Agenda item

We considered the report of the application, and late correspondence, which was recommended for approval subject to:

 

·         The 20 conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

·         Three additional conditions, following publication of the report, namely:

 

-       Retaining the hedgerow to the east of the site in perpetuity to a height of 1.8 metres.

 

-       Removal of permitted development rights to provide a means of enclosure along the site boundary with dwellings on Treetops.

 

-       The scale parameters to be a maximum height of 12 metres for the residential development and 18 metres for the care home.

 

·          A Section 106 Legal Agreement.

 

The local Member for Portskewett, County Councillor P. Fox, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points.  He also spoke on behalf of Portskewett Community Council, as the original representative was unable to attend the meeting:

 

·         Infrastructure overload is occurring through Portskewett with additional traffic being generated due to the development of residential houses at the Sudbrook Paper Mill site.

 

·         There is also a considerable number of houses to be built in the Sudbrook area which will be accessed via the centre of Portskewett village.

 

·         The main access to Crick Road should be via the B4245. However, there are concerns regarding the secondary access. It was considered that human nature will prevail with the easiest access being through Portskewett, exacerbating existing traffic issues.

 

·         Originally, it had been noted some years ago that the secondary access was to only serve an additional 40 houses, which had been deemed acceptable. However, the number of vehicles using this access will be considerably more. 

 

·         The infrastructure for Portskewett is becoming saturated due to additional housing developments being established.

 

·         The local Member welcomes the proposed additional conditions.

 

·         The local Member also welcomes the provision of affordable housing and asked that the allocations of these properties be allocated via the Rural Allocations Policy to ensure that local people are able to live within their community.

 

·         The care home will be a welcome addition to the area.

 

Councillor A. Easson, representing Caldicot Town Council, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         The Town Council is aware of the need to provide affordable housing in the area.

 

·         Caldicot Town Council supports the proposed development in principle, creating 75 affordable homes.  However, this support must be measured against the effects of an increased population on the rest of the community and the effects on the existing overstretched infrastructure. The Health Service provision is one of those affected with doctors’ surgeries at capacity.

 

·         The Town Council supports the development of a care home on Crick Road.

 

·         The transport infrastructure is inadequate. There is an hourly bus service to Chepstow and Newport but nothing further afield.

 

·         Severnside no longer has  the no. 62 bus service. The no. 75 bus service no longer exists either.

 

·         The nearest railway station to Caldicot has poor interconnectivity. It is essential that this service becomes viable for the future for people living in the area. A case should be made to re-open Portskewett Halt.

 

·         Severn Tunnel Junction is the choice departure of many commuters but currently the only option to get there is by car. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) base could be used as a park and ride with a pick up point at the Mitel site.

 

·         The proposed traffic calming measures and the re-alignment of the B4245 from Magor to Parkwall will only address a minor aspect of the traffic issues occurring at this location. This development may not increase the risk in the area. The road from Mitel to Parkwall has recorded three accidents over a five year period. However, to the west of the site, 33 accidents have been recorded over the same period.

 

·         Highways consider re-aligning the B4245 to accommodate a 2.5 metre footpath. Rather than narrow the roadway it would be more sensible to have a footbridge alongside the existing bridge to keep pedestrians and vehicles apart.

 

·         The proposed pedestrian crossing near Mitel will just be a refuge in the middle of the road.

 

·         The 30mph speed limit should also be extended beyond the Crick Road junction.

 

·         Schools in Caerwent, Portskewett and Rogiet are mainly at capacity.  Children are being taken by bus from the area to Magor and Undy. Developments in the future will add to the number of children residing in the area putting even greater strain on school places.

 

·         There will be over 100 children seeking school places in the future. Financial contributions will need to come from the developers to cover the shortfall. Adequate provision should be established in tandem with the development and not after completion.

 

·         Caldicot Town Council seeks to support the development with observations identified.

 

Mr. R. Williams, applicant’s agent, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         The site is allocated in the adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) and the principle of development is fully established.

