Agenda item

With reference to article 3 of the minute of the meeting of the Planning Development Management Committee of 19^th June 2014, wherein it had been agreed to visit the site, the Committee had before it a report by the Head of Planning and Sustainable Development which recommended:-

That the Committee express a willingness to approve the application for a partial amendment to planning application reference 130029 in respect of the land to the north of Hopetoun Grange, to allow for an additional 20 units and a change of house types, but to withhold the issue of the consent document until an amended legal agreement between the applicant and the Council has been secured identifying developer contributions towards primary education, community facilities, sports and recreation, core path networks and the strategic transport fund, subject to the following conditions:-

(1) that the hereby approved development shall not be occupied unless the lane to the west of the site, between the A96 and the southern boundary of plots 22/23, as shown hatched on drawing number DL002-85 Rev c and dated 12 March 2013, is upgraded to an adoptable standard for pedestrians and cyclists.  Notwithstanding that the phasing of construction on site may impact on when safe access and use of the path by pedestrians may be available, details of the proposed upgrading work to the path must nevertheless be submitted to and approved by the planning authority, and the upgrading work must be completed prior to any residential unit being occupied - in order to ensure that the proposed development offers access to more sustainable forms of travel to and from the development; (2) that no part of the development hereby approved shall be occupied unless a schedule of work relating to upgrading of bus shelters, seating, lighting, timetable information and boarding kerbs for bus stops on the A96 and on Sclattie Park has been submitted to and approved by the planning authority, and subsequently the upgrading work has been implemented prior to the occupancy of any residential unit implemented - in order to encourage more sustainable forms of travel to and from the development; (3) that no development pursuant to this planning permission shall take place, nor shall any part of the development hereby approved be occupied, unless there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority, a detailed scheme of site and plot boundary enclosures for the entire development hereby granted planning permission, which scheme shall include no boundary enclosure above a maximum height of 1 metre being permitted to the front of any residential unit within the development hereby approved.  None of the buildings hereby granted planning permission shall be occupied unless the said scheme has been implemented in its entirety, as it relates to that building - in order to preserve the amenity of the neighbourhood and in the interests of road and public safety; (4)  that no construction work pursuant to the planning permission hereby approved shall be undertaken by cranage or scaffolding of a height greater than 9.2 metres above ground level without prior consultation and approval of Aberdeen International Airport - in order to avoid endangering the safe movement of aircraft and the operation of Aberdeen International Airport; (5) that there shall be no means of direct vehicular access from the application site to the trunk road (A96).  Pedestrian access to the trunk road shall be restricted to the pedestrian / cycle path imediately to the west of the site - to minimise interference with the safety and free flow of the traffic on the trunk road; (6) that the applicant shall liaise with Transport Scotland, and its Operating Company, in regard to the timing, traffic management and standard of construction required for the pipleine crossing under the trunk road (A96) - to minimise interference with the safety and free flow of the traffic on the trunk road; (7) that no development shall take place unless a scheme detailing compliance with the Council's 'Low and Zero Carbon Buildings' supplementary guidance has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority, and any recommended measures specified within that scheme for the reduction of carbon emissions have been implemented in full - to ensure that this development complies with requirements for reductions in carbon emissions specified in the City Council's relevant published Supplementary Guidance document, 'Low and Zero Carbon Buildings'; (8) that no development hereby approved shall be carried out unless there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority a detailed scheme of landscaping for the site, which scheme shall include indications of all existing trees and landscaped areas on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development, and the proposed areas of tree/shrub planting including details of numbers, densities, locations, species, sizes and stage of maturity at planting - in the interests of the amenity of the area; (9) that all planting, seeding and turfing comprised in the approved scheme of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the completion of the development and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a size and species similar to those originally required to be planted, or in accordance with such other scheme as may be submitted to and approved in writing for the purpose by the planning authority - in the interests of the amenity of the area.

INFORMATIVE

Environmental Services have provided confirmation that a noise assessment submitted by the developer was sufficient to purify Condition 2 of the previous planning application (Ref 130029), and on that basis they have raised no objection to this new proposal, however they would recommend the installation of attenuation trickle vents in the bedroom of all properties across the 3.3ha site in order to reduce the impact of aircraft noise.

Members at their meeting on the 19^th of June had asked questions in relation to the effect on school capacity where there was an increase to the number of houses proposed as part of such developments, and officers advised that the developer contribution team discussed proposals with the Education, Culture and Sport Service in order to come to an arrangement on any contributions required to mitigate these additional properties.  The Committee requested that future reports include a statement from the Education, Culture and Sport Service on any capacity issues as a result of an application.

At their meeting on the 19^th of June, Councillor Lawrence stated that he felt that the proposed development could have an impact on one of the adjacent properties and requested that the Committee undertake a site visit.

The Committee Members were shown around the plots in question and it was explained by the Planning Officer in attendance that the developer had put forward an alternative option for members to consider.  The alternative option proposed on site was for a 4 bedroomed house rather than a 5 bedroomed house nearest to the boundary of the site with the houses on Hopecroft Drive. This option meant that the boundary of the site was further away from the residents in Hopecroft Drive.

The Committee Members visited properties at Hopecroft Drive and asked detailed questions of the Planning Officer in attendance relating to the site and the alternative option.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to approve the alternative option (decreasing the size of the house nearest the boundary with Hopecroft Drive from a 5 bedroomed to a 4 bedroomed house);  and

(ii)       to otherwise approve the application with conditions, as detailed in the report.

-           RAMSAY MILNE, Convener