Content

The
Committee unanimously refused the application for the reasons set
out below with minor amendments to the reasons as drafted delegated
to officers:
 

1.   
The development, by virtue of the application
site’s considerable distance from the designated customer
parking (approximately 650 metres), the lack of sufficient footway
width along Church Lane to allow customers to pass, the lack of
lighting along Church End/Church Lane and the narrow and shared
surface along Church End, is considered to fail to provide a safe,
convenient, and inclusive walking route between The Hardwicke Arms
and the application site (Highland Cow Cottage), particularly for
carers with pushchairs, and other vulnerable groups. As a result,
the development fails to be well-conceived, does not ensure safe
and suitable access for all users and would lead to unacceptable
highway safety impacts. It also fails to prioritise pedestrian
movements, contrary to Policies HQ/1, TI/2, E/18 and E/19(e) of the
South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018, and Paragraphs 115, 116, and
117 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
2024.

2.   
The application fails to provide sufficient
information to demonstrate that the largest vehicle size through a
swept path analysis can be accommodated and manoeuvre within the
application site and exit in forward gear. As such the development
fails to provide safe, secure convenient and accessible provision
for waste management and collection contrary to Policy HQ/1 of the
South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018 and Paragraph 115 of the
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.

3.   
The application lacks sufficient detail regarding
pedestrian and transport arrangements, including the volume of
pedestrian and vehicle movements and the duration of vehicle
parking. Without this information, the application fails to comply
with Policies HQ/1 and TI/2 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan
2018, and Paragraphs 115, 116, and 117 of the National Planning
Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.

4.   
The development when considering the existing
parking demands of other uses at the Hardwicke Arms (including The
Tea Room) and potential overlapping uses does not provide adequate
parking to meet the needs of its intended use. As a result, the
lack of sufficient on-site car parking may lead to overflow into
nearby residential streets, increasing pressure on local parking
and negatively impacting the living conditions of nearby residents.
Therefore, the development fails to ensure car parking is
integrated into the development and fails to protect the amenity of
surrounding occupiers, contrary to Policies TI/3 and HQ/1 of the
South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018.

5.   
The application does not provide sufficient
information to demonstrate the biodiversity net gain required to
offset habitat loss resulting from the development. Without clear
evidence of the habitats affected and the proposed mitigation
measures, the proposal fails to meet the requirements of Policy
NH/4 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018, the Biodiversity
SPD 2022 and the Environment Act 2021.

6.   
The development has, through the lack of submission
of a tree survey or arboricultural
impact assessment, failed to demonstrate that there is no short and long-term effects on tree canopies
and root systems from the siting of the pods, nor demonstrated
appropriate management measures will be implemented to mitigate
these impacts. As such the development is contrary to Policies NH/4
and HQ/1 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018.