July 2021 Minutes Planning Cttee
Minutes of the Cherry Willingham Planning Committee, held on Monday 26th July 2021 at 7pm
Present: Cllr Bridgwood (Chairman), Cllr Brylewski, Cllr Bates and Cllr Trahearn
Gill Shaw (Parish Clerk).
Cllrs J and B Robinson attended as members of the public.
Guest speakers in attendance : Dean Sempers and Phil Scrafton (Globe Limited)
Joe Taylor and Mia Tobutt (both from Franklin Ellis, Architects) joined virtually.
The meeting began with a presentation on the progress of the Willingham Fen Marina at 7pm.
Details of which are attached. It was agreed that a display would be arranged for the public to view at the Millennium Hall, an article would be placed in the Cherry News and a further presentation could be arranged in the future.
Thanks were given for the interesting and informative presentation.
All members of the public left the meeting at 8.10pm
1) Welcome and to resolve to receive apologies and accept reasons for absence.
Cllr Houghton had sent her apologies (concerns about Covid), Cllrs Scott and Lacy (holiday).
It was RESOLVED to accept their reasons for absence.
2) Members' disclosure of pecuniary interests.
None.
3) To receive notes of the last meeting held on 28th June 2021 and agree for them to be signed as a true record.
It was RESOLVED to accept the notes and they were duly signed as a true record.
4) To consider applications submitted for comment
a) Application Reference No: 143260 - Land to the south of Wesley Road - erection of 21 affordable dwellings - Phase 3.
Several concerns were raised and comments would be submitted to West Lindsey District Council Planning Department (see attached comments).
b) Application Reference No: 143301 - Land to the west of Reepham Village Hall - change of use from agricultural land to dog exercising park.
This application came under Reepham Parish Council but Cherry Willingham Parish Council was able to send comments to planning. Concerns were discussed and a request was to be submitted that any planning consent should include a clause whereby if the business failed, the land should revert back to agricultural land.
ACTION: Clerk to submit comments.
c) Application Reference No: 143304 - Land off Hawthorn Chase - erect 1 dwelling including parking provision.
No comments.
d) Application Reference No: 143223 - 5 St Hughes Close - two storey front ext.
No comments.
e) Any other applications received
There were two extra applications received:
143381 - 3 Fiskerton Road - rear and side extension and loft conversion.
No comments.
143391 - 18 Jubilee Close - extension over garage.
No comments.
5) To review the local plan.
● To allocate councillors to review the consultation documents where they relate to The Cherry Willingham Neighbourhood Plan.
A list of areas in the plan to be reviewed had been previously prepared and sections allocated to individual councillors to research.
6) To receive an update on any meeting with the owners of Bleak Farm to discuss their future plans for the site.
Mr Rowe would be happy to attend the next committee meeting to discuss progressing this development.
It was noted that all the village would like the site to be developed and tidied up.
ACTION: The committee to meet in August to look at the reasons why the previous planning applications had been refused in order to discuss with Mr Rowe on how to proceed towards a successful application.
7) To receive an update on the continued building work at the listed property on the High Street.
No update had yet been received from the Enforcement officer at WLDC.
8) Any matter for report and notice of items to be included in the next agenda.
- An informal training session to be held in August to look at the previously submitted plans for Bleak Farm and the objections raised thereon.
- Further comments to be submitted to WLDC in relation to the development at Rudgard Avenue. - Chair to prepare.
- Compare up to date traffic data
9) To confirm the date of the next meeting - to be agreed.
Application Reference No: 143260: Planning application for an entry level exception site for erection of 21no. affordable dwellings - phase 3.
LOCATION: Land to South of Wesley Road Cherry Willingham Lincoln LN3 4GT
Statement from Cherry Willingham Parish Council
Although the site is outside both the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan and the Cherry Willingham Neighbourhood Plan, it is an acceptable application due to the changes to the National Policy Framework re affordable housing. The applicant does seem to have considered the Neighbourhood plan. The style of the proposed dwellings is in line with the previous phases.
Affordable Housing
As the application is for "Affordable Housing" and states that it is aimed to meet the deficits shown within the Neighbourhood plan, we would expect that the applicant would market the properties in accordance with the criteria contained in the Neighbourhood Plan:
8.13 Policy H2 addresses the issue of housing type, mix and density. Its fourth and fifth components address affordable housing. The Parish Council is keen to ensure that new affordable housing in the neighbourhood area should be allocated on local connection criteria. The following local connection criteria overlap with those used by the District Council in its Section 106 lettings principles. All new affordable housing in Cherry Willingham should be allocated based on local connection criteria meaning that priority should be given to people who can demonstrate a strong local connection to the village and whose needs cannot be met by the open market. The local connection prioritisation is as follows:
1. Was born in the Parish of Cherry Willingham;
2. Has permanently resided for 5 years or more in the Parish of Cherry Willingham;
3. Used to permanently live in the Parish of Cherry Willingham for 5 years or more but has been forced to move away because of the lack of affordable housing;
4. Has been permanently employed in the Parish of Cherry Willingham for 5 years or more;
5. Has permanently resided for between 1 and 5 years in the Parish of Cherry Willingham;
6. Has lived in the Parish of Cherry Willingham for between 1 and 5 years but has been forced to move away because of the lack of affordable housing;
7. Has been permanently employed in the parish of Cherry Willingham for between 1 and 5 years;
8. Needs to reside in the parish of Cherry Willingham to give or receive family care and support.
The Parish Council requests that as a condition of the approval the development is designated as “Affordable Housing” in perpetuity and the conditions above as taken from the Neighbourhood Plan are applied for the allocation of residents.
