BASILDON BOROUGH COUNCIL

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1 BASILDON BOROUGH COUNCIL Report to: Planning Committee December 05 PLANNING APPLICATION NO. 5/00699/FULL DEMOLITION OF ALL EXISTING OUTBUILDINGS AND REMOVAL OF ASSOCIATED LAWFUL USES AND TWO NO. RESIDENTIAL MOBILE HOMES AND CONSTRUCTION OF 3 NO. FOUR-BEDROOM DETACHED DWELLINGS AT HANNIKINS FARM, LINDA GARDENS, BILLERICAY Report by: Enquiries to: Enclosures: Group Manager (Regulation) Stuart Spears, Principal Planning Officer, on (068) 9464 or stuart.spears@basildon.gov.uk Enclosure No. - Risk Management Implications EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report describes Planning Application No.5/00699/FULL for the demolition of all existing outbuildings and removal of associated lawful uses and two no. residential mobile homes and construction of 3 no. four-bedroom detached dwellings at Hannikins Farm, Linda Gardens, Billericay, and sets out the issues the Committee should take into account in determining the application. WARD: Billericay West RECOMMENDATION: That Planning Application No. 5/00699/FULL be granted conditional planning permission. BACKGROUND The site comprises a site of 0.9 Ha, to the north of Linda Gardens, Billericay. The site is accessed via a private drive (which also forms a public footpath) from Linda Gardens that also serves Windsmoor, a residential chalet, separated by fences and hedges from the application site. Windsmoor also incorporates a menage and paddock to the east. The application site currently forms part of a former agricultural holding with the adjacent property at Windsmoor. The application site is bounded by Windsmoor and associated garden, manege and paddock to the south, open farm land to the west, beyond a substantial hedgerow, open paddocks, owned by the occupiers of Windsmoor, to the north and sports pitches of Hannakins Farm Sports Ground to the east.

2 m 30 Pond 55.8m Pond Bluebell Lodge El Sub Sta Pavilion Windsmoor s 49.8m s s 48.9m Tennis Courts BRIGHTSIDE CLOSE 5 34a 3 El Sub Sta LB TCB El Sub Sta LORRIMORE DOLPHIN a 8 The site currently comprises a range of single-storey buildings used for dog food manufacture and associated storage and livery stabling. Most of the buildings are finished in corrugated metal sheeting, but the stables are of wooden construction. There are also two residential mobile homes at the site, and hard standings around all the buildings. The existing built structures and mobile homes are located in the general vicinity of the western boundary of the site. The site has a Lawful Development Certificate granted in 0 confirming the lawfulness of the livery stabling, residential mobile homes and manufacturing business. This application is being reported to the Planning Committee at the request of the Vice Chairman. APPLICATION SITE Path (um) Recreation Ground ROSEBAY AVENUE GRANVILLE CLOSE 3 8 CLOSE Play Area Hannikins Farm GARDENS Brightside County Primary School Track Brightside County Primary School 49.4m El Sub Sta 5.6m MOUNTNESSING ROAD 4 BM 49.04m 64 Hannikins Farm Recreation Ground CLOSE BRIGHTSIDE Path (um) 5/00699/FULL 38 Track m CORNFLOWER GARDENS Path (um) Ordnance Survey Licensed System Supplier This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office. Crown copyright and/or Little Cowbridge database right 00. All rights reserved. Grange Licence Number DBAS00. Cities Revealed Aerial Photography Copyright The GeoInformation Group, 005 PROPOSAL BLUEBELL WOOD b 36a m BM 55.8m BLUEBELL WOOD 3 THE LINKS m LINDA GARDENS 6 5.8m 3 5 El Sub Sta 36 and 38 4 CHERRY 6 GARDENS m 38 THE WARREN BM 50.0m El Sub Sta THE WARREN a 35 COOMBES CL a 4 THE WARREN COOMBES CLOSE 3a m BRIGHTSIDE 36 38a a PAULINE GARDENS IAN ROAD The proposal is to remove the whole range of existing buildings, mobile homes and hard standings and construct three, detached dwellings. The proposed new dwellings would be single-storey in height with ridged, tiled roofs and rendered walls and basement garages beneath the buildings with a sloping access. The dwellings would each have four bedrooms, maximum heights of 5.5 metres and floor areas or footprints of approximately 40 square metres each. The new buildings and associated curtilages would be located in a similar position within the site to the existing buildings, hard standings and immediately adjacent paddock. PLANNING HISTORY According to the Council s planning records there have been the following applications relating to the site relevant to the consideration of the current application: Application No. Proposal Decision Date

