Agenda item

Proposed Development

*3.1     Approval of Reserved Matters: Erection of 340 dwellings of KET/2015/0551 (Residential development of up to 350 dwellings and associated access) at Gipsy Lane (Land West), Kettering for Water Meadow Homes

            Application No: KET/2020/0773

Speakers:

Cllr Emily Fedorowycz attended the meeting and addressed the committee as a third party objector to the proposed development. Cllr Fedorowycz stated that the application if approved would have a detrimental impact on the levels of traffic associated with the Northampton Road Junction. Concerns were also raised in relation to the lack of urban green space and the omission of Net Zero buildings.

Julie Thomas attended the meeting and addressed the committee as the agent on behalf of the applicant and stated to members that outline planning permission and the principle for development had already been established and that the applicant had worked with the council with regards to a comprehensive pre application consultation. Construction on site if approved would commence September 2021. Members of the committee sought to clarify the proposals for the removal of the badger population within the application site. It was confirmed to members that a license from Nature England would be sought and that advice/guidelines would be followed in order to safely remove the population of badgers.

Decision

Members received a report about a proposal for which reserved matter approval was being sought for the erection of 340 dwellings of KET/2015/0551 (Residential development of up to 350 dwellings and associated access)

Members initially raised concerns with regards to the lack of electric charging points within the proposed development stating that the proposed amount of 10% was insufficient given the current climate and rise of alternative fuelled vehicles.

Concerns were also raised regarding police comments in relation to gated access points which could be seen as hotspots for Anti-Social Behaviour. It was clarified to members that the gated access points were in a location of good surveillance and were resident access only mitigating any Anti-Social Behaviour.

Members heard that combined footway proposed within the development align and link with neighbouring developments and that it was key for each of the developers to communicate going forward.  Members then raised questions in relation to the adoption of highways within the development site and sought to clarify whether or not the internal infrastructure was to be adopted as part of the scheme.

Officers confirmed to members that The Highway’s Departments had recommended the provision of a condition requiring full details of the highway works; however, this was not considered to be necessary as these matters were to be addressed through the adoption processes. The applicant was intending to have the roads adopted together with the main foot/cycleways, however it was confirmed to members that if this did not occur a condition shall be attached which sought approval of road maintenance arrangements as recommended by Highways and as a safeguarding mechanism should the roads not be adopted.

Members then agreed that the proposed development was satisfactory and saw no issue with approving the application as per the officer’s recommendation.

Following debate it was proposed by Councillor Bell and seconded by Councillor Smyth that the application be approved in line with the officers recommendation.

It was agreed that the application be APPROVED subject to the following conditions: