Minutes of Planning meeting 14 March 2019

Draft Minutes of the Meeting of Holme Parish Council

Held on Thursday 14 March at Holme Village Hall.

Councillors present: Mr H Watson, Mrs J Weatheritt, Mrs W Aylesbury, Mr T Snitch. District Councillor T Alban, County Councillor S Bywater

Also present: Mrs J Osborn (Clerk). Cllr Snitch took the chair.

  1. Apologies for absence: Cllr J Griffin, Cllr D Neal, Cllr P Sargent.
  2. Declaration of interests: None
  3. Public Participation

27 members of the public attended.

Arguments re item 4a were heard. This application is very similar to the previous one on this site and the same comments apply. Environmental/wildlife/countryside etc also the housing should be centred in the plot to prevent opportunities for further development behind.

Arguments re item 4b were advanced by members of the public:

  • The density is too high and a major development of this size will represent a 10% increase of homes and population in the village.  No other area of Holme has such dense development so it is not in keeping with the village.
  • Flood zoning. The site still appears to be in Flood zone 3. What is the update to this? Has the area been downgraded?
  • Sewerage treatment works is already unable to cope – it is being siphoned every 2 weeks to enable it to cope now. An extra 25 homes will exacerbate this.
  • As Holme has no bus service, residents will have to depend on cars for transport. This is unsustainable.
  • Holme has no shop so either residents have to drive to Yaxley or Sawtry, or they have shopping delivered –either way traffic will increase.
  • There are not enough parking spaces shown in this design to accommodate off road parking for one car per adult. It is noted that there are also no garages, bicycle parking spaces etc. shown in the design.
  • Parking spaces are especially important on the road frontage with Pingle Bank where on-road parking is already a problem.
  • Only one visitor parking space and no delivery van space shown.
  • Increased traffic of approximately 50 cars per day, along a small, narrow and weak country road with a dangerous junction onto the B660.
  • Traffic issues with tailbacks resulting from the level crossing (can be closed for 25 minutes at a time) which frequently obstruct the junction of Pingle Bank and Station Rd.
  • Traffic exiting the development might choose to use the narrow (unclassified) Conington Road as a “rat run” southbound, over the weight-restricted bridge at Holme Brook which will in turn cause a problem in Conington.
  •  The Speed Indicator Device recently purchased shows the 85th percentile as being over 40mph on Station Road, this is already a huge safety issue for pedestrians walking, and danger would be increased by the increased traffic visiting the development.

 

  • There is no path along Pingle Bank, nor is the road wide enough to accommodate one. As this is fundamental to the whole development a highway survey should be done in advance to check that a path is possible. No plans have been submitted. Residents do not wish to lose their front gardens for a footpath to be built and it may not be feasible.
  • No plan to address pedestrian road safety at the junction with Station Rd
  • Road safety issue with crossing the very busy B660 to get to the village services. No street lighting along this road, and no power is currently available to provide lighting or a lit crossing.

 

  • Currently there are some spaces at the Primary school but the figures in the officer’s report are misleading. The spaces are mostly in year 6 and when the current year 6 cohort leaves in July, they will be replaced by a new reception intake likely to be 17 children so there will be few, if any, spaces from September 2019.
  • It is understood that Sawtry Village Academy, to which the majority of children go at age 11, is also full, although an extension is envisaged.
  • The school bus to Sawtry VA is full and parents are having to transport children by car at present.
  • Holme has no play area and no sports facilities. (The school field is not made available to play on).

 

  • The Housing Needs Survey carried out by Cambs ACRE last year indicated a small need for 6 homes.
  • Since then, 8 market homes have been built at Hardwick Court – some are standing empty as they have not sold.  2 semi detached homes have been extended to make 4 small houses, and a garage has been converted to a bungalow. Permission exists for one more social house.  There is little need for more housing in this area.
  • As Huntingdonshire does have enough housing land supply to fulfill its targets there is no reason to permit these 25 additional homes.
  • Too many homes, too close together. Fewer would be much more appropriate in this setting.
  • Flats are unwelcome.
  • The roadway should be 2 culs de sac with a turning area at the end of each and a linking pathway to prevent the road becoming a racetrack.
  • Houses are all in straight lines which feels old fashioned and does not engender a sense of enclosure.
  • The open space should be enclosed within the built area i.e. swapped with plots 15-17.
  • Not enough parking spaces

Planning

19/00189/OUT

2 Dwellings, land rear of 43 Holmewood

Councillors Voted to recommend refusal 4:0 (absentee votes 3 to refuse)

17/00100/OUT

Revision to application, 25 dwellings at Onion sheds, Pingle Bank

Councillors voted 4:0 to recommend refusal (absentee votes 3 to refuse)

Cllrs Alban, Bywater and Snitch to speak at the Development Management Committee on Monday 18th March.

Date of the next meeting.

Next full Council meeting  Tuesday 19 March at 7pm

 

 

 

Signed…………………………               Date……………………………

 

 

 

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