This meeting is a site visit by the Marple Area Committee of Stockport Council. The visit is to consider an application to demolish some stables and build a new house in their place. Councillors will meet at Stockport Town Hall at 9.45am to catch a coach to the proposed development.

Proposed development on land to the rear of Longhurst Lane and Knowle Road, Mellor

This application concerns land to the rear of Longhurst Lane and Knowle Road in Mellor. The documents provided to the Councillors say that the owners of the land, Mr and Mrs Tufaro, want to demolish the stable buildings and build a new three bedroom detached house. The application has been made through their agents, SF Planning Limited.
The applicant says that they plan to live in the house once it has been built, and that the house will make good use of previously developed, or 'brownfield' land. The proposed house will have solar panels and an electric car charging point. The plans show that the proposed house will be 130 square metres in size, and will be built using timber board cladding and have a sedum roof. The proposed house will have parking spaces for three cars and a secure area to store bicycles. There will be a patio to the front and rear of the house and a garden. The application is supported by a Design and Access Statement, a Planning Statement, an Ecological Appraisal, a Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment, a Landscape and Biodiversity Enhancements Plan, an Arboricultural Impact Assessment and a Hard and Soft Landscaping Plan.

Green Belt

The applicant says that the new house will not be inappropriate development in the Green Belt because,

the proposed development would comprise the redevelopment of previously developed land which would not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development on site.

Many of the local residents who have written to the Council disagree, arguing that the stables were not a significant development and that allowing the new house to be built would set a precedent for other similar developments on Green Belt land. In particular, many people said that this application should not be approved until brownfield sites within the urban area had been developed. One resident said,

There is an abundance of brownfield sites in the area in the area which should be developed first before development on Green Belt land is required.

Highway Safety

The Council's Highway Engineer has said that they think the application should be refused. They say that, while the new house would not increase the amount of traffic on local roads,

the proposed dwelling would be sited in a location that has a poor level of accessibility due to its rural location, public transport provision, the nature of the pedestrian and cycle network in the area and proximity to shops, schools, services, leisure uses and places of employment, which would result in the occupants of the dwelling being heavily reliant upon the use of private motor vehicles.

They recommend that the application be refused unless the applicant proposes measures that would improve accessibility and reduce reliance on cars. The Council's report says that, despite the Highway Engineer's concerns, because Stockport Council cannot demonstrate that it has allocated enough land to meet its housing targets, the application should be approved. It says that policies requiring new homes to be built in places with good public transport links do not apply in this case because,

Comprising only 1 no. dwellinghouse, the proposed development would not be of a significant scale and, as acknowledged by the Highway Engineer, would not generate a significant number of trips.

The Council's report also says that the national planning rules do not prevent houses being built in areas without good public transport links.

Ecology

The Council says it has received an Ecological Appraisal of the site and a Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment. The Council's Nature Development Officer has said that the application does not have to deliver a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain because it is a 'self-build' development of fewer than 10 houses. The documents say that the development will cause a net loss of habitats, but that the applicant has proposed several measures to mitigate this, including the creation of a wildflower meadow and scrubland, planting new trees and hedges, and installing bat and bird boxes. They also say that the developer should create a 'hibernaculum' to provide shelter for animals over winter. The Officer has recommended that the committee attach a condition to any planning permission they grant requiring the applicant to submit a Biodiversity Enhancement Management Plan, and a Construction Environmental Management Plan to show how they will protect the nearby woodland and the animals that live in it during construction.

Drainage

The Council's Drainage Engineer has said that they want to see a Drainage Strategy for the site. Their comments suggest that they think the surface water could drain into the ground, and that they want to see the development use sustainable drainage methods¹ like 'green roofs', rather than connecting to the sewer network. United Utilities have also said that they,

request that Local Planning Authorities and applicants do all they can to avoid surface water entering the public sewer.

The Council's report says that because this is a small development, a condition requiring a detailed drainage scheme will be enough to make sure the development does not increase the risk of flooding.

Other Matters

The Council's Environmental Health Officer has said that they think there is a risk of contamination on the site. They have recommended that conditions be attached to any planning permission requiring the developer to commission reports to investigate and, if necessary, remediate the contamination.
The Coal Authority has said that, while part of the site is in a high-risk area for coal mining legacy issues, they do not think a Coal Mining Risk Assessment is necessary. They have recommended that the Council add a note to any planning permission it grants advising the applicant to contact them if they discover any coal mining features during construction. The Council has said it will seek a contribution of £3,604 from the applicant towards the cost of providing open space and recreation facilities in the Borough.