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Agenda item

Land North Of Oddington Road, Stow-on-the-Wold

Summary

Exception Site for 37 Affordable Homes (22 Rented and 15 Shared Ownership) at

Land North Of Oddington Road Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire.

 

Case Officer

Martin Perks

 

Ward Member

Councillor Dilys Neill

 

Recommendation

PERMIT subject to completion of a S106 Legal Agreement covering provision of affordable housing and financial contribution to secondary education, libraries, school transport and bus stop improvements.

Minutes:

Councillor Dilys Neill left the room, having declared an interest.

 

The Case Officer introduced the report.

 

The application was for an exception Site for 37 Affordable Homes (22 Rented and 15 Shared Ownership) at

 

Land North Of Oddington Road Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire.

 

The recommendation was to PERMIT subject to completion of a S106 Legal Agreement covering provision of affordable housing and financial contribution to secondary education, libraries, school transport and bus stop improvements.

 

Councillor Ben Eddolls from Stow-on the Wild Town Council addressed the Committee to object to the application.

 

Geoff Williams, an objector, addressed the Committee.

 

Dr Nigel Moor addressed the Committee on behalf of the Stow Community Land trust.

 

Councillor Dilys Neill, as the ward member addressed the Committee.

 

The Chair thanked the public speakers.

 

Member questions

 

Cllr David Fowles stated that they knew Nigel Moor from the Conservative Party, but had not spoken to them for a number of years.

 

Members discussed the affordable housing element, as the affordable housing mix of the application was 100% affordable housing. The Case Officer explained that this was on a rural exception site, outside of the development boundary as the affordable housing element had fulfilled Policy H3, Rural Exception Site of the local plan. 

 

The Stow Neighbourhood Plan was also discussed, and the Case Officer stated that due to the need for affordable housing across the district, if the Committee were minded to permit the application, in their view this shouldn’t jeopardise a future site for affordable housing. The Case Officer stated that the emerging neighbourhood plan had not yet been adopted, so while it was a consideration, the local plan bore more weight as a planning document. The Case Officer also explained that the emerging neighbourhood plan had made no reference to rural exception sites, due to the exceptional nature of these.

 

Members asked about infrastructure considerations, specifically highways and sewage. The Case Officer stated that the County Council had expressed no concerns over highways. The sewage system was also deemed to be able to accommodate the additional housing.

 

The report, in paragraph 10.3 stated that .3 hectares of land would remain as grassland but could be brought forward for future housing if there was a need. The Case Officer stated that any future application that came forward would need to be judged on its own merit.

 

Councillor Ray Brassington entered the room at 14:59, attending as an observer.

 

Members discussed the ward member’s statement, but the Interim Development Manager advised that as the ward member had declared an interest in the application, they had intentionally phrased it in an open way, so as to not be seen as unduly influencing the Committee’s decision.

 

The homes were stated on the application and report as being zero carbon. Members asked for further details on this. The Case Officer stated that the applicant provided an energy statement which satisfied the local plan requirement on this. Some members felt that this was insufficient for the homes to be ‘truly zero carbon’ but the Case Officer stated that the policy in the local plan should guide members on this.

 

The breakdown of the affordable housing was discussed, and the Case Officer stated that this would be decided through the final S106 agreement.

 

Housing figures were also discussed, and it was noted that affordable housing had not come forward in Stow for a number of years.

 

Comments

 

Members thanked public speakers for their statements, and commended representations from all parties as being very objective and good natured.

 

Councillor Joe Harris proposed permitting the application. Councillor Harris stated that the application met a need for affordable housing across the district, which would help people across the district, and therefore felt it should be permitted.

 

Councillor Gary Selwyn seconded the proposal.

 

It was stated that the arguments by the objectors were strong, and that the Committee should take note of the neighbourhood plan and the conditions in the permission.

 

RESOLVED: To approve to PERMIT subject to completion of a S106 Legal Agreement covering provision of affordable housing and financial contribution to secondary education, libraries, school transport and bus stop improvements.

 

Voting record- For 10, Against 0, Abstain/did not vote 0

 

For

Against

Abstain / Did not vote

Councillor Andrew Maclean

 

Councillor Dilys Neill

Councillor Daryl Corps

 

 

Councillor David Fowles

 

 

Councillor Joe Harris

 

 

Councillor Gary Selwyn

 

 

Councillor Ian Watson

 

 

Councillor Julia Judd

 

 

Councillor Mark Harris

 

 

Councillor Michael Vann

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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