Representations

Highway Engineer advises there are no highway implications.

Initial proposal for a pair of three bedroomed semi-detached houses attracted a total of eight letters of objection and comment from local residents. Four from Cavendish Place, three from Caesars Road and one from Clifford Street.

Following readvertisement of the application for a semi-detached pair of two bedroomed dwellings showing amended designs, four letters of objection were received, two from residents of Caesars Road, one from a resident of Clifford Street and one from a resident of Cavendish Place.

Initial application was also subject of a fifteen signature petition with a number of the signatories also sending in individual letters. Subject matter of the petition is summarised as follows:

Development of excessive density.

Noise and disturbance caused by construction traffic.

How would general service vehicles and emergency vehicles be able to access the site.

Effect on views and outlook in respect of adjoining dwellings.

Dwellings will be overdominant causing loss of light to nearby buildings.

Concern that drainage from the houses will involve a pump thus resulting in a noise nuisance.

Reference made to wildlife habitat which would be affected by development.

Concern that proposal provides zero parking which could result in pressures on on-street parking which is already at full capacity.

All the above comments are contained within the individual letters however, the following additional points are also raised:

Insufficient garden area to serve family homes (this comment related to the initial proposal for three bedroomed houses).

Cavendish Place/Clifford Street regularly used by parents delivering and collecting children attending Westmont School and the recent child play facility in Drill Hall Road.

One writer refers to her daughter having a health condition involving a sleep regime which would be disturbed by building works.

Contents of the additional letters following the readvertisement reiterate the above points, placing strong emphasis on loss of light to garden areas and properties which front Caesars Road to the north west.

One writer appears to refer to a possible previous outline planning consent however, my records do not indicate such a consent exists.

Environment Agency make no specific comment but advise the use of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) within the development. Environment Agency also refers to potential flooding in the vicinity of the site and suggests the applicant should carry out local investigations to determine the extent of flooding and set floor levels accordingly.

Evaluation

Application relates to irregular shaped area of land situated between the rear of properties which front Caesars Road (numbers 49, 51 and 53) and rear of properties which front Clifford Street (numbers 17 - 22 consecutively). Area is characterised by traditional Victorian terraced dwellings apart from a recently constructed pair of semi-detached dwellings located to the south west of the site. Site is within the same ownership as 22 Clifford Street although appears separate from that dwelling. Both Clifford Street and Cavendish Place are dead-end roads and attract a high level of on-street parking.

Site itself is generally level but does slope towards the north west towards the rear boundaries of the properties which front Caesars Road. (North western boundaries). Apart from groups of boundary trees the site has no specific landscape features apart from an artificial pond.

Detailed consent is sought for the construction of a pair of semi-detached dwellings of asymmetric design both providing two bedroom accommodation. One of the dwellings has a chalet design appearance with the remainder having a traditional two storey house appearance. Pair of dwellings to be constructed in facing brick under a concrete tiled roof and sit centrally on the site having a south west/north east aspect with front elevation facing south westwards. Submitted plan indicates retention of perimeter trees and the erection of a new 1.8 metre high panelled fence along the north western boundary. Drainage will be via a subterranean pump with rising main to existing sewer adjacent Clifford Street. Proposal provides for zero parking but does provide pedestrian access off the north western end of Cavendish Place.

Proposed dwelling has in the main windows facing south west and north east and there are no first floor windows facing north westwards towards the rear of properties which front Caesars Road. In terms of distances proposed dwelling is set minimum 4.5 metres off the north western boundary to maximum of 5.3 metres.

UDP policies which apply are listed below:

Policy H4 - Unallocated Residential Development to be Restricted to Defined Settlements.

Policy D1 - Standards of Design.

Policy TR16 - Parking Policies and Guidelines with particular reference to zonal parking policies.

Policy U11 - Infrastructure and Services Provision.

Policy D3 - Landscaping.

Issues to be considered are summarised as follows:

Appropriateness of the size of site and its location for residential development.

Appropriateness of mass, scale and type of dwellings with reference to accommodation.

Appropriate site for zero parking.

Environmental impact issues.

I am satisfied that overall area of the site is capable of accommodating residential development of the type now proposed with a pair of semi-detached properties relating well to the recently constructed pair of semi-detached properties to the south west. Land area and particularly width of plot are similar to the site opposite. I therefore consider that this is an appropriate brown field site capable of accommodating this level of residential development in an urban area.

Regard to the second issue, Members will note that the applicant has revised the scheme which has resulted in a reduced size, scale and mass of semi-detached dwellings with reduced accommodation which I consider sits more comfortably on the site, providing an improved relationship with adjoining properties and their garden areas. Also the level of accommodation being two-bedroomed units accords with the recognised need identified in the recent Housing Needs Survey.

