PLANNING COMMITTEE AGENDA - Hartlepool Borough Council

Planning Committee – 25 th February 2009 4.1
Planning Considerations
5.11 The main planning considerations in this instance are the appropriateness of
the proposal in terms of the policies and proposals contained within the adopted and
emerging Hartlepool Local Plans, the affect of the proposals upon the surrounding
area in general, and in relation to drainage and highway safety considerations.
Effects on the surrounding area & relationship to the original Master Plan
5.12 A Master Plan was developed in 1997 to accompany the outline planning
permission for the Middle Warren housing development. The Middle Warren
development was always designed on a comprehensive basis encompassing more
than just housing. It did identify sites for a green wedge (an extensive open space
area), a neighbourhood park, additional areas of open space and landscaping.
These are provided for by a legal agreement. It was always envisaged that these
facilities would be phased.
5.13 Members may recall that as part of the negotiations leading to the approval of
the Joseph Rowntree ‘Hartfields’ application it was agreed that some of the facilities
in the neighbourhood park would be provided earlier than anticipated. Thus some
children's play equipment and a 20 space car park are to be provided. The provision
of these facilities is anticipated Spring/Summer 2009. The legal agreement specifies
that an additional 40 car parking spaces are to be provided once the remainder of
the park is developed, however this application is applying for the entire car park to
be developed now rather than wait for the trigger which would be in a number of
years time.
5.14 The permanent car park is now proposed to comprise 62 car parking spaces
with 21 of these spaces to be associated with the proposed doctor’s surgery. There
is an application for a temporary car park also being considered at this Planning
Committee (H/2009/0008). However should this application be approved it is
unlikely that the temporary car park would be implemented.
5.15 The incorporation of a doctor’s surgery into the Hartfields development is
considered to be a complimentary facility to the existing services offered. Pedestrian
access into the doctor’s surgery would be via an existing entrance separate from the
Hartfields extra care entrance. In visual amenity terms the scheme would not have a
detrimental affect on the area, the main issue regarding this development is to
ensure that adequate parking is provided with the proposed surgery. The doctors
surgery should be operational by the 1 st April 2009 to secure the funding of the
development.
Highw ay Considerations
5.16 It is considered that the provision of the doctor’s surgery would increase traffic
to the site, however the legal agreement for Middle Warren makes provision for a 60
space car park associated with the Neighbourhood Park, however the application
proposes a car park with 62 spaces. The application proposes 21 of these spaces to
be associated with the proposed doctor’s surgery, although this is effectively
lowering the number of spaces previously allocated for the Park and Green Wedge.
4.1 Planning 25.02.09 Pl anning apps 32