Agenda item

Residential development of 87no. dwellinghouses with associated landscaping, infrastructure and access at Lot 2, Leys Farm, Wyaston Road, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

The Development Manager gave a presentation showing details of the application and photographs of the site and surroundings.

The Committee visited the site prior to the meeting to allow Members to appreciate the proposal in the context of its surroundings.

In accordance with the procedure for public participation, Mr Darren Abbott (Applicant) spoke in support of the application. Mr Martin Bottomley (Local Resident), Mr Stephen Prince (Local Resident), and Mr David Tyers (Local Resident) spoke against the application.

Consultation responses were set out in section 5 of the report.

Correspondence received after publication of the agenda was distributed at the meeting. This comprised of further comments from Local Residents and further information received from the applicant’s agent regarding the Noise Impact Assessment, the installation of the play area and further information from their drainage consultants on the drainage strategy proposed. Officers had responded with the following amendments to conditions:

Condition 2 shall be amended to include reference to the Noise Impact Assessment for clarity and Condition 23 shall be amended in accordance with the above to allow the play area to be installed at an appropriate time in accordance with the build out programme.

It was moved by Councillor Peter Dobbs, seconded by Councillor Robert Archer and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.    The development would be served by an access off a narrow country lane, where vehicle speeds and visibility are such that movements to and from the site would be detrimental to highway safety, and cumulatively with other recent development in the area have severe impacts on the transport network contrary to the requirements of Policy S4 and HC19 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017).

2.    The development fails to facilitate choice of travel and safe and easy viable access to the facilities within the town to encourage walking and cycling contrary to the aims of Policy HC19 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017) and Policy TRA1 of Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan (2021).

3.    Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that surface and foul water flows from the development can be accommodated without adversely affecting the environment and increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere contrary to the aims of Policies S1 and PD8 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017).

4.    The proposed development delivers a blended housing mix that is skewed towards larger house types. Without clear and convincing justification, this does not meet the housing needs of the district contrary to the aims of policies S1 and HC11 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017) and Policy HOU1 of Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan (2021).

5.    The layout of the development does not respond positively to the context, character and identity of this part of the town and constitutes poor design contrary to the aims of Policy PD1 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017), Policy DES1 of the Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan (2021) and policy contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).

6.    The development fails to adequately compensate for natural grassland loss to deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain contrary to the requirements of Policy PD3 and policy contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).

7.    The pedestrian link at the western end of the site, terminates before it reaches any adopted path which means that it offers no access benefits and is therefore unwarranted. It also runs alongside an attenuation feature on adjacent land which is detrimental to public safety, contrary to the aims of Policy PD1 of the Adopted Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (2017).

Voting

08 For

01 Against

03 Abstentions

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.