Issue - meetings

Application for the demolition of no.65 Coventry Road and erection of 13 dwellings.

Late items:

An email has been received from the agent in support of the application, raising the following points:

The agent states (in reference to para 8.8):

a) Adjoining street to the west ‘Bullfurlong Lane’ is also a cul-de-sac punched between two houses on Coventry Road. Thus the whole of this lane, represent substantial forms of backland development, not blighted by any perceived social issues. There is no mention of backland in the NPPF and plenty of other examples can be provided elsewhere including just 38m east of the site

Officer Response

Bullfurlong Lane and Crossways form part of the established character of this part of Burbage and the development site is not considered to be comparable.

The agent states (in reference to para 8.9):

b) The committee report indicates that the site is a greenfield site. The report does not reflect the High Court decision from February 2016 (Dartford Borough Council v Secretary of State), which has clarified the definition of previously developed land.

The ruling states that only residential gardens within the “built-up area” are to be exempt from the definition, whereas residential gardens outside of “built up areas” may be regarded as “brownfield”.

The proposed garden land could be considered brownfield. This weighs in favour of the proposal, particularly in light of the overwhelming need for new housing in sustainable locations. There is support within the NPPF for the use of land that has been previously developed.

Officer Response

The case referred to by the agent has been considered, but this does not establish any legal basis to define the application as greenfield. Nor does it mean that the scheme meets the definition of sustainable development as set out in the NPPF. The agent state (in reference to 8.9):

c) The proposal is consistent with the recent developments to the south of Burbage. New developments of 9 houses/ha would not be an efficient of use of land, particularly given the overwhelming need for new houses. Immediately east of the site on Coventry Road the next 15 dwellings are built at a density of 28 houses/ha including some ‘backland’ development referred to above.

Officer Response

The reference to density, when set into the context of the report, refers back to the prevailing landscape character of the area in that it is out of keeping with the immediate density surrounding the site. There is no suggestion that a low density scheme is an efficient use of land.

Demolition of 65 Coventry Road and erection of 13 dwellings (outline – access, layout and scale).

It was moved by Councillor Wright, seconded by Councillor Roberts and

RESOLVED – the application be refused for the reasons contained in the officer’s report.