Content

By unanimous vote of 9, the
Committee refused the application as per the officer
recommendation:

·      
For the reasons set out in the officer’s
report (with minor amendments to the reasons as drafted delegated
to officers) namely:
o  
The proposed development, by virtue of the proposed
site layout and exclusion of the eastern edge of the site,
represents a form of development dominated by car parking and
hardstanding failing to provide mitigation to the harmful impact on
the landscape character immediately adjoining the Green Belt. The
proposal is therefore harmful to the character and appearance of
the surrounding area and fails to comply with Policy NH/8 of the
South Cambridgeshire Local Plan and Policy FOX/5 of the Foxton
Neighbourhood Plan.
o  
The proposed development fails to comply with the
drainage hierarchy, by failing to demonstrate that infiltration of
surface water is achievable, the proposal would result in harm
through potential surface water run-off. The proposal is contrary
to Policies CC/7, CC/8 and CC/9 of the South Cambridgeshire Local
Plan (2018) and Paragraph 181 of the NPPF (2024).
o  
The proposal due to its layout would result in an
unacceptable standard of living accommodation which would not meet
the required standards for new properties. The proposal would
experience a high level of noise disturbance from the nearby
railway and highway, of which there is insufficient information to
demonstrate suitable mitigation. The proposal would therefore cause
undue harm to the amenity and living conditions of future occupiers
and would conflict with Paragraph 135 of the National Planning
Policy Framework (2024), Policy HQ/1 of the South Cambridgeshire
Local Plan (2018) and the South Cambridgeshire District Design
Guide (2010).
o  
The application currently proposes an unsuitable
access arrangement for servicing vehicles, in addition to
inadequate inter-vehicle visibility splays, Given the constrained
nature of access, in close proximity to the A10, the development
would result in harm to the safety of the existing highway. 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.
o  
The development 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, the Greater Cambridge
Sustainable Design and Construction SPD and Policy FOX/18 of the
Foxton Neighbourhood Plan.

·      
Adding an additional reason for refusal regarding
the scale of the building and the impact on the Green Belt and the
countryside with reference to Local Plan Policies NH8(3) and HQ1
ADwith the specific wording of the reason for
refusal delegated to officers in consultation with the Chair and
Vice-Chair of Planning Committee.

·      
Adding an informative to provide information about
the Design Review Panel to the Applicant and which the Applicant
may consider using with the specific wording of the informative
delegated to officers in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair
of Planning Committee.