Agenda item

Consultation from Hertsmere Borough Council on development adjoining the Borough:

Demolition of 37 Bucks Avenue and equestrian facility, removal of hardstanding, ménages, buildings and structures and the redevelopment of the site to include 24 dwellings (8 affordable).

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (PB) introduced the item, explaining that the application took the form of a consultation from Hertsmere Borough Council on development adjoining the borough.  This was for the demolition of 37 Bucks Avenue and equestrian facility and the redevelopment of the site to include 24 dwellings (including 8 affordable).  All dwellings would be served by modifying the existing access from Bucks Avenue/Sherwoods Road (amended scheme).

It was noted that the current consultation followed earlier discussions by the Development Management Committee in November 2015, relating to a scheme for the development of the site for 34 dwellings.

Attention was drawn to the update sheet, which included a correction to the report.  In addition, the committee was advised that Hertsmere Borough Council would be considering the application at their committee on 16 March 2017. The officer recommendation was for approval.

The Chair invited Kim Baxter to speak against the application.  Ms Baxter explained that she was speaking on behalf of the Oxhey Village Environment Group (OVEG), which had a number of objections to the application.   Ms Baxter circulated some explanatory diagrams to assist her presentation.

Ms Baxter explained that whilst residents welcomed changes in the current application, not least the reduction in the total number of dwellings, the design of the accommodation and the improved parking arrangements, concerns remained.  Citing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) guidance, Ms Baxter advised that inappropriate development was harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances.  The current application did not meet these circumstances. 

Despite a reduction in the number of dwellings, the current proposal would increase the total volume of Green Belt taken up and reduce access.  OVEG supported a more modest development, which would remove a further eight dwellings to reduce encroachment on the Green Belt.

The Chair invited Iain Taylor from Clover Court Fusion to speak for the application.  Mr Taylor explained that he was the agent for the application.  Outlining the planning history of the site, Mr Taylor reported that a large number of changes had been made to the design and layout in the current proposal to meet with criticism of the previous application for 34 dwellings.  This would afford greater openness on the site and would secure access to 2.5 hectares of Green Belt on a permanent basis.

The developer was proposing to make improvements to the biodiversity of the site and to assist public recreation opportunities, following acceptance of the loss of the riding school to the local area.

The Chair invited Oxhey Ward Councillor Peter Taylor to speak to the committee.  Councillor Taylor highlighted residents’ concerns about the developer’s public campaign to favour the new scheme.  This might have skewed apparent support for the application in letters to the council.

Considering the NPPF guidance, Councillor Taylor suggested that the proposal did not demonstrate the very special circumstances required to enable development of the Green Belt, despite provisions relating to the redevelopment of brownfield land.  Eight of the proposed houses would be built on greenfield land. 

In addition, Councillor Taylor suggested that the development would impact more on local residents due to its closeness to the boundary properties.  Moreover, contrary to the officer’s report, he did not consider that the new layout of the houses would improve openness due to the narrowness of the gaps between some of the dwellings.

In response to a query from the Chair, the Development Management Team Leader advised that the development of brownfield land provided an exemption to restrictions on building on the Green Belt.  However, this did not permit development of the entire curtilage of the former riding school site.  The committee would be required to make a judgment on whether the exemption had been met in this proposal.

Considering the question of openness, the Development Management Team Leader further advised that greater openness had been achieved by some buildings being sited on greenfield land to give a more open and less clustered layout.  He also advised that the proposals would increase public access to the Green Belt land and that access to the Green Belt for recreation would be a planning benefit.  Members of the committee would need to consider whether this represented a harmful impact on the Green Belt.

The Head of Development Management clarified that committee members should note there was no right to a view from existing properties.

The Chair invited comments from the committee.

The committee welcomed the revised development proposal for the site, which had responded to their previous criticisms particularly in regard to the number of houses and to their character and appearance.  Committee members considered that the new layout of the houses, although on Green Belt land, had opened up the site.  The volume of the proposed buildings was very similar to that of the existing buildings and had been broken down into smaller units, which was more acceptable.

Despite some reservations about encroachment on the Green Belt, which members acknowledged should be protected, and the extent of public access to the land, most of the committee concurred with the planning officer’s report.

However some committee members continued to express reservations about the detrimental impact on the Green Belt.  Whilst agreeing that the feeling of openness of the site was subjective, they considered that the developer had not demonstrated the need to encroach further on Green Belt land.  A further reduction in the number of dwellings should be considered.  In addition, they asserted that the recreational benefits of the redeveloped site had been reduced in the revised proposal.

The Chair invited Councillor Sharpe to propose a motion to object to the planning application before Hertsmere Borough Council.

Councillor Sharpe proposed that the committee should object to the application on the grounds that it was an excessive development extending beyond the footprint of the existing buildings, encroaching unacceptably on the Green Belt and resulting in a reduction in its openness.

On being put to the committee, the motion was LOST.

The Chair moved the officer recommendation.

RESOLVED –

That Hertsmere Borough Council be advised that Watford Borough Council has no objection to the application but would wish to see conditions imposed on any grant of permission to cover the following matters:

1.         That no part of the development shall be occupied until the existing access to Bucks Avenue has been modified and constructed in full, as shown in principle on drawing no. 16-P1329-11B (Ascot Design).

2.         That the trees along the south-western boundary and along the north-western boundary are retained and measures installed to protect the trees during demolition and construction works.

3.         The development shall provide at least 60 car parking spaces.