The Assistant Director Planning, Transportation and Highways will submit a report (Document “AQ”) which sets out the outline planning permission for one residential property at 34 Sapgate Lane, Thornton, Bradford.

The application was initially submitted for a pair of semi-detached dwellings but following negotiations the application has been revised to one dwelling only.

Recommended-

That the application be approved for the reasons and subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 1 to Document “AQ”.

                                                            (Mark Hutchinson – 01274 434380)

The Assistant Director Planning, Transportation and Highways submitted a report (Document “AQ”) which set out the outline planning permission for one residential property at 34 Sapgate Lane, Thornton, Bradford.

The application had been initially submitted for a pair of semi-detached dwellings but following negotiations the application had been revised to one dwelling only.

The Assistant Director shared images of the plan of the area and indicated the conservation area boundary. He also showed photographs of the location. He stressed particularly that the application was simply to establish the principle of a dwelling on this site and that all other matters were reserved. He recommended the application for approval.

He advised members of a late objection that had been received, went through its main points and addressed them.

The Chair considered that any subsequent reserved matters application should return to the Committee as a result of the concerns raised by objectors. He noted in particular concerns in respect of working hours and whether any property built here would fit in with other dwellings in the vicinity and with the conservation area.

A local councillor joined the meeting to support local residents and the concerns they had raised.

A local resident also joined the meeting to voice her concerns, stating that she considered the plans shown to be out of date as there had been changes to nearby properties, including a residence at no34 which was not shown on the plan. She advised that the community had concerns about the state of the cobbled road. She also stated that another development which had taken place recently had caused a great deal of upset and that there were a lot of elderly residents who used their gardens as a sanctuary; to have another property in this area was insensitive and did no take into account the voice of the community.

In response to those concerns, the Assistant Director noted that the plan shown was the 2020 Ordinance Survey plan and that the properties referred to which had changes were some distance from no34. In respect of a residence at no34, he advised that there was an outbuilding possibly constructed using permitted development rights and it may be that someone could be living there. He also advised that he had seen the cobbled road and that he did not consider it to be in too poor a state.

The Council’s Principal Highways Engineer joined the meeting and invited any residents who had concerns about the cobbled road to report those concerns. Otherwise, he supported the principle of one dwelling at this location as its addition would not create any highway safety concerns.

The Chair also urged local councillors to contact the highways team about the cobbled road. He also commented that any dwelling on this site should, in his opinion, be of a design suitable to fit in with the area.

The Assistant Director accepted that comment but explained that it could not be considered at this stage as all matters of appearance would be considered at the reserve matters stage.

Resolved-

(1)  That the application be approved for the reasons and subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 1 to Document “AQ”.

(2)  That an additional condition be imposed to state that construction work shall only be carried out between the hours of 0730 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays, 0730 and 1300 on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays, Bank or Public Holidays, unless specifically agreed otherwise in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To protect the amenity of the occupants of nearby dwellings and to accord with Policy DS5 of the Core Strategy Development Plan Document.

(3)  That the Assistant Director, Planning Transportation and Highways be requested to present the reserved matters application to this Committee at the appropriate time.

ACTION: Assistant Director, Planning, Transportation and Highways