3 /065/LDC 4/08/FULL Lawfulness of existing dog food manufacturing, livery stables and mobile homes Demolition of existing buildings and removal of mobile homes and construction of 3 no. 4-bedroom houses Granted 4.. Refused Planning application no. 4/08/FULL in respect of three detached houses was refused planning permission on the grounds that the proposed residential development would have a significantly greater built scale than the existing development and extend beyond the general limits of the existing buildings and associated hard standings to be demolished, onto undeveloped land. Together with the creation of large residential curtilages with associated residential paraphernalia and extended access road and hard standings for vehicle parking, the proposed development would have a significantly greater impact on openness of the green belt than the existing buildings and uses. CONSULTATIONS External Consultees Essex County Council Highways and Transportation - No highway objections. Billericay Town Council - The Town Council objects on grounds of the proposal representing isolated development that contravenes replacement dwelling in green belt policy with no very special circumstances. The current site supports a number of rural industries that would be lost. Internal Consultees Environmental Health Service - No objections, but a condition regarding potential land contamination is recommended. Borough Councillors - No written comments received. Neighbours/Third Party Representations - One comment has been received from the owners of adjacent land objecting to the proposals as inappropriate within the green belt and that the access track is inappropriate for the scale of development. One comment has also been received from a neighbouring occupier in Linda Gardens on grounds of detriment to the appearance of the green belt, loss of stables and mobile home accommodation, creation of unaffordable housing, additional traffic resulting in disruption to neighbours, presence of footpath on the site.

4 The Billericay District Residents Association raises an objection that the site is within the green belt. PLANNING COMMENTS Planning Policy Appendix to this Agenda provides details of the broad planning policy framework that is currently in operation. The site is located within the Green Belt. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence. The NPPF states that 'when considering any planning application, local planning authorities should ensure that substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt. It says that 'very special circumstances will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations'. The NPPF does set out a number of exceptions to the general presumption against the construction of new buildings, which includes the partial or complete redevelopment of previously developed sites (brownfield sites). However, the Framework requires that the new development should not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt and purpose of including land within it than the existing development. In addition, the NPPF, Section. Requiring Good Design states that: The Government attaches great importance to the design of the built environment. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people. It is important to plan positively for the achievement of high quality and inclusive design for all development, including individual buildings, public and private spaces and wider area development schemes. Permission should be refused for development of poor design that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions. Principle of the Development Green Belt The construction of new buildings within the Green Belt will be regarded as inappropriate development unless it falls within one of the exceptions categories set out at paragraph 89 of the NPPF. The proposals the subject of the current planning application, involve the demolition of existing buildings, lawfully used in connection with dog food manufacture, livery stables and the removal of two residential mobile homes and the construction of three detached bungalows.

