Application no: 09/57413/out applicant: Rossford Dental Laboratory location: 78-80 Chorley Road Swinton M27 5ad proposal: Outline planning application to include layout and access in respect of four dwellinghouses and nine apartments ward

Effects of the Development on Existing and Future Neighbours

Policy DES7 requires all new developments to provide potential users with a satisfactory level of amenity. Development which would have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of the occupiers or users of other developments will not normally be permitted.
Planning permission has already been approved a for a residential scheme on this site. Whilst permission did not grant approval for siting of the amount of units proposed (8 apartments and 4 houses), an indicative layout plan was provided which demonstrated how the scheme could be laid out. The relationship of the proposal to the existing residential properties particularly to Bain Street has been detailed above.
The proposed layout will facilitate the flexibility to ensure that future occupiers are provided with an appropriate aspect. A condition ensuring that there are no habitable windows located within the two storey gable element of the apartments would also secure the safeguarding of the privacy of existing residents has been suggested.
Subject to a restriction of the provision of habitable windows within the gable of the two storey element of the apartments, it is considered that the proposed layout would accord with the provision of policy DES7.
Car Parking and Access
Policy A2 requires development proposals to make adequate provision for safe and convenient access by the disabled, pedestrians and cyclists through the protection and improvement of key routes.
Policy A8 states that development will not be permitted where it would compromise highway safety by virtue of traffic generation and access.
Policy A10 requires development to make adequate provision for disabled drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists, in accordance with the council’s maximum standards. It also states that the maximum car parking standards should not be exceeded.
DP5 states that “development should be located so as to reduce the need to travel, especially by car, and to enable people as far as possible to meet their needs locally... . Safe and sustainable access for all, particularly by public transport, between homes and employment and a range of services and facilities (such as retail, health, education and leisure) should be promoted, and should influence locational choices and investment decisions”
Whilst permission has been granted for a similar scheme on this site, the current proposal has been amended to change the access arrangements from those approved previously. It is appropriate to consider that, until recently, the majority of the site provided for approximately 20 - 25 garages. The garages have been removed as they had fallen in to a state of disrepair and became the focus of antisocial behaviour.
The proposal includes car parking provision for 14 car parking spaces which represents 125% provision for the amount of residential units proposed. In terms of the wider residential area, which comprises mainly terrace properties without off street car parking provision, it is not considered that this level of provision would represent an over provision of parking. Conditions have been attached requiring an appropriate provision to be marked for disabled provision together with cycles.
The scheme approved in September 2005 introduced a new access between the existing access to the site and the pedestrian access and access to the Post Office. Since this planning permission was approved the Design SPD has been adopted. The Design SPD also seeks to improve the quality of public realm. In this instance, there is a sewer easement which has required alterations to the previous indicative layout. However, alterations have been negotiated to provide one formal access based around the existing informal access arrangements. This alteration and reduced the potential number of access points along Chorley Road and therefore the amount of small sections of public footpath and associated drop crossings. It is considered that this alteration will improve the public realm along this section of Chorley Road.
No highway safety concerns were received in relation to the earlier scheme. Highway Engineers have considered the current scheme and offer no objection.
It is considered that the proposed layout would accord with the provisions of those policies highlighted above with regard to car parking and access.

Trees

The previous delegated reported (05/51173/OUT) stated;

“A tree survey has been included as part of the application and a site visit under taken by the Council’s consultant arborist. Trees would have to be removed to accommodate the new dwellings, however the report of the arborist confirms only three of the twenty five trees are in good condition and add amenity value to the area, and of these two are not within the red line boundary and the third is on the boundary of the site and would not need to be felled to accommodate new dwellings.”
It is not considered that the position has changed with regard to the provision of trees. However, additional tree planting will be incorporated into the landscaping of the scheme which will be secured during consideration of future reserved matters.
Pollution
Policy EN16 states that planning permission for development on or near to contaminated land will only be granted where the development would not expose the occupiers of the development to unacceptable risk, threaten the structural integrity of any existing or proposed building on or adjoining the site, lead to the contamination of a watercourse, or cause the contamination of adjoining land or allow such contamination to continue.
The principle of residential development has already been considered acceptable on this site previously in the granting of application (05/51173/OUT). Similarly, conditions have been suggested in respect of further site investigations and acoustic protection to the properties fronting Chorley Road. It is not considered that circumstances have changed since the previous decision which could warrant a different view in this instance.
It is considered that the proposal would accord with the provisions of those policies highlighted above with regard to pollution.
Sustainable Development
PPS1 sets out the Governments agenda for delivering sustainable development. The Council have recently adopted the new Sustainable Design and Construction SPD (March 2008), which recognises the aims of PPS1. For major developments such as this, policy SDC1 sets out a full criteria of measures that applicants need to demonstrate they have made full effort to comply with. Those measures will need to be considered in more detail at the time the reserved matters are considered and the sustainability checklist provided by RSS undertaken as this effectively supersedes parts of the adopted SPD.
However, at this stage, there is no reason to doubt that a detailed scheme could not be designed in such a matter to address PPS1, DP2 of RSS and ST8, ST14 and the adopted the Sustainable Design and Construction SPD. The same condition has also been attached as previous regarding minimal floor levels.
Developer Contributions
The Planning Obligations SPD requires residential developments to contribute towards the provision of open space, public realm, infrastructure and heritage, construction training and climate change.
In this particular case, no details are sought for the types of residential provision therefore the amount of bed space provision, which is the mechanism, used to calculate the required provision is unknown. The applicants agents have confirmed their willingness to enter into a S106 agreement and is happy to discuss this matter together with future reserved matters. A condition has been suggested requiring a S106 agreement to be entered into at a later date once the specific details are know.