Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the District Development Management Committee with regard to planning application EPF/0637/18 (The Lodge, Woolston Hall, Chigwell), which was referred to the Council by the Committee at its meeting on 1 August 2018.

Mover: Councillor S. Jones, Vice-Chairman of District Development Management Committee

Councillor S. Jones advised that the application had been considered at the Plans South Sub-Committee on 27 June 2018 and District Development Management Committee on 1 August 2018, resulting in the application being considered by Council by means of the minority reference procedure set out in the Council’s constitution (Rule M2).

The Service Director, Planning Services presented the report regarding a planning application for permission of a residential infill comprising 12 no. residential dwelling houses with associated off-street parking, garden space and external landscaping at The Lodge, Woolston Hall, Chigwell, subject to the completion of a legal agreement (Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) by 31 March 2019 and associated conditions.

Amendment moved by Councillor J. Philip and Seconded by Councillor C.C. Pond

That planning application EPF/0637/18 at The Lodge, Woolston Hall, Abridge Road, Chigwell be refused planning permission for the following reasons:

(1)          The proposed development constitutes inappropriate development detrimental to a fundamental aim of the Green Belt to safeguard the countryside from encroachment.  The proposal would have a materially detrimental impact on the openness of the Green Belt contrary to the purposes of including the land in the Green Belt and does not meet any exception to the principle of Green Belt policy. The change of use of landscaped area to housing would be detrimental to visual amenity due to its urbanising effect and would unduly diminish the rural character and openness of the landscape. There are no very special circumstances that outweigh the harm from the development. The proposal is contrary to Policies GB2A; GB7A; CP2 (i), (ii), (iv), and (v); DBE4 (i); and LL1(i), LL2 (i) and (ii) of the adopted Local Plan and Alterations; Policies SP 6 and DM 4 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.

(2)          The proposal would fail to provide any on site Affordable Housing, contrary to Policies H5A, H6A, H7A and H8A of the adopted Local Plan and Alterations; Policies H1 D. and H2 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework, particularly at paragraph 50.

(3)          The proposal is not within a sustainable location and would therefore result in a development heavily reliant on private motor vehicles. As such the proposal does not sufficiently meet the measures identified in policy regarding sustainable development, in particular with regard to policies CP1 (v), and CP6 (iii) of the Epping Forest District Local Plan and Alterations (2006); policy T 1 B. of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework, particularly at paragraph 95.

(4)          The application does not provide sufficient information to satisfy the Council, as competent authority, that the proposed development will not adversely affect the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area for Conservation and there are no alternative solutions or imperative reasons of overriding public interest why the proposed development should be permitted. As such, the proposed development is contrary to policy NC1 of the Epping Forest Local Plan (1998) and Alterations (2006), policies DM2 and DM22 of the Epping Forest Local Plan Submission Version 2017 and the requirements of the Habitats Regulations 2017.

Carried

The Service Director advised that following the submission of the Local Plan on Friday 21 September 2018, the refusal set out in the agenda required the following updates;

(1)          That the words ‘(July 2018)’ be included at the end of reason 1;

(2)          That the number ‘50’ be removed and replace with ‘62’ at the end of reason 2; and

(3)          That the wording ‘particularly at paragraph 95’ be removed and replaced with (July 2018) at the end of reason 3.

Carried

RESOLVED:

That planning application EPF/0637/18 at The Lodge, Woolston Hall, Abridge Road, Chigwell be refused planning permission for the following reasons:

(1)        The proposed development constitutes inappropriate development detrimental to a fundamental aim of the Green Belt to safeguard the countryside from encroachment.  The proposal would have a materially detrimental impact on the openness of the Green Belt contrary to the purposes of including the land in the Green Belt and does not meet any exception to the principle of Green Belt policy. The change of use of landscaped area to housing would be detrimental to visual amenity due to its urbanising effect and would unduly diminish the rural character and openness of the landscape. There are no very special circumstances that outweigh the harm from the development. The proposal is contrary to Policies GB2A; GB7A; CP2 (i), (ii), (iv), and (v); DBE4 (i); and LL1(i), LL2 (i) and (ii) of the adopted Local Plan and Alterations; Policies SP 6 and DM 4 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework (July 2018).

(2)        The proposal would fail to provide any on site Affordable Housing, contrary to Policies H5A, H6A, H7A and H8A of the adopted Local Plan and Alterations; Policies H1 D. and H2 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework, particularly at paragraph 62.

(3)        The proposal is not within a sustainable location and would therefore result in a development heavily reliant on private motor vehicles. As such the proposal does not sufficiently meet the measures identified in policy regarding sustainable development, in particular with regard to policies CP1 (v), and CP6 (iii) of the Epping Forest District Local Plan and Alterations (2006); policy T 1 B. of the Epping Forest District Local Plan Submission Version (2017); and, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework (July 2018).

(4)        The application does not provide sufficient information to satisfy the Council, as competent authority, that the proposed development will not adversely affect the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area for Conservation and there are no alternative solutions or imperative reasons of overriding public interest why the proposed development should be permitted. As such, the proposed development is contrary to policy NC1 of the Epping Forest Local Plan (1998) and Alterations (2006), policies DM2 and DM22 of the Epping Forest Local Plan Submission Version 2017 and the requirements of the Habitats Regulations 2017.