Agenda item

Report of Head of Planning

(copy herewith)

The Head of Planning submitted a report in respect of application no. N/2011/0883 elaborated thereon and noted that this application was amended form of a similar application submitted in 2008 and that Daventry District Council would determine the application on 20 October 2011. He referred to the Addendum that set out five further objections to the scheme and a copy of a letter sent by the Nene Flood Prevention Alliance to the Environment Agency. He noted that the advice sought by Daventry District Council in respect of the Highways Agency proposals in respect of N/2011/0882 also covered this application and concluded that the highways mitigations were adequate.

Mr Clarke, Chair of Boughton Parish Council, commented that the Parish Council did not believe that this application should be twin tracked with N/2011/0882 It was really a first phase of development. He referred to the masterplan for development of the whole site which had identified the need for 1.5 form entry primary school on the site. This proposal was too small to require such provision in its own right.

Councillor Yates, as Councillor of an adjoining Borough Ward, stated that this application was 98% the same as the application made in June. He commented that some residents adjoining the site had not been notified of the proposals by the applicant. He queried whether there were grounds to object to the application on the basis of lack of consultation with adjoining residents. Councillor Yates noted that the Cock Hotel junction was currently operating at 130% of capacity and the improvements currently under way would only improve the situation to 110% of capacity. A development of this size would only worsen this situation still further. Kingsthorpe already suffered some of the worst air quality in the County.   

Mr Stead of FOBA, commented that he did not understand why this  application had come forward as a separate entity. He believed that in effect it represented a first phase of development. He concurred that this proposal would not support the provision of a primary school but just moved the pressure to provide it into any subsequent second phase of development. He believed that this was unacceptable and found the modal shift projections for transportation to be dubious. He urged the Committee to object to the application.

Mrs Barlett on behalf of WASPRA, commented that this Greenfield site was under threat. She noted that Daventry District Council’s policy HS2 expected the development of the North West Bypass. HS2 required provision of the By-pass on the completion of the first 150 units.She commented that although the effect of 376 new properties on the Cock Hotel junction might not be as great as N/2011/0882 it would still generate up to 2,000 extra car movements a day. It would still move the traffic bottleneck further into Northampton. She concurred that this application represented a first phase of development, that there was no primary or secondary school within walking distance of the site and that the application should be resisted.

Councillor Beardsworth, as Councillor of an adjoining Borough Ward, commented that the public had concerns in respect of flooding and highways and reminded the Committee of the consequences of the Easter 1998 floods in Northampton. She had been advised by the Highways Agency that once the current works had been completed at the Cock Hotel junction there was nothing further that could be done to make additional improvements. She believed that this proposal put Daventry’s new build on the Borough boundary; they would get the benefits of the Council Tax raised. Councillor Beardsworth stated that the public and businesses in Kingsthorpe had already suffered from the problems of traffic congestion and the improvement works and this development would only make matters worse. She believed that there had been a lack of consultation with the people most affected.

The Head of Planning noted that development of the greater site would lead to the provision of a primary school and that a site for it could be reserved through a Section 106 Agreement. Whilst the Committee could not object to the application on the grounds of lack of public consultation a comment could be made to Daventry District Council. In respect of the National Planning Policy Framework this had been put into context in the report: the existing planning guidance and policies remained in place until they were replaced. In terms of planning status the land had been allocated by Daventry District Council for development and it was included in the pre submission draft of the Joint Core Strategy as land available for residential development. The site also formed part of the Council’s housing strategy that included the development of brownfield sites. The strategy also had to identify a future land supply. In respect of the flood risk the Environment Agency’s advice was clear. In answer to a question, the Head of Planning commented that the North West By-pass was included in the Joint Core Strategy as part of an Infrastructure Plan that would set out what was needed from each site. The pre submission draft currently stated that the By-pass would be needed within three years of Dallington Heath being developed but it was now clear that other sites were likely to come forward first and therefore that statement was likely to be reviewed before submission to the Secretary of State. This would be resolved by the Spring of 2012. The mitigation asked for by the Highways Agency for a contribution towards the costs of the North West By-pass had been agreed to. The independent advice sought by Daventry District Council had confirmed the proposed highway mitigations put forward by the Highways Agency. 

The Committee discussed the application.

Councillor Mason proposed and Councillor Markham seconded “That Daventry District Council be informed that the Council objects to the application in principle on the grounds that, notwithstanding the highways advice, it does not believe the highways mitigations to be adequate and that the North West By-pass should be in place before any development takes place. Furthermore, the Council does not believed that that the community engagement on the proposal had been adequate.”

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

RESOLVED: That Daventry District Council be informed that the Council objects to the application in principle on the grounds that, notwithstanding the highways advice, it does not believe the highways mitigations to be adequate and that the North West By-pass should be in place before any development takes place. Furthermore, the Council does not believed that that the community engagement on the proposal had been adequate.

NB: Councillor Golby rejoined the meeting.

ITEMS FOR DETERMINATION (continued)