February 2022

Minutes of a meeting of the Environment committee held at the Bracebridge Heath Pavilion on 21st February 2022 at 20:00

Present: Cllrs Broad, Blackmore, Manders, Smith, Trought.

In attendance: Mr Pete Tuckerman – Deputy Clerk to Council.

Cllr Warren was present.

 

1. To consider apologies and accept valid reasons for absence – It was Resolved: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Walker.

2. Declarations of Interest:

a. To receive members’ declarations of interest in accordance with the adopted code of conduct – Nil.

b. To receive and consider members’ requests for dispensations in accordance with the adopted code of conduct and standing orders. - Nil

 

3. To confirm the minutes of the Environment committee held on 17th January 2022 - It was Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 17th January 2022 be approved and signed as a true copy by the chairman.

 

4. To consider planning applications – Nil

 

5. To consider planning application 20/0057/OUT – Land off Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath

It was Resolved: That the Parish Council strongly object to the planning application. The following comments are in addition to previous submissions made by Bracebridge Heath Parish Council. The following comments are made in respect of amendments to the application consulted on during February 2022:

 

Single point of access for the site

Previous comments regarding the single point of entry to this development are reiterated. The single access alongside the proposed roundabout will cause great congestion particularly at peak times of the day. It should be noted that the proposed roundabout is only approximately 6 car lengths away from the Eastern Bypass roundabout which is likely to lead to queues of traffic onto the A15 and the Eastern Bypass.

 

In a development which proposes over 1000 houses there will potentially be around 2000 vehicles trying to enter or exit the development at peak times from a single entrance/exit. Congestion of this scale will adversely affect the quality of life for residents. Furthermore, without alternative access arrangements this will also result in delays for emergency vehicles trying to enter the site. Emergency access

using grass verges and cycleways is not an acceptable planned and long-term mitigation for this risk. The emerging Neighbourhood Plan for Bracebridge Heath references the existing issues of traffic congestion in Bracebridge Heath throughout section 14 and particularly in paragraph 14.2. Without mitigation, the proposal for this site will exacerbate this issue further. In conjunction with the proposed location for the roundabout, it is believed that the scale of this development with the proposed access arrangements, without further mitigation will have severe transport implications for residents of the development, existing areas of Bracebridge Heath and motorists passing through the village. This is contrary to the CLLP LP13 which states that “any development that has severe transport implications will not be granted planning permission unless deliverable mitigation measures have been identified, and arrangements secured for their implementation, which will make the development acceptable in transport terms.”

 

Housing densities

Supplementary documents provide additional information about indicative housing densities for the application and how this might be delivered. It should be noted that the context study provided for terraced property on Grantham Road excludes the gardens for these properties which skews the overall densities for this area of the village. The indicative housing densities proposed are more compatible with a townscape and not a large village such as Bracebridge Heath. Whilst it is appreciated that the applicant is providing an illustration at this point and that exact layouts and densities will be provided in

applications to be considered at a reserved matters stage, Parish Council believes it is important to point out that the densities illustrated are higher than and out of keeping with the rest of the village. Parish Council appreciates the inclusion of illustrative layouts for the development and how these might conform to the requirements of the Broad Concept Plan and Design Code. Whilst details will be provided at a reserved matters stage in the planning process, it should be noted that the inclusion of a 2.5 to 3 storey apartment building on the western side of the development as shown in Density Study 1 is

contrary to the Broad Concept Plan and Design Guide which provides that apartment style dwellings will only feature on primary streets. Further, the Broad Concept Plan and Design Guide provides that ‘storey heights for primary streets will typically vary between 2 and 2½ storeys, with suitably scaled and justified taller buildings over 2½ storeys being acceptable when they are proven to assist with the

understanding of the layout through punctuating the street scene’.

 

Location of the care facility

The proposed location of the care home is an improvement on the previous proposal. The new location is further from the Lincoln Eastern Bypass but will still require measures to mitigate the noise and fumes from traffic which should be outlined as soon as possible within the planning process. The new proposal has some benefits such as access to good pedestrian and cycle routes and dedicated parking

arrangements for staff and visitors. Access to the rest of the village needs to be considered early in the planning process to ensure that there are safe ways of crossing the primary road on which the care home sits.

 

It is, however, disappointing that the siting of the care home in this location has been at the expense of green space across the development. Perhaps the loss of green space could be mitigated by reducing housing on the land formerly proposed for a new primary school. The additional green space in this location could be used to form a NEAP. The inclusion of additional green spaces and play facilities is supported by the emerging Neighbourhood Plan which illustrates that consultation exercises carried out with residents of Bracebridge Heath highlight the appreciation of and the need for more green spaces. In addition, it should be noted that the proposals for LEAPs (or NEAPS as suggested above) throughout the development should be sited with respect to the play area specification contained within the Broad Concept Plan and Design Guide. The requirement listed in Appendix B for a LEAP is for ‘a minimum of 400m2 equipped activity zone occupying a well-drained, reasonably flat site’. The proximity to SUDS in the application will compromise the year-round use of such facilities and will not be compliant with being a ‘well-drained’ site. The removal of the care home from the central employment area also allows for reconsideration of the location of the community hub within the employment area which the Parish Council raised concerns about previously. The additional space created by removal of the care home might also enable expansion of the hub in future.

 

6. To receive a report on planning decisions – Report noted.

 

7. Items for the agenda of the next committee meeting. – Planning Applications & Bicycle Racks.

 

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 20:26

 

Signed_______________________________Chairman                   21 March 2022