Agenda item

Ward: Chantry

Applicant: c/o Agent

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission to reconfigure the bus turning circle on Old Mill Drive.  The proposal would enable works for future development of the Storrington Mill Road Diamond site.  

The applicant had submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspector on the grounds of non-determination and, in order to enable the Local Planning Authority to provide a recommendation to the Planning Inspectorate, the Committee was asked how the application would have been determined, including conditions, had the appeal not been lodged.

The application site was located in the built-up area of Storrington, immediately north of the High Street. It was surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial premises, with an area of trees and grassland to the west.  There was an access to a car park to the east, and a number of trees positioned within the turning circle itself. The Storrington Conservation Area was opposite Old Mill Drive to the west, and beyond the adjacent car park to the east.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.

The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee. Stagecoach South, one of three bus companies included in the consultation, had raised some concerns regarding visibility.  The proposal had been amended in response to these concerns and the bus company had not commented on the amended plans. 

The Parish Council strongly objected to the application.  Forty-two letters of objection, from 21 households, had been received.  A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; the character of the site and visual amenities of the street scene; amenities of the occupiers of adjoining properties; and parking and traffic conditions.

Members discussed the proposed reconfiguration in the context of the Storrington Old Mill Drive Diamond Planning Brief Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which formed part of the Horsham District Planning Framework, and considered that a comprehensive strategic design for the whole Diamond area was required, as required by the SPD.  Members therefore considered the proposal to be premature as the design of the bus circle would need to take into account the wider development to ensure the proposed bus turning circle would not impede the comprehensive development of the site.

Members raised concerns regarding the impact of the proposal, in particular on the amenity value of the trees within the existing turning circle and requested that an assessment by the Council’s Arboricultural Officer be included in the Local Planning Authority appeal statement. 

Members were also concerned that the reconfiguration could have an impact on air quality, within the Storrington Air Quality Management Area, and it was also requested that comments from the Council’s Air Quality Officer be included in the appeal statement.  

RESOLVED

(i)      That the Local Planning Authority advises the Planning Inspectorate that, had an appeal for non-determination not been lodged, the Committee would have resolved to approve planning application DC/17/0861, subject to the conditions as reported, with an additional condition to read:

No development shall take place until a comprehensive development scheme for the wider Storrington Old Mill Drive Diamond development site has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority by way of application.

(ii)     That the Local Planning Authority appeal statement includes comments from: the Air Quality Officer on the impact of the proposal on the Storrington AQMA; and from the tree officer regarding the amenity value of the trees within the turning circle and whether they are worthy of a TPO.