The Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways will submit a report (Document “AW”) in relation to an outline planning application for a residential development of up to 700 dwellings, with part means of access, and including demolition of buildings and fixed-surface infrastructure associated with the existing use, at Bolton Woods Quarry, Bolton Hall Road, Bradford – 15/06249/MAO.

 

Recommended –

 

(1)       That the application be approved for the reasons and subject to the conditions set out in the Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways’ technical report.

 

(2)       That the grant of planning permission be subject also to the completion of a legal planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, or such other lawful mechanism for securing the heads of terms as may be agreed in consultation with the Interim City Solicitor, in respect of:

 

(i)            A financial contribution of £245,000 towards car charging points per household,

(ii)          A financial contribution of £35,000 towards personalised Travel Plans,

(iii)         A financial contribution of £220,000 towards site specific emission reduction measures,

(iv)         A financial contribution of £49,000 towards mitigating recreational impacts on protected habitats,

(v)          A financial contribution of £441,000 towards on-site affordable housing provision,

 

the legal planning obligation to contain such other ancillary provisions as the Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways (after consultation with the Interim City Solicitor) considers appropriate.

 

                                                                        (John Eyles – 01274 434380)

 

The Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways submitted a report (Document “AW”) in relation to an outline planning application for a residential development of up to 700 dwellings, with part means of access, and including demolition of buildings and fixed-surface infrastructure associated with the existing use, at Bolton Woods Quarry, Bolton Hall Road, Bradford – 15/06249/MAO. A range of plans and photographs were displayed.

 

The Assistant Director reported on the substance of a further representation received from the local MP. He also reported that:

 

·         Historic England had confirmed their objection in that one of the points of access may compromise the setting of listed buildings (Grade II* Bolton Old Hall and Cottage). He reminded Members of the relevant policy considerations.

·         The site was within a nil Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) zone but £1 million had been offered towards air quality mitigation measures along the Canal Road Corridor and for measures to mitigate any impact on the South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area (SPA)/Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

·         This site was part of a key regeneration area for the Council and a priority area for the delivery of housing.

 

He responded to questions from Members as follows:

 

·         All the obligations, totalling £1 million, would be secured by a Section 106 Legal Obligation.

·         The Parish Council had been consulted on two occasions.

 

An objector to the application put forward the following points of concern:

 

·         It was considered that the Masterplan was not up to standard.

·         The solution to omissions appeared to be to put in Conditions, the application should be refused on that basis.

·         This was a massive site with, potentially, many developers and there was a need for guidance.

·         The traffic study was 3 years out of date but had identified a number of local roads as being over capacity.

·         The impact on 5 Lane Ends had not been studied but this was a main artery route which regularly seized up due to the level of traffic.

·         There were already problems on Brookwater Drive and Bolton Hall Road with traffic having to travel in single file.

·         There would be access problems for the emergency services and buses. The development would cause chaos and further congestion.

·         It was proposed that Poplars Farm Road be opened up to Canal Road. This would lead to rat running and serious congestion. There were no traffic lights at the Kings Road/Swain House Road junction.

·         Motorists were prevented from reaching the City Centre due to the traffic.

·         Mitigation measures had been offered in terms of the provision of Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) points but these were only useful if one had an electric car.

·         There was a proposed connection to Brookwater Drive as emergency road for 400 houses; this was a small side road and totally inadequate for such use.

·         No technical report had been submitted in respect of flooding

·         No information had been provided in respect of land contamination.

·         There were concerns about land stability; tipping had taken place in 2005/06.

·         25 houses were proposed to be sited in an area where there was a deep culvert but no studies had been undertaken; this area was subject to flooding.

·         There had been no feasibility studies in respect of the Surface Water Attenuation Ponds.

·         There were a number of essential reports needed and the application should be refused.

·         Subsidence and slippage was a grave risk and a concern.

·         The infill of the quarry was believed to be of poor quality.

·         The proposed level of social housing provision for a development of 700 houses was considered to be derisory.

·         The Committee was asked to refuse the application or adjourn.

