Agenda item

Proposal: Residential development at Model Farm, comprising of the conversion of existing buildings to form 20 no dwellings and the demolition of existing dwellings with the replacement erection of an apartment building comprising 18 no dwellings, alongside provision of associated car parking, private and shared amenity space, and cycle, refuse and maintenance stores. Removal of existing car service/garage.

Notes:

• The Chairman acknowledged that the site was in Chalfont St Peter.
• By way of update, the Planning Officer advised that due to the presence of bats on site a licence would have to be granted prior to any construction commencing. Where a licence was required, the local planning authority should be satisfied that the licence was likely to be granted prior to granting planning permission. In this case, officers were satisfied that the development met the three licensing tests in that (1) the activity was for a certain purpose being in the public interest to build a new residential development; (2) that there was no satisfactory alternative which caused less harm to the species and (3) that the development would not harm the long term conservation of the species.
• The Planning Officer advised that paragraph 5.31 to 5.36 of the report referred to a request for a financial contribution from Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, officers considered that the provision of healthcare facilities ordinarily fell within the remit of the NHS, the evidence submitted did not satisfy Regulation 122 of the CIL Regulations and therefore such a contribution did not meet CIL requirements. As such, it was suggested that if the Committee were minded to approve, the reference to such contribution be removed from informative 2.
• The Planning Officer provided a further update that the Council waste team had commented on the application stating that refuse collection vehicles would not enter the site, however following analysis by the highway authority it was deemed that there would be enough space for the refuse collection vehicles to access the site, manoeuvre and egress in a forward gear. As the waste team were unable to provide evidence why it would not be possible to enter the site, refuse collection vehicles would be expected to enter the site. Further, if the Committee were minded to approve, condition 18 was suggested to be reworded to require full details of bin storage to be submitted, approved and implemented prior to occupation of the development. 
• The Planning Officer explained to the Committee that in order to safeguard the openness of the Green Belt an additional condition was suggested to remove permitted development rights. If the committee were minded to approve, there would also be some minor alterations made to the conditions listed in the report.
• Speaking as Buckinghamshire Council ward member: Councillor Linda Smith BEM
• Speaking on behalf of the agent: Mr Charles Dunn

It was proposed by P Jones, seconded by J MacBean and resolved:

That the application be refused on the grounds of the sustainability of the site, the remoteness of the location which made the development car dependant along with the lack of any proposal for electric vehicle charging points which meant that the environmental objective strand of development was not considered to be met.  In addition, the amenity level and living environment of future residents was not considered to be acceptable.