 

·         It is acknowledged that a number of local residents and community and town councils have raised concerns in relation to the proposal.  The two main issues relating to highway matters and the impact on the local infrastructure and community facilities.

 

·         The application scheme is centred around a primary access onto the B4245 and a secondary access onto Crick Road. Considerable work has gone into the master plan road hierarchy which has been designed to ensure that the most convenient access will be onto the B4245 and any route onto Crick Road will have hindrances. The primary route will be onto the B4245.

 

·         The site is well located in terms of being in easy walking and cycling distance to the community facilities of Portskewett.

 

·         New footpaths and traffic calming measures will be provided along Crick Road and the B4245 to the Mitel Roundabout. These improvements will provide a safe route to Portskewett Primary School and to the local facilities within the village.

 

·         A direct footpath and cycleway will also be provided over the railway bridge to Caldicot which will provide access to the castle, country park, the comprehensive school and the town centre. These improvements will benefit the wider community.

 

·         Highways has raised no objections to the proposed scheme and supports what is being proposed and what is contained within the traffic assessment.

 

·         The Section 106 head of terms that have been agreed with officers will improve and enhance local infrastructure and facilities within the area.

 

·         A contribution will be provided in the sum of £50,000 to improve local bus services. £400,000 will be provided to improve recreation facilities and over £800,000 will be provided towards education provision.

 

·         25% of the development will be affordable housing provision and there will be extensive Section 278 works to ensure that the highway improvements are implemented.

 

·         In terms of health provision, the local Health Board was consulted as part of the LDP process and the planning application process and did not identify a need for improved G.P. provision in Portskewett.

 

·         The layout of the proposed site has evolved during consultation with officers.  The master plan and design and access statement demonstrate a commitment to the highest standard of urban design with dementia friendly principles being at the forefront.

 

·         Provision of meaningful greenways measuring up to nine metres width span the length of the site. Significant green infrastructure provision including links with the adjacent railway line.

 

·         Provision of a large central area of public open space comprising of a locally equipped play area costing in the sum of £125,000.

 

·         The retention of four large oak trees and the retention of the majority of existing hedgerow.

 

·         There will be significant landscaping throughout the site to ensure a quality living environment.

 

·         A care home will also be provided which is much needed in the community.

 

·         All material considerations have been addressed.

 

 

Having considered the report of the application and the views expressed, the following points were noted:

 

·         Traffic management measures are required around the Parkwall Roundabout area and before the Crick cross roads to reduce traffic speeds at this location.

 

·         The site adjacent to the B4245 has a history of flooding which will need to be managed.

 

·         There are vacant spaces in Caldicot Comprehensive School.  However, local primary schools are at capacity.

 

·         There are flooding issues with regard to the Nedern Brook, which has led to flooding of the nearby area.

 

·         Drainage issues in and around the surrounding area of the proposed development need to be carefully assessed.

 

·         The proposed affordable housing is needed for this area.

 

·         The concerns of Mathern Community Council, outlined in the report of the application, were re-iterated.

 

·         Concerns were also raised regarding infrastructure. A Member considered that the traffic assessment that had been undertaken was inadequate, as it only referred to the roads surrounding the area. It was considered that vehicles will be potentially travelling to Bristol via the A48 Pwllmeyric and to Newport.  It was also considered that the destination of these vehicles had not been taken into account when the traffic assessment was being undertaken.  Caldicot, Portskewett and Chepstow are all interlinked in terms of traffic flow and traffic management. An accident in Chepstow can lead to gridlocked traffic along this route through Portskewett and Caldicot, which can have a similar effect if an accident occurs in Portskewett or Caldicot.  The access to Crick Road is not a good idea as it is a narrow road. Measures to prevent access to this narrow road are unclear.  Traffic calming ramps had been previously installed but had caused drainage issues. Bus stops will be required on both sides of the road and should include lay bays with appropriate disabled access, as easy access to the care home will be required. It was suggested that deferral of the application should be considered to investigate the highways issues that had been raised.

 

·         There will be an increase in traffic flow. However, vehicle movements will occur at various times and will be travelling in different directions.