 

The Assistant Director explained that:

 

·         It had always been the intention that Poplars Park Road would be opened up. The modelling of the overall area had always considered this to be the case; this development had been included within the modelling. Poplars Park Road would take 400 vehicles and traffic calming measures would be introduced. This would leave approximately 200 going onto Brookwater Drive.

·         Brookwater Drive would not be a through route for 400 vehicles; this would just be an emergency route for the emergency services, if required.

·         In respect of EVCs; it was anticipated that by having the infrastructure in place this would incentivise people to adopt such technology in the future.

·         The junctions had been scoped and there were a number of different routes that traffic might take; Wrose Road had been identified as the main junction.

·         His technical report set out the background to the Masterplan.

·         The scheme had been subject to an external Design Review in 2016 as one of the Local Planning Authority’s concerns had been ensuring a high quality development. A Concept Masterplan had been provided and he was satisfied that the submission of a Design Code and parameter plans could be dealt with by condition. This was an outline application.

·         There was no awareness of any particular issues with culverts or the main drains for this site. A range of conditions would be imposed to ensure that the drainage was fit for purpose.

·         In terms of the amount of affordable housing provision proposed; a viability appraisal had been undertaken and this had calculated a figure of £1 million to be available to address infrastructure impacts. Air pollution had been considered to be a particularly important issue in this case and it was therefore considered appropriate that a significant proportion of this funding be directed towards mitigation measures rather than affordable housing.

 

The applicant’s advisor spoke in support of the proposal:

 

·         This was an important development for the Bradford district and part of a strategic plan to regenerate the Canal Road Corridor.

·         It was included within the Core Strategy and the Canal Road Corridor Action Plan so had policy support at a strategic level.

·         The Authority did not have a five year supply of housing land.

·         Two public consultation sessions had been held, attended by approximately 70 people and 30 people.

·         A Statement of Community Involvement had also been produced.

·         Historic England had attended the hearings associated with the development of the Canal Road Corridor Action Plan and had agreed a tripartite statement. The green area on the plan would originally have been covered by built development but would now accommodate an access road having been agreed as a ‘no build’ zone.

·         A future Reserved Matters application would deal with the sensitive delivery of the development.

·         This was a brownfield site and if development did not go ahead on such sites it put extra pressure on the Green Belt.

·         Proposed Condition 18 dealt with mineral extraction; it was requested that this be removed as it was not necessary, the reserves were almost completely gone.

·         This was a very large site and development would be phased. The Committee was asked to delegate authority to the Assistant Director to revise the wording of the relevant conditions accordingly, in consultation with the applicant.

·         It was not unusual with an outline application for detailed plans to be submitted at a later stage.

·         The application had been with the Council for two and a half years and all necessary, and robust, technical information had been submitted.

·         The scheme would bring about a substantial regeneration benefit.

 

In respect of the applicant’s request in relation to proposed Condition 18, the Assistant Director said that if sufficient evidence was provided in respect of the level of reserves of stone then this could be removed.

 

Members of the Committee said that:

 

·         The Reserved Matters application should be submitted to this Committee.

·         Although sympathetic to the concerns expressed by objectors this was a sensible application for the use of a brownfield site.

 

Resolved –

 

(1)       That the application be approved for the reasons and subject to the conditions set out in the Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways’ technical report with authority being delegated to the Assistant Director to consider the deletion of Condition 18 and to finalise the wording of the Conditions.

 

(2)       That the grant of planning permission be subject also to the completion of a legal planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, or such other lawful mechanism for securing the heads of terms as may be agreed in consultation with the Interim City Solicitor, in respect of:

 

(i)            A financial contribution of £245,000 towards car charging points per household,

(ii)          A financial contribution of £35,000 towards personalised Travel Plans,

(iii)         A financial contribution of £220,000 towards site specific emission reduction measures,

(iv)         A financial contribution of £49,000 towards mitigating recreational impacts on protected habitats,

(v)          A financial contribution of £441,000 towards on-site affordable housing provision,

 

the legal planning obligation to contain such other ancillary provisions as the Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways (after consultation with the Interim City Solicitor) considers appropriate.

 

(3)       That the Reserved Matters application be submitted to this Committee for determination.

 

ACTION:       Assistant Director - Planning, Transportation and Highways

                        City Solicitor