required by the Committee, and added that Southern Water were responsible for providing appropriate services, and a prematurity argument for regarding the proposals running ahead of the NP would not be a sufficient reason for a deferral and therefore he would counsel against such a proposal.

On the matter of the original outline application on the site in 2014 for 25 dwellings which was refused and dismissed on appeal, Mr Bushell explained that this had been refused by Secretary of State as it had been found contrary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 122