The report on pages 135 – 152 of the Agenda was presented by Nadia Houghton. Since the publication of the Agenda, she stated it had been noted that that the site plan attached to the Committee Report was an inaccurate red line plan but the report and planning application considered included all the correct plans and also referred to all the correct plans.

The Chair sought more detail on the bin stores as he noted Officer’s refusal reason number two and that the bins were close to the entrance of the site. Nadia Houghton said that the bins were located along the access road of Farm Road and that the bins were currently collected from the properties fronting Farm Road, from Farm Road. She said that in line with highways compliance, the refuse vehicle should be entering into the site at the back of Farm Road to collect the bins as the development was located to the rear of Farm Road which was a narrow road as shown in the site photos in the Officer’s presentation.

Councillor Lawrence mentioned that refuse vehicles in her road reversed back out and questioned whether the refuse vehicles could do the same after collecting other bins in the area. Councillor Sammons also pointed out that refuse vehicles were already collecting bins in the same area. Nadia Houghton explained that there were concerns on the design of the access and not just on refuse collection. There were no visibility splays that would allow for vehicles to move out from the road safely. Julian Howes explained that other service and emergency vehicles would also need to access the site and the Applicant had been asked to demonstrate that there were clear visibility splays at the access point and that there was sufficient turning facility for all vehicles to be able to turn around safely.

The Committee agreed to suspend standing orders at 8.26pm to enable the Agenda to be completed.

Democratic Services read out the Agent, Russell Forde’s statement of support.

Councillor Rice stated that the site was within his ward and that residents had only objected to the roads. He suggested that a condition be included to ask that the roads be brought up to Council standards and that the application should be approved. He highlighted the DCLG’s report which identified a need for age related housing and it was also recognised in the Council’s Core Strategy 2015.

Steve Taylor said that the development to the front of the site was originally a single property and the current site before the Committee was the rear/garden of the development’s site and was GB. The development to the front of the site was already the maximum permitted development on the site. He highlighted that once the GB was built upon, it would not become a green open space again. The Chair noted that the site had been approved for development in 2018 and was a case of developers requesting for more development on the site. He noted that there were no negative comments from residents but the site was GB.

Councillor Lawrence proposed for a site visit to enable Members to view the access road in regards to the concerns around refuse vehicles and visibility splays. Councillor Byrne seconded this.

FOR: (8) Councillors Gary Byrne, Mike Fletcher, Tom Kelly, Angela Lawrence, David Potter, Gerard Rice, Sue Sammons and Sue Shinnick.

AGAINST: (0)

ABSTAINED: (0)

The application was deferred for a site visit.