Agenda and minutes

The Chair reminded Councillors to declare any known interests in any of the matters to be considered by the Committee.

Councillor Toby Elliott made a personal and prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of application numbered S/18/1072 as s family member owned a property in the close vicinity.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th January 2019.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th January 2019, be confirmed and signed.

Mr Gary Llewellyn asked a public question seeking clarification in respect of the current review of the Council’s Local Plan when it was likely to be published.  The Chair indicated that a written response would be provided.

The Chair with the agreement of the Committee, and at the request of the applicant’s agent, determined that applications S/15/1701 and S/18/1302 should be considered together as they related to the same site and the same applicant.  Any consideration of the applications would be considered separately and solely upon their own merits.

In respect of application numbered S/15/1701 (Erection of 1no. dwelling – Land Off Short Drive, Hinton Parva, Swindon), the Committee considered: -

          Name                                 Address/Organisation

          Mark Cullen                         Agent

          Martin Wilson                      Applicant

          Nigel Crisp                          Bishopstone Parish Council

Councillors Toby Elliott, Fionuala Foley, Stan Pajak, Vera Tomlinson and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       The application if successful would make a small contribution to the deficit in the Council’s 5 year housing plan.

·       The application has been pending since 2015 with no objection from the Policy Officer, Highways Officer or Open Design Officer.

·       That the dwellings cannot be considered as isolated and the proposal set against Paragraph 79 of the NPPF (formally paragraph 55 in the 2012 NPPF which was no longer relevant) and that the application was consistent with the current framework.

·       Paragraph 131 of the NPPF was applicable and gave weight to schemes that raise the standard of design so long as they fit in with the form of the surrounding buildings.

·       Paragraph 103 of the NPPF recognises that sustainable transport solutions would vary between rural and urban settings and that this should be taken into account during the decision making process.

·       The applicant had collaborated constantly with the Council’s Design Officer and the South West Design Panel to reach a design that was supported by the experts.  Indeed the Design Panel considered the architectural deign approach to be of high quality in a simple form reflecting a smith shop/smithy with cladding was supported by the Panel.

·       The Urban Design Officer concluded that in his opinion that residential development on this site was acceptable.

·       The applicant and his design team had done everything the Council had requested of them in the previous four years and there had been no objections from consultees within the Council.

·       The site was sustainable and only 1.5 miles from the village of Wanborough which offered local facilities and there were bus stops within the vicinity of the site the nearest being 75 metres away and on a school bus route.

·       The facilities of Hinton Parva, including a primary school, were within walking distance.

·       The grant of the application for a family home would help support local facilities and services remain sustainable.

·       The applicant had done all they could in respect of the application to provide a family home in a suitable location.

·       The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

In respect of application numbered S/18/1302 (Erection of 1no. dwelling – Land Off Short Drive, Hinton Parva, Swindon), the Committee considered: -

          Name                                 Address/Organisation

          Mark Cullen                         Agent

          Martin Wilson                      Applicant

          Nigel Crisp                          Bishopstone Parish Council

Councillors Toby Elliott, Fionuala Foley, Stan Pajak, Vera Tomlinson and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       The application if successful would make a small contribution to the deficit in the Council’s 5 year housing plan.

·       The application has been pending since 2015 with no objection from the Policy Officer, Highways Officer or Open Design Officer.

·       That the dwellings cannot be considered as isolated and the proposal set against Paragraph 79 of the NPPF (formally paragraph 55 in the 2012 NPPF was no longer relevant and that the application was consistent with the current framework).

·       Paragraph 131 of the NPPF was applicable which gives weight to schemes that raise the standard of design so long as they fit in with the form of the surrounding buildings.

·       Paragraph 103 of the NPPF recognises that sustainable transport solution will vary between rural and urban settings and that this should be taken into account during the decision making process.

·       The applicant had collaborated constantly with the Council’s Design Officer and the South West Design Panel to reach a design that was supported by the experts.  Indeed the Design Panel considered the architectural deign approach to be of high quality in a simple form reflecting a smith shop/smithy with cladding was supported by the Panel.

·       The Urban Design Officer concluded that in his opinion that residential development on this site was acceptable.

·       The applicant and his design team had done everything the Council had requested of them in the previous four years and there had been no objections from consultees within the Council.

·       The site was sustainable and only 1.5 miles from the village of Wanborough which offered local facilities and there were bus stops within the vicinity of the site the nearest being 75 metres away and on a school bus route.

·       The facilities of Hinton Parva, including a primary school, were within walking distance of the proposed development.

·       The grant of the application for a family home would help support local facilities and services remain sustainable.

·       The applicant had done all they could in respect of the application to provide a family home in a suitable location.

·       The proposed dwelling was for a family home for a local family who also worked locally.  Family members also lived in Wanborough and were full participants in village activities.

·       The Parish Council had been consulted prior to the applications and during the planning process.

·       The site already had a building  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

In respect of application numbered S/18/1702 Erection of a three storey block of 6 no. flats and associated works - 98 Redcliffe Street, Swindon) the Committee considered: -

          Name                                 Address/Organisation

          Mark Campbell                    Agent

          James Yeowell                    Central Swindon South Parish Council

          Shaun O’Grady                   Local Resident

Councillors Malcolm Davies, Fionuala Foley, Nick Martin, Stan Pajak, Jim Robbins, Vera Tomlinson and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       The site was largely surrounded by residential development.

·       The application complied with Local Plan Policy SD2 with regard to sustainable development.

·       The development was sustainable and was close to footpaths, Swindon’s bus network, local schools and good access to the services and facilities in the town centre.

·       The development would provide six flats which would help meet the Council’s deficit in its five year housing land supply.

·       The materials proposed were red brick which would be sympathetic to the existing street scene.

·       The proposed building was at the end of a street with a recently completed development with its own car park opposite.

·       Given the mixed character of the street and the design and materials proposed for the new development and the car parking provision proposed it was deemed by officers to be acceptable.

·       Subject to conditions there had been no objection from Highways Officers on either parking or access.

·       On the request of the Council’s Tree Officer trial trenching had been undertaken to ascertain whether the roots of a large tree on the edge of the site would be damaged and it had been determined that this would not be the case, nor would there be damage to the tree itself.

·       The development was compliant with respect to the Swindon Local Plan and in respect of parking provision with one space per flat and a space for visitors, and also provided cycle storage.

Submission opposing the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       Three on-street car parking spaces would be lost as a result of the development in an area that already had insufficient capacity.

·       The development would be an overdevelopment of a fairly small site.

·       The development would add additional traffic to an area that already suffered major vehicular congestion.

·       The development might affect the light to properties in Padstowe Road and Churchward.

·       There might be privacy and light issues affecting residents of Britannia House and Godwin House opposite the proposed development.

·       The seven parking spaces for the development were insufficient and would cause problems of additional on-street parking arising from visitors to the proposed flats and delivery drivers.

·       The area of the development was used for turning cars in a narrow street.

·       Traffic and parking is a major issue in Rodbourne, including Redcliffe Street.

·       Refuse  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.