With regard to the third issue, Members will note that proposal provides zero parking mainly on the basis that there is no vehicular access provision directly on to Cavendish Place from this site. Pedestrian access can be achieved relatively easily therefore the main consideration is whether or not the site is appropriate for development without parking facilities. Site itself is within Zone 2 in terms of the Zonal Parking Policy being located out of town centre in respect of Newport. In this regard the site complies with the various characteristics in terms of parking which allows 0 - 50% of guidelines to be complied with. The main policy statement in respect of such a zone is as follows:

"If development without off-street parking takes place in this zone the existing parking constraints means that increased congestion is unlikely to be caused."

Highway Engineer raises no objection to the proposal and has made no comment relating to the zero parking proposal. The reduced accommodation in respect of the dwellings will reduce the likelihood of substantial car ownership in respect of the properties and in any event any purchaser of the properties would be purchasing on the basis that there is no provision for on-site parking.

Points raised in third party representations are addressed as follows.

Access to the site by construction vehicles and a methodology of construction are essentially matters for the applicant to resolve. He will have right of access over adopted highways but obviously could not use any private vehicular access without the consent of neighbouring owners. Members will also be aware that Planning Authorities cannot control routes of construction traffic by condition however, if Members are mindful to approve the application I suggest a letter be sent advising site management be carefully considered to avoid disruption within the vicinity of the site. Disturbance to immediate neighbouring property owners caused by building works is unfortunately inevitable and such disturbance cannot be used as a reason for refusal.

Access by service vehicles and particularly emergency vehicles to houses is well within recognised distances from public highways to enable these vehicles to service the site. However, with regard to bin collection I would suggest a condition requiring a purpose built bin storage area close to the highway to ease this problem.

With regard to the specific impact of the proposed dwellings on existing properties to the north west which front Caesars Road, whilst I recognise the concerns being expressed I am of the view that the distances involved are more than adequate to ensure that any loss of light does not occur and certainly the distances are such that there would not be a sustainable reason to refuse.

Applicants have indicated a small subterranean pump within an inspection chamber to take the foul drainage via a rising main to an existing sewer in Clifford Street. This pump will be the responsibility of the occupiers of the proposed dwellings and because of its location underground any noise from that source is extremely unlikely to cause undue disturbance.

Suggestion by local residents that site contains wildlife habitat has now been investigated by the Council's Assistant Ecology Officer who comments as follows:

The man made pond on site would provide suitable habitat for dragonflies, frogs and toads.

No tadpoles were visible in the pond with the site being covered in long grass being an overgrown garden and as such is likely to be suitable habitat for grass-snakes, slow-worms and hedgehogs.

Grass-snakes and slow-worms are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 against killing or injury.

If approval is granted it should be subject to condition requiring applicant to commission an investigation by competent person to ensure these two species are removed to another suitable habitat.

Ecology Officer recommends that as part of a landscaping scheme suitable species are planted to attract butterflies.

Finally, reference is made to the existing conifer (leylandii) hedge which applicant does intend to retain however, it is suggested that this should be removed and, in the long term interest replaced with beech hedging.

I would concur with the comments above and if Members are mindful to approve I suggest appropriate conditions.

I have spoken to the applicant who has been in touch with the Environment Agency with additional information relating to the levels of the site and their relationship to the nearest watercourse. The result of this information I understand is that the site stands sufficiently high above the watercourse to not present a potential flooding problem.

Objectors consider that this proposal represents an overdevelopment and town cramming. However, I cannot agree with these statements for the reasons detailed above. Members attention is drawn to PPG3 - Housing March 2000 which strongly advises Planning Authorities to ensure efficient use of urban land with particular reference to brown field sites. Two units as proposed site comfortably on this site with space about and represent a rounding off of development when related to the two units to the recently constructed to the south west. I also consider that the type of dwellings being proposed accords with the results of the Housing Needs Survey which has identified a shortfall in two bedroomed units in terms of the housing stock.

Reasons for Recommendation

Having given due regard and appropriate weight to all material considerations referred to in this report I consider this proposal is acceptable in its revised form for the reasons detailed above and therefore I recommend accordingly subject to appropriate conditions.

1.        Recommendation - Approval (Revised plans)

Conditions/Reasons:

2.        Recommendation - A letter be sent to applicants advising that in view of the possibility of the site containing grass-snakes and slow-worms which are protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 he should employ a competent person to carry out an appropriate investigation, and if present, to clear the site of these reptiles for removal to another suitable habitat with such works being carried out in consultation with the Council's Ecology Officer and English Nature, and,

A request for the developer to give careful consideration to management of construction traffic both visiting and leaving the site with particular reference to local school start and finish times.