Minutes:
The Committee considered the above-mentioned full application for proposed new access road associated with police operations at the existing Mount Browne headquarters with associated landscaping, drainage, including attenuation pond, lighting and supporting engineering works.
The Committee received a presentation from the Senior Planning Officer, Morgan Laird. The Committee noted the supplementary late sheets which detailed 27 further emails of objection to the application as well as two further objections received after the late sheets had been published. The issues raised did not identify any new matters which officers were not already aware of and were largely restricted to highway safety concerns. Concerns were raised as to whether the Police response times would improve as a result of the new access road as well as a question on whether adequate public consultation on the plans had taken place. A memo was circulated to councillors the day before from a resident on behalf of other residents. The late sheets had rebutted the comments made in that. Artington Parish Council did also object to this application, as well as the wider site, which was acknowledged in the late sheets. An amendment to condition 8 had also been made to make it clearer regarding the access road as well as further clarification with respect to the additional duty introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act.
The Committee noted that the access road would extend from the Artington Road roundabout westwards. The existing access was from Sandy Lane and The Ridges. The site was restricted as far as potential alternatives for where the access road could go and was surrounded by Green Belt. The site was entirely within the Green Belt as well as the Surrey Hills National Landscape Area and an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV). There was also a public right of way that ran along the southern side of the site, north of the access road. The topography of the site rose to the northwest and the access road would make use of that topography.
The new proposed access road would have a carriage width of 6 metres, increasing to 7 metres towards the roundabout. Column lighting would run along its length, ranging from 5 to 8 metres in height with an attenuation basin at the base. It would include landscaping strips either side as well as pedestrian and cycle facilities along the northern side of the road.
Access to the field to the eastern side would be maintained through the road which was 269 metres in length. Only a section of it would be through the field and the rest through woodland extending towards the ridges. The landscaping would include an area of woodland planting to the northeast of it, hedgerow planting along its length as well as trees and a hedgerow along the Old Portsmouth Road.
Officers fully acknowledged that there would be harm associated with the implementation of the access road which was afforded significant weight. The column lighting would be visible in the trees and a portion of the road would be visible from Pewley Down. The road would not be visible from the southern side of the site where the public right of way was located because it sat below the topography of the land at this point.
The proposal would result in significant harm to the Surrey Hills National Landscape and result in a loss of agricultural land. However, the significant benefits afforded by this scheme were that it would improve response times for the Police by up to two minutes. It would also take vehicle traffic off the existing access points on Sandy Lane and The Ridges, which would in turn improve traffic safety. It would also improve the residents enjoyment of their amenities along Sandy Lane. A significant biodiversity net gain would also be achieved above the national requirements set. A new signboard would be erected to educate the public on the benefits and values of the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
The Committee noted that given the site was located in the Green Belt there were limited alternatives available. The applicant had therefore sought to minimise the harm through sympathetic planting and design. The applicant had explored the option of buying further land from the owner of the site but was deemed not possible in this case. Whilst significant harms were associated with the scheme, planning officers considered that the benefits would clearly outweigh the harms associated with the development and were therefore recommending approval subject to the conditions set out in the report and a S106 agreement.
The Committee discussed the application and noted comments that the access road off the Artington roundabout seemed to be the ideal place to provide access to the wider Police site. However, whilst it would reduce the amount of time accessing and leaving the site would it increase the number of vehicle movements using this road or would there be the same number of vehicles as onsite at the moment?
The Senior Planning Officer, Morgan Laird confirmed that the road would not see an increase in road traffic but the trip generation increase would be associated with the main site.
The Committee noted a further query regarding the reduction in response time by two minutes, would that be achieved from Mount Browne or from somewhere else? The Senior Planning Officer confirmed that the existing access and exit from Sandy Lane onto Portsmouth Road was quite dangerous with cars travelling at high speeds. The two minutes saved would therefore be achieved by not using that access anymore and by using the new access proposed.
The Committee noted comments that it was a shame the access road had not been cut into the landscape as it would have been a lot less noticeable than being routed with the topography of the land. However, if the topography of the land was cut into further, it would also increase the length of road overall which would require more engineering works within the site and field.
The Senior Planning Officer, Morgan Laird confirmed that this had been explored by the applicant as it was a point raised by the AONB Advisor and discussed as part of the pre-application process. Given it was a design question it would be something explored prior to going to Committee and not at this stage.
The Chairperson, Councillor Vanessa King moved the officer’s recommendation to approve application 24/P/00563 subject to a S106 and updated condition 8 as detailed on the supplementary late sheets, and Councillor Steven Lee seconded that motion which was carried.
RECORDED VOTE LIST
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COUNCILLOR |
FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
1 |
Cllr Richard Mills |
X |
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2 |
Cllr Dominique Williams |
X |
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3 |
Cllr Joss Bigmore |
X |
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4 |
Cllr Lizzie Griffiths |
X |
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5 |
Cllr Bilal Akhtar |
X |
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6 |
Cllr David Bilbé |
X |
|
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7 |
Cllr Steven Lee |
X |
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8 |
Cllr Cait Taylor |
X |
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9 |
Cllr Joanne Shaw |
X |
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10 |
Cllr Maddy Redpath |
X |
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11 |
The Deputy Mayor, Cllr Howard Smith |
X |
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12 |
Cllr Pat Oven |
X |
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13 |
Cllr Stephen Hives |
X |
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14 |
Cllr Vanessa King |
X |
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15 |
Cllr Gillian Harwood |
X |
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TOTALS |
15 |
0 |
0 |
In conclusion, having taken consideration of the representations received in relation to this application, the Committee
RESOLVED to approve application 24/P/00563 subject to a S106 and the amendments to condition 8 as detailed on the supplementary late sheet and:
(i) That delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director of Planning to grant permission and make minor amendments to the wording of conditions subject to the applicant entering into a Section 106 Agreement to secure:
· Monitoring of onsite Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
· Implementation of the proposed landscaping
(ii) That upon completion of the above, the application be determined by the Joint Assistant Director of Planning. The recommendation is to approve planning permission subject to conditions.
Supporting documents: