(Attachment: 6)Agenda item - Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

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Planning Committee Agenda Item 8 13 April 2011 11/00126/F the development in the form of green avenues and wildlife corridors. This is a principle that is again encouraged in the design documents. 6.18 Another landscape feature that would make an important contribution to the character and sense of identity of the development is the swales that would be created as part of the SuDS system. Their final design is yet to be approved but their general location is shown on the master plan and final details are progressing in consultation with the Council. The layout of the scheme integrates with the location of the swales, which follow the northsouth line of the tree belts in “green corridors” as part of the drainage strategy for the neighbourhood. The illustrative details on the submitted plans indicate that the landscaping proposals will include new tree planting along the swales. 6.19 The landscaping plans show consistency with a framework plan for the site as a whole, so that planting in both phases one and two appears as one logical scheme throughout that complements the housing. This would include structural planting of trees and hedging within the development and also in an area between housing and the southern boundary that is a minimum of five metres in depth. This would provide a buffer zone to alleviate the appearance of the development and which, over time, would establish and maintain the characteristics of Langshott. 6.20 The Riverside Green Chain is a band of informal open space curving round the northern boundaries of the whole sector, which will provide accessible public open space, including a spine path suitable for cyclists and pedestrians. It formed an integral part of the master plan within the outline application and its details were approved under 04/01778/RM1. The more localised play space provision would be by way of one large Local Area for Play (super LAP), sited close to the southern boundary by the community centre and a normal Local Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) to the north, close to the Green Chain. Both would have some overlooking from properties to provide natural surveillance and they would incorporate a range of play equipment, although the one by the community centre would only have features such as stepping stones or logs for children to play on. This is to aid the setting of the listed barn. This level of provision would ensure that the community is no more than 10 to 15 minutes walk from such facilities. Affordable Housing 6.21 The proposed layout includes 71 affordable units, which equates to approximately a 25% provision as required by the legal agreement attached to the outline permission. Sixty units would be within the extra care scheme and consist of social rented and affordable leasehold properties, while the eleven units about the neighbourhood centre (plots 448-458) would be allocated as social rented housing and range from two-bed to four-bed M:\BDS\DM\Ctreports 2010-11\Meeting 13- 13 April 2011\Agreed Reports\04.01778.RM13 - Horley NE Sector Phase 2.docx
Planning Committee Agenda Item 8 13 April 2011 11/00126/F properties. Having taken advice from the Council’s Housing Development Manager, I am satisfied that this would be a satisfactory arrangement in terms of tenure split and their location. 6.22 The Housing Manager has confirmed that there is a need for an extra care facility within the Borough and it was envisaged that it would be built within the North West Sector, which has yet to gain detailed planning approval. The early introduction of this is welcomed, but as the applicant has not yet secured an end user for the facility it will be necessary to reserve other parts of the site for affordable housing in case it does not go ahead. This shall be secured by a deed of variation to the original Section 106 on the site, which is currently being drafted. 6.23 Concern has been raised over the layout of the extra care scheme and the internal arrangements of some of the three-bed units, which would be identical to the four-bed units but with a study in lieu of a bedroom. The reason for this is that the applicant needs to provide dwellings of appropriate scale about the neighbourhood centre, resulting in larger units. They are firmly of the view that these dwellings will be acceptable to a Registered Social Landlord and so have not altered the layouts, but the Housing Manager maintains that this may be an issue. The development must provide 25% affordable units, ensured by legal agreement, so it is in the applicant’s interest to design appropriate units. With this in mind I am inclined to accept the layouts provided. If they were found to be unacceptable for an end user then an amendment to the permission would be needed, which could occur at a later date. Neighbour Amenity 6.24 The proposed layout has been designed so as to afford acceptable levels of amenity for all future occupants. All dwellings would be of sufficient size with adequately sized gardens. The majority of dwellings would benefit from a separate rear access to their gardens. The layout has been assessed by the Architectural Liaison Officer for Surrey Police in terms of crime prevention, and he is satisfied that there are no obvious areas that might encourage crime. 6.25 The flats and flats over garages have little or no private amenity space. However this is acceptable given the scale and type of units and the provision of various forms of public open space available for use within close proximity. 6.26 The overall layout and siting of dwellings has been designed to avoid any unacceptable overlooking between new dwellings. Where windows would face one another, or neighbouring gardens, they would be to rooms that could be obscure glazed to prevent loss of privacy. Dwellings would be sited M:\BDS\DM\Ctreports 2010-11\Meeting 13- 13 April 2011\Agreed Reports\04.01778.RM13 - Horley NE Sector Phase 2.docx
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(Attachment: 6)Agenda item - Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

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