5 It is therefore necessary to consider whether the development could be regarded as not inappropriate by virtue of the sixth criterion of the Green Belt exceptions categories of paragraph 89 with regard to limited infilling or partial or complete redevelopment of previously developed land. This requires an assessment of whether the proposed development would have a materially greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt. The proposed development, involves the demolition of existing single-storey buildings, mobile homes and hard standings and removal of a number of established uses, and their replacement with three detached bungalows. The new buildings and their associated curtilages would be located in the general area of the existing buildings and uses and adjacent paddock. The total footprint of the new bungalows, at 0 square metres, is commensurate with the overall scale of existing buildings, which have a total floor area of 530 square metres, and associated hard standings with a total area of 90 square metres. Unlike the previous proposal for three houses at the site that was refused planning permission in 04, the current proposals for the residential development of the site would not extend beyond the general limits of the existing developed area onto currently undeveloped land to any significant degree, and comprises single-storey buildings that would not have a materially greater impact upon the site and surroundings than the existing built. Proposed Design, Density, Layout and Impact on Neighbours Visual Amenity The design of the proposed bungalows is sympathetic to the rural and relatively open nature of the location. The overall heights of the buildings are limited to not more than 5.5 metres, with garaging set beneath the buildings within basement areas, limiting the potential impact of the built development. The form of the buildings would be regarded as contemporary, with offset ridge lines and render and cedar cladding to the walls, but the designs are balanced and the bungalows sit well together as a group. Any grant of planning permission would be conditioned to remove permitted development rights so that the local planning authority may properly assess all future extensions to the buildings and construction of outbuildings in the interests of controlling development in the interests of the visual amenity of this rural site. The removal of the existing commercial structures, some of which are in a rather dilapidated condition, together with the two mobile homes would represent a visual enhancement of the appearance of the site. The existing tree and hedge screen to the western boundary would be retained and there is adequate space within the site to provide suitable new soft landscaping. Residential Amenity The site is isolated from existing residential properties apart from Windsmoor, immediately to the south. The siting, orientation and distance between the proposed new dwellings and existing property adjacent to the site would accord with the Council s approved development control guideline requirements and not result in any material detriment to the living conditions of the occupiers. In the wider context, the development of three dwellings would generate some traffic on Linda Gardens to the south, but not at a level that would be significantly greater than could be generated by the existing uses at the commercial uses that occupy the site.

6 Parking and Highway Issues The proposed development is accessed via a concrete driveway, from Linda Gardens to the south. The driveway also forms part of a public footpath that crosses the application site. The Highway Authority has examined the scheme and considers that the level of vehicle movements from three dwellings would not result in material detriment to either vehicle or pedestrian safety, particularly given that the existing commercial uses and mobile homes could generate significantly greater levels of vehicle movements. In terms of vehicle parking, each property has a hard standing and garaging for three or four vehicles, which would exceed the Council s approved parking standard requirement of a minimum of two spaces for each dwelling. The existing public footpath would be required to be maintained open and free from obstruction for the duration of development works. CONCLUSION Having regard to the above considerations, the development is considered to represent an acceptable re-development of a previously developed site within the green belt and would not result in a greater impact on the green belt or its openness. The proposals are of acceptable design and layout and would not result in any significant detriment to the amenities of any nearby residential occupiers. Car parking on site is provided in accordance with current parking standards. Having regard to the above considerations, it is recommended that application no. 5/00699/FULL be granted planning permission subject to the following conditions: - Commencement of development within three years Development in accordance with the approved plans Submission and approval of details of external material finishes including hard standings Submission, approval and implementation of a landscaping scheme Submission and approval of all new walls and fences Submission, approval and implementation of a scheme for dealing with any contamination Removal of permitted development rights in respect of extensions to the dwellings and construction of outbuildings GENERAL INFORMATION Financial Implications Under Section 0 of the Town & Country Planning Act 990 as amended by Section 43 of the Localism Act 0, as implemented on April 6 03, local finance considerations are a matter to which local planning authorities are to have regard in determining planning applications, as far as material to the application. The New Home Bonus is capable of being a material consideration to which the weight given shall be determined by the decision maker. The New Home Bonus (NHB) is a payment to local authorities to match the Council Tax of net new dwellings built, paid by central government over 6 consecutive years. In this instance, the NHB is not considered to have any significant weight attached to it that would outweigh the other considerations.

7 Risk Management Implications The risk management implications are set out at Enclosure No.. Inclusion, Diversity and Community Cohesion Implications Any inclusion, diversity and community cohesion implications of this development proposal for the Council are not relevant to the determination of this application. Background Papers. Planning Application File No. 5/00699/FULL. National Planning Policy Framework 3. Basildon District Local Plan Saved Policies document Council s approved Development Control Guidelines 5. Council s approved Car Parking Standards 6. Billericay Design Statement