Issue - meetings

UTT/19/1437/FUL

Meeting: 30/09/2020 - Planning Committee (Item 6)

6 UTT/19/1437/FUL - 77 High Street, Great Dunmow pdf icon PDF 697 KB

To consider application UTT/19/1437/FUL.

Minutes:

The Senior Planning Officer said that the proposal was for the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 29 Retirement Living (Category ll Sheltered Housing) apartments for the elderly with associated communal facilities, car parking and landscaping.

 

The development would consist of 11 x 1 bedroom and 18 x 2 bedroom apartments, a communal lounge, laundry room, guest suite and manager’s office. 23 parking spaces would be provided together with a communal green space to the rear of the building. There would also be storage and charging points provided for electric mobility scooters. Access would be via the High Street, utilising the existing access and this would lead into an internal access road.

 

The Senior Planning Officer said that it would be conditioned that no persons under 60 years of age should occupy any of the apartments, except the partner of a qualifying resident who is over 55 years of age, guests or wardens.

 

The application was recommended for approval with conditions and S106 Legal Obligation.

 

Members discussed the provision of affordable housing.  The applicant had stated that on site provision of affordable housing within the same block was not possible due to the functional and managerial issues surrounding retirement/ sheltered developments.

 

The Council had said that it was willing to accept a commuted sum in lieu of provision of on site affordable housing. This sum had initially be calculated at a negative figure of £23,800; an independent assessment of the viability statement concluded that a figure of £852,727 could be contributed towards affordable housing delivered elsewhere in the district; however, the applicant had submitted further information that had resulted in a revised calculation of £404,240. West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group had also stated that a developer contribution of £8,850 was required as there was likely to be an impact on the services of two GP practices. Members expressed concerns about the levels of both the revised calculation of £404,240 and the NHS contribution, whilst recognising that they could not influence the NHS calculation.

 

The Development Manager provided members with background information as to how the independent assessment had been undertaken.

 

Concerns were expressed that only 23 parking spaces were being provided as this figure was lower than the parking standard figures of 29 parking spaces and 7 visitor spaces. It was recognised that there were charging points provided for mobility scooters but that there was a need for charging points to be also provided for cars and consideration was given to this being conditioned.

 

Members raised the issue of the 150 year old party wall; this was thought to possibly be a heritage wall that needed to be preserved.

 

The Development Manager said that this could be conditioned through additional wording in respect of actions to be undertaken prior to demolition.

 

There was some further discussion about energy and archaeological issues.

 

Councillor Bagnall proposed refusal of the application until the affordable housing and car parking issues had been resolved.

 

Councillor Light seconded this motion.

 

The motion was lost.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6