Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
A Derbyshire planning chief has expressed his disappointment at repeatedly having to accept reduced community funding contributions from developers as a scheme for 50 new homes in countryside has been given the go-ahead.
NE Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee voted on November 3 to approve Stancliffe Homes’s application to build 50 properties in the grounds of Duckmanton Lodge, on Top Road, at Calow, near Chesterfield, despite a reduced Section 106 community funding contribution and a reduced number of affordable homes from the developer.
Planning Committee Chairperson, Cllr Lee Hartshorne, questioned how the developer’s original S106 community infrastructure contributions of £737,409.35 have been allowed to be reduced at the decision-making stage to £160,000 after they have undergone viability assessments.
He said: “All these applications that are coming before us always seem to have a shortfall on the S106 expenditure.
“Is there anything we can do to increase the values of what we’re getting because we are not getting mitigation for our residents that we represent as elected officials?”
A council planning officer explained the council is unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites and when an applicant outlines extra costs these have to be considered and the developer is still offering more than the findings of an independent viability review.
The scheme involves plans for new detached and semi-detached houses and 10 bungalows, a new open space, landscaping, and a new access point and the demolition of buildings including Duckmanton Lodge.
Plans also include retaining existing trees and incorporating these into a pocket park with a woodland walk, a central green space with seating and allotments as well as other open space areas.
Originally 20per cent of scheme was expected to have included affordable housing and community infrastructure contributions amounting to £737,409.35 for schools, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, NHS Derby and Derbyshire, children’s play provision and off-site outdoor youth facilities, a Travel Plan and other needs.
But following viability assessments the applicant still offered affordable housing amounting to ten per cent of the development in the form of five shared-ownership units and financial contributions totalling £160,000 towards the NHS and Calow Primary School.
A council report stated the delivery of 50 new houses including properties for older people and an element of affordable housing amounting to ten per cent of the scheme still attracts very significant weight in favour of the scheme due to a housing shortfall.
The applicant’s viability evidence has also been independently reviewed on behalf of the council and it indicated that a policy-compliant scheme is not viable.
Even with reduced S106 contributions, the scheme will secure five affordable housing units together with some financial contributions towards education and health above the agreed viability position, according to the council.
The scheme attracted objections with ten representations from residents including concerns about the capacity of services such as GP surgeries, dental services, schools and that recent and ongoing housing developments have already placed pressure on infrastructure.
Cllr Hartshorne added: “Once again, like I have already said, I feel we are sat here and we have another developer that has come along and again it’s not supplying all the mitigating circumstances for our residents and it grates on me a little.
“To be honest, it grates on me a lot that this is the position we have been put in because we have not got the five-year housing land supply. So we are caught between a rock and a hard place where we have got very little grounds to not accept this application.”
Cllr Hartshorne said he feels the council needs to work harder to push developers to make sure they are supplying the correct amount of S106 contributions.
He added: “It really does stick in my throat that we are having to accept this application without the full mitigation that our residents – that we represent – should be receiving because it is going to be at the detriment of certain residents who already live in Calow.”
Other concerns from residents about the scheme included increased traffic congestion, road safety, the impact for emergency vehicles at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, disruption from construction traffic, drainage and the area’s former mining land.
However, Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority raised no objections and its flood team also raised no objections subject to conditions outlined in a drainage strategy.
Yorkshire Water also raised no objections subject to conditions relating to the disposal of foul water drainage, and the Coal Authority also raised no objections subject to an investigation and any necessary remedial measures.
Stancliffe director Sam Jones said the site has been vacant for many years and the developer is offering high quality homes with landscaping after addressing concerns where possible.
The committee voted to approve the scheme with conditions including a landscape masterplan, a biodiversity assessment, a drainage strategy, construction and environmental management plans.
