Agenda item

Speakers – Neil Lewis (Agent)

                  Eric Veitch (Objector)

Applicant – Countryside Partnerships

Location and Proposed Development – Land at Holden Fold, Darwen.

Full Planning Application for: Erection of 477 residential dwellings with public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage systems (SuDs), demolition of existing stable buildings, new parking associated with the sports pavilion, additional parking off Knowle Lane, and vehicular access points off Holden Fold, Moor Lane and Roman Road.

Decision under Town and Country Planning Acts and Regulations –

RESOLVED – Approved subject to a Section 106 Agreement to secure payment of a commuted sum totalling £3,457,804 for additional primary school places in Darwen, secondary school and special needs places across the borough; highway improvement works and sustainable transport initiatives necessary to support the development; additional General Practice capacity; Green Infrastructure / Public Open Space provision towards the upgrade of Square Meadows Sports facility; provision for off-site Biodiversity Net Gain; together with provision of on-site affordable homes (24no.) to be “first homes”, and all the non-adopted green spaces and footways are dedicated for public use, and conditions.

Approved subject to the additional conditions highlighted in the Update Report:

Prior to commencement of the development hereby approved, and notwithstanding the submitted details, a proposed scheme of works to theexisting Hedgerow at the northern edge of Friends of Square Meadows Sport Facility shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The works shall provide for retention of the hedgerow where practicable and replacement where necessary, in proximity to the northern boundary of Friends of Square Meadows, so defined by the red edged site plan, numbered 22-04-P01 Revision D. The scheme shall include:

·       The precise position(s) of the retained section of hedgerow and

·       the replacement section;

·       hedgerow planting species;

·       planting frequency / density; and

·       a timetable for implementation of planting.

The replacement Hedgerow shall be planted in strict accordance with the approved details and shall be so retained.

REASON: In order to ensure that a hedgerow is assimilated into the adjacent development, and in the interests of good arboriculture practice, in accordance with Policies 11 and 40 of the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Local Plan Part 2.

Members are further advised that the subject hedgerow does not have any protected status and that the Council’s Arboricultural consultee offers no objection to its removal, subject to adequate retention and / or replacement planting being secured.

Since publication of the main report, the Council’s Drainage consultee – as Lead Local Flood Authority – has withdrawn support for the submitted surface water drainage strategy. The position has arisen following recent on-site investigations, during heavy rainfall, which established that the submitted strategy is not entirely accurate, with specific reference to current overland flow rate and proposed connection into a culvert on the western side of the site. Connection to the culvert is not considered feasible due it discharging into a nearby field, rather than a defined water course; a circumstance which would exacerbate flood risk. Accordingly, it is agreed with the application, in principle, that submission of a revised surface water drainage strategy would be secured via the following condition:

Prior to commencement of above ground development hereby approved, a scheme for the disposal of foul and surface water from the site must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority, the scheme shall include:

(i)             Separate systems for the disposal of foul and surface water;

(ii)            Where applicable, details of any proposed point of discharge to a watercourse, to be approved by the Lead Local Flood Authority.

(iii)          A detailed drainage strategy to demonstrate that the post[1]development surface water discharge rate to any soakaway, watercourse or sewer does not exceed the pre-development (Greenfield) rate. The drainage strategy shall include details of the peak surface water runoff rate from the development for the 1 in 1 year rainfall event and the 1 in 100 year (+40% climate change allowance) rainfall event, and shall demonstrate that the peak post-development runoff rate does not exceed the peak pre-development greenfield runoff rate for the same event;

(iv)          Details of any necessary flow attenuation measures, including the use of above-ground green SUDS unless this is unachievable for technical reasons;

(v)           details of the measures taken to prevent flooding and pollution of any receiving groundwater and/or surface waters (including watercourses) and any off-site works required to ensure adequate discharge of surface water without causing flooding or pollution (including refurbishment of existing culverts and headwalls or removal of unused culverts where applicable);

(vi)          Flood water exceedance routes, both on and off site;

(vii)         Means of access for maintenance and easements (where applicable); (viii) A timetable for implementation, including any phasing of works.

The approved scheme shall also be in accordance with the Non[1]Statutory Technical Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (March 2015) or any subsequent replacement national standards.

Prior to occupation of the proposed development, the drainage schemes shall be completed in accordance with the approved details and retained thereafter for the lifetime of the development.

REASON: To promote sustainable development, secure proper drainage and to manage the risk of flooding and pollution, in accordance with Policy 9 of the adopted Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Local Plan Part 2.

3 Objections – Cllrs Jac Slater, Marrow & Baldwin