Decision details

Proposed Development

*4.1     Outline Application: Erection of an industrial manufacturing and warehouse building (Use Class B2 and B8) together with ancillary office accommodation and associated access at Weekley Wood Avenue (land at), Kettering for I M Kelly Holdings Limited & The Buccleuch Estates Limited

            Application No: KET/2020/0303

Speakers:

Jamie Wildman attended the meeting and addressed the committee as a third party objector to the proposed development stating that the application site represented a complex eco system involving several rare/endangered species of butterfly. It was stated that although habitat mitigation was included within the S106 agreement this would not be sufficient in order to replicate the existing special characteristics of the natural habitats.

Councillor Lloyd Bunday attended the meeting and addressed the committee as the Ward Councillor for the proposed development raising concerns that Policy 36 of the Joint Core Strategy was not being met and that there was a lack of an ecology report as part of the application process. Councillor Bunday also proposed that additional mitigation be included within the scheme to off set the carbon footprint of the development.

Chris Carlisle attended the meeting and addressed the committee as the agent on behalf of the applicant. Mr Carlisle stated that as a local employer the proposed development would provide an additional 150 jobs and that the application site had already been established for employment use. It was also stated that the applicant was committed to establishing mitigation for biodiversity and provision for this was secured via the previous planning permission.

Further to the speaker completing his 3 minute speech members sought clarification from the agent regarding  the consequences of a deferral of the application?

The agent referred to time limited contracts for the purchase of the site and consequences related to that.

Members received a report that sought outline planning permission (with only access to be considered) for the erection of an industrial manufacturing and warehouse building (Use Class B2 and B8) together with ancillary office accommodation and associated access.

The Planning Officer addressed the committee and provided an update which stated that that there had been an additional 26 letters of objection in relation to a number of matters including the loss of amenity and climate change/biodiversity impact. The planning officer stated that these matters had already been considered within the committee report and there were no further representations that would have altered the officer’s recommendation.

Members raised concerns regarding the lack of details associated with the planning application and also raised concerns regarding how the scheme aligned with  Policy 36 of the Joint Core Strategy.

Concerns were also raised by members in relation to comments made by the Wildlife Trust and out of date ecological assessments.

Following debate, it was proposed by Councillor Carter and seconded by Councillor Hakewill that the application be deferred in contradiction with the officers’ recommendation. The reasons for this deferral were:

(1)  To seek a masterplan for the wider land allocation of Land at Kettering North (as detailed in Policy 36 of Joint Core Strategy)

(2)  To seek an increase in the amount of ecological mitigation as part of the planning application.

(3)  To request an up-to-date ecological assessment.

It was agreed that the application be DEFFERED