Hazelwood Parish Council

Planning Application Comments

The Parish Council routinely comments on all new planning application from within the Parish .

2018

AVA/2018/0993,0923 and 0907 Chevin House Firestone. The Parish Council has no objection to these applications ; Unanimous decision .

AVA/2018/0866 Land North Of Church Farm Hazelwood Hill Creation of new field access Hazelwood Parish Council response : " DCC Highways has already responded to the subject Application , recognising that there would be road safety issues arising from this proposal , particularly as there may be new access points on Hazelwood Hill associated with two other proposals at the Church Farm site which have yet to be determined . There is insufficient data provided regarding actual traffic speeds in the immediate vicinity ( Hazelwood Hill is subject to the National Speed limit ) and the visibility splays at the site are unclear.

Additionally there is an adequate existing access from Hob Hill , running along the west edge of The Grange . The need for additional access is not identified in the Application.

Hazelwood Parish Council recommends refusal of the Application. Unanimous decision

AVA/0860 Replacement Dwelling for Church Farm House , Hazelwood Hill.

Hazelwood Parish Council recommend refusal of this application , unanimous decision .

AVA/0798 Conversion of existing barn at Church Farm , Hazelwood Hill.

Hazelwood Parish Council has no objections to this application , unanimous decision,

AVA/2018/0916 – Proposal for 7 Dwellings at Blackbrook. Unanimous objections

AVA/2018/1067 Bramble Cottage 56 Ashbourne Road Shottle Gate Two storey side extension and single storey side extension, No objections unanimous

The Parish Council is in general support of the Applications below, and welcomes the benefit a sympathetic refurbishment will bring to the neighourhood. We do however request that every consideration is given to the preservation of the larch tree to the south of the property , as there is some sentiment locally ( for obvious reasons ) to encourage this.

AVA/2018/1183 Reserved matters application following the approval of AVA/2018/0064 (This proposal is not in accordance with the provisions of the Amber Valley Borough Local Plan 2006)

The Application site is in the garden of the property known as " Deer Leap " on Over Lane Hazelwood . The site was the subject of Application AVA/2018/0064, against which outline planning permission was granted on 03/05/2018.

A site plan produced by Freestone Design and dated Jan 2018 / no. FDL-17-157-04A which supported the Application, showed a modest dwelling , consistent in scale with a 3-bedroom property , with a detached single storey garage to the North East.

In considering the Application , the Delegated Report noted that the proposal was not fully in accordance with the local Development Plan as the site was greenfield land . However the Report concluded that the site was " within and well integrated with the groups of continuous buildings forming settlements at Over Lane," and was thus in part compliant with NP1 of the Hazelwood Neighbourhood Plan ( HNP) . It further acknowledged the clear requirement expressed in the HNP for " new, smaller dwellings to meet the needs of local people, in particular for older people wishing to downsize." The Application was clearly seen to be compliant with this aspiration.

The Delegated Report references the Amber Valley Borough Local Plan 2006 , the HNP , National Planning Policy Framework ( NPPF ) and the Emerging Local Plan ( 02 March 2018 ) when considering Design Principles . The overarching principles are for high quality designs , sympathetic in terms of material , massing , and impact on the landscape , with neighbouring properties , whilst respecting the innovative progress of design elements over time. Specific reference was made to HNP ( NP1 ) in that proposals should :

a) "Conserve and enhance the rural character of the built environment and respect the high quality landscape of the vicinity."

b) "Demonstrate that the visual impact of the development has been minimised by producing designs that accord with the Village Design Statement , so that development is not harmful to the intrinsic local character of the proposed location."

Amongst other requirements in the NPPF and the Local Plan , Policy LS3 of the Local Plan requires " all new development to reflect the principles of good design by conserving or enhancing the quality and local distinctiveness of the natural and built environment , respecting the character of the locality in terms of scale and nature of the development.

Policy EN17 of the Emerging Plan requires all development proposals to be in scale and character with their surroundings……………….

Under the Visual Amenity summary the Delegated Report notes that the proposed layout shows a relatively small scale property , that dwellings in the area primarily have two storeys and that it is considered that the site can accommodate the same. A future Application for the approval of reserved matters would need to ensure that the scale of the dwellings is acceptable in the area and proportionate to the plot size .

The importance of landscape character and the need for conformance to the existing built environment cannot be overstated in Hazelwood Parish , which enjoys attractive and far reaching views to the North , South and West ; a tranquil local environment , and several challenging gradients for cyclists , joggers , hikers and equestrians. It is an environment which is highly sensitive to unmanaged change .

In considering AVA/2018/1183 , and comparing the proposed dwelling with AVA/2018/0064 , it is immediately clear that the new proposal ; which has been based on the total footprint of the house, single storey garage and the land between the two which was allowed in AVA/2018/0064; represents a huge uplift in massing , owing not only to the increased ground footprint , but also that the garage area and the open area between the original house and garage is also now proposed to be 2 storey. The new proposed dwelling would be bigger in terms of massing than Lane End Farm and Lane End House together , and also bigger than The Deer Leap . The HNP NP6b) requires that " Development in Hazelwood Parish will be supported, providing it" does not demonstrably diminish the setting of the built environment and it's relationship with the landscape."

The proposal fails to respect NP1 of the HNP in that it is clearly not a smaller dwelling to meet the needs of local people , in particular for older people wishing to downsize .

To describe the proposed dwelling as a 3 bedroomed property is a cynical attempt to show conformance with NP3 , which requires that " proposals for new homes will only be supported if they include a maximum of 3 bedrooms , unless the latest assessment of housing needs in the Parish demonstrates that such homes are no longer required . "

Although the proposal identifies 3 bedrooms , the additional second storey space proposed , and it's description as " flexible in living spaces and accommodation to suit the needs of different types of occupiers………" must be read to assume that there is an opportunity to increase the number of bedrooms quickly . HNP does not require new dwellings for different types of occupiers – it calls for smaller dwellings to meet the needs of local people , in particular for older people wishing to downsize".

The proposed dwelling would dominate the housing cluster at that point on Over Lane . It's massing would intrude on the Visual Amenity enjoyed by the residents of Lane End Farm, Lane End House , The Shanty , and would , by virtue of the increased second storey massing , intrude upon the landscape character and views southwestward from Over Lane .

In summary, the proposal fails to respect NP1a), NP1b) and NP1c) in that it would cause harm through it's massing to the rural character and the landscape , it fails to respect NP3 in that it is a larger property than the 3 – bed model foreseen for older residents to downsize into , it fails NP6b) in that it would " diminish the setting of the built environment ."

The Report also records that the gap between the two neighbouring dwellings of The Deer Leap and Lane End Farm is 38 metres . Although this is the case today – the measurement fails to take account of the approved Applications for garden rooms at Lane End Farm (AVA/2018/0761) and Lane End House (AVA/2018/0619 ) which may reduce the gap. This dimensional issue must be re-evaluated .

For the various reasons summarised , in particular the massing of the proposal and it's impact upon the landscape and neighbouring properties , the Parish Council submits that the Application should be refused.