Site Connectivity.
The site is located outside the development areas contained in both the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan and the Cherry Willingham Neighbourhood Plan and this raises issues in regard to the connectivity to both Little Cherry and the main village of Cherry Willingham.
This raises concerns with the Parish Council. As the development is to be “Affordable Housing” it is likely that residents will rely to a greater extent on local services and public transport. Therefore the Parish Council would like to see better connectivity to the services in the main village: This could be achieved through a new connection from the proposed development to Green Lane in Cherry Willingham. This would relate to the following areas of the adopted Neighbourhood Plan: Extracts from Cherry Willingham Neighbourhood Plan
Page 7: Paragraph 1.16 The table below shows the issues raised by the community during consultation.
Table 1: Key issues raised by the community:
Access to other parts of the village and neighbouring villages
Creating opportunities to enhance our existing public rights of way through policy will preserve these for the future use of the village. New development may also create opportunities for new connections to Public Rights of Way to be created.
Page 11: 3 Community Vision
The village will be a greener place with access to useable and pleasant areas of open space throughout the village and improved links to the nearby open countryside.
Page 12/13: 4 Community Objectives
Extracts from Table 2: Community Objective and policy intention
2. Future housing development
To influence the location, scale, design and type of new housing to ensure that it safeguards or improves character of local areas, meets identified local housing needs, enhances the village setting and its connection/ relationship with the surrounding countryside.
6. Public access
To preserve and enhance our existing public rights of way and encourage new connections to other areas of the Parish and neighbouring communities. Support the need for safe and attractive walking and cycling routes throughout the Parish.
7. Landscape Character and Design
To manage development in a way that minimises any negative impact on our landscape, built environment and access to the open countryside.
Page 14: 5 Neighbourhood Development Planning Policies
Page 17: Policy H1: Housing Land Allocations and Development Principles in Cherry Willingham
c) the design and layout of the scheme maximises the potential to enhance existing green infrastructure and to create new connections to nearby services and facilities and improve access to existing parts of the village.
Page 41: 14 Public access
14.2 The community would like to see the enhancement of the public access network through upgrading the condition, context and / or status of existing paths; and the creation of new off-road routes, to provide a range of safe and attractive interconnected paths and cycleways. The linking of new and existing routes will lead to the establishment of a series of circular routes, providing walking, cycling and in places horse riding options to both residents and visitors to the area. A more direct off-highway access route to the Hawthorn Avenue area of the village (‘’Little Cherry’’) which is presently detached from the village.
Policy OS3: Footpaths and cycleways
2. Developments that propose improvements to the existing public footpaths between Cherry Willingham, ‘’Little Cherry’’ and Fiskerton, shall be strongly supported.
(Map 7: Public Rights of Way within Cherry Willingham Neighbourhood Plan Area is on page 42 of the Cherry Neighbourhood Plan).
Page 43: 15 Design principles for Cherry Willingham
Policy D1: Design principles for Cherry Willingham
15.6 A key requirement of any new development is to ensure that it is not just another ‘bolt on’ area of development, but that it contributes to wider ‘place making’ desires and opportunities.
15.7 To do this it must open opportunities for new and existing residents to move easily to and from the village centre and key services. Therefore, an emphasis on connections that are direct, safe and pleasant is expected from new development proposals.
15.8 Similar connections between new and existing housing is also considered important to support a well-integrated community. The Neighbourhood Plan seeks to ensure that new developments respond positively to such objectives and therefore endorses the approach identified by Building for life 12. (see Appendix 5).
Page 48/49: Policy D1: Design principles for Cherry Willingham
1. Development proposals will be supported where they are of a high standard of design that have fully considered the relevant design principles, below:
Local character and distinctiveness
a) new development, particularly larger schemes, shall respect its wider surroundings, in relation to historic development patterns or building plot sizes and forms; density; topography and landscape character.
Architectural Quality
b) new development shall respect its context, and deliver high quality architecture in terms of density, height, scale, materials and detailing.
c) developments in prominent positions to the settlement will be of particularly high-quality design that will serve to reinforce a positive perception about the quality of the place and respect its relationship with its surroundings.
Environment and Landscape
d) any existing mature trees and boundary hedgerows, that are within or on the boundary of development sites, shall be retained and protected.
e) where boundary treatments are proposed, these shall incorporate a degree of native boundary planting to soften their appearance and avoid any ‘hard edges’ between the site and the adjacent or surrounding countryside.
f) developments shall respect the purpose of the green wedge designations as identified in Policy LP22 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.
Accessibility and movement
g) new development should ensure that all people, including those with disabilities, can easily and comfortably move through and into it; prioritise safe, easy and direct pedestrian movement and the creation of a network or attractive, well-connected public spaces; establish both visual and functional relationships between different parts of a development and between the development and its wider setting.
Design and Construction
h) incorporate, where possible, any carbon reduction and renewable energy materials through the latest technology and construction methods.
i) where appropriate, proposals shall take inspiration from the latest Building for Life (12) guidance on good design and incorporate these principles into the proposal.
Parking and layout
j) where developments are proposing on-street parking provision, this shall be incorporated into the layout of the development through clearly defined parking bays; and
k) where a development is proposing a complex or block development, consideration shall be given to the inclusion of visitor parking spaces to avoid unnecessary clutter and on-street parking.
Page 59: Community Priority 1: The Witham Valley Access Project
19.5 Includes: • Safe footpath/cyclepath from the Hawthorn Road area to the Centre of Cherry Willingham;