 

·         Currently, a variety of events occur annually in the area which generates additional traffic. However, the existing road system is able to cope with an increase in vehicular movements.

 

·         There is a local need for affordable housing within this area and this is an allocated site within the LDP. Considerable work has been undertaken with regard to the design of the site to mitigate the issues that have been raised.

 

·         This is an exciting development and could become a model for other developments to be based on.

 

·         It would be beneficial if local people could be persuaded not to use the secondary access but instead to use the B4245.

 

·         Some Members expressed their support for the development as it is vital that the facilities outlined in the report of the application are located on this site.

 

·         25% affordable housing will be brought to the area.

 

·         The care home will benefit people residing in the area.

 

·         In response to issues raised by a Member regarding highways and G.P. provision, the Head of Planning, Housing and Place Shaping informed the Committee that the Highways Department would have considered the wider highways impacts such as movements around the County and the pressures from the removal of the Severn Bridge tolls. There is a Section 278 Agreement involving various off site highways works that includes speed reductions that have been referred to. The concerns regarding G.P. capacity are noted.  However, Members will note from another application on the agenda that there will be an extra G.P. in a surgery located a short journey away from the site.

 

·         The Development Management Area Manager informed the Committee that in terms of highways implications, the site has gone through a vigorous LDP process and the infrastructure and road networks would have been addressed.  The Highways Department has reviewed the off-site mitigation measures that have been established and considered them to be acceptable.  In terms of the planning application, the Highways Department was satisfied with the information that had been submitted and had considered that this development would not have an adverse impact on the local network and deemed this to be acceptable. With regard to the ramps on Crick Road, these traffic calming measures have been established and agreed by the Highways Department which would be aware of any drainage issues that might be occurring. There will be a reduction in the speed of traffic in this area due to the traffic calming measures.  With regard to bus stops and laybys, the Highways Department generally does not look for the provision of laybys on ‘B’ roads.  The preference would be for the buses to remain on the road when stopping, which acts as an additional traffic calming measure.  This site is not located within a flood zone. With regard to the allocation of affordable housing for local people, it was noted that Monmouthshire’s housing policy and the allocation policy would aim to prioritise people in need in Monmouthshire.

 

·         The Strategic Transport Group is looking at ways of getting people to reduce using their cars and to encourage better use of public transport and it was considered that officers should liaise with the Strategic Transport Group for this and future developments.

 

·         In response to a question raised regarding bollards to restrict emergency vehicles, it was noted that this access would be a secondary access to the site and there would be no bollards erected there.

 

The local Member for Portskewett summed up, as follows:

 

·         He is not against the principle of development at this site and welcomes the Section 106 funding and where this money will be spent and the affordable housing allocation.

 

·         He acknowledged the additional traffic issues that will impact upon the community which will be challenging.

 

·         People should be discouraged from using the secondary access and acknowledged that some work was being undertaken regarding this matter.

 

Having considered the report of the application and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor P. Murphy and seconded by County Councillor M. Feakins that application DM/2018/00696 be approved subject to:

 

·         The 20 conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

·         Three additional conditions, following publication of the report, namely:

 

-       Retaining the hedgerow to the east of the site in perpetuity to a height of 1.8 metres.

 

-       Removal of permitted development rights to provide a means of enclosure along the site boundary with dwellings on Treetops.

 

-       The scale parameters to be a maximum height of 12 metres for the residential development and 18 metres for the care home.

 

·          A Section 106 Legal Agreement.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the following votes were recorded:

 

For approval              -           11

Against approval      -           0

Abstentions               -           1

 

The proposition was carried.

 

We resolved that application DM/2018/00696 be approved subject to:

 

·         The 20 conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

·         Three additional conditions, following publication of the report, namely:

 

-       Retaining the hedgerow to the east of the site in perpetuity to a height of 1.8 metres.

 

-       Removal of permitted development rights to provide a means of enclosure along the site boundary with dwellings on Treetops.

 

-       The scale parameters to be a maximum height of 12 metres for the residential development and 18 metres for the care home.

 

·         A Section 106 Legal Agreement.