Planning Permission Secured for 80 Homes Near Colchester
Our planning consultants have just secured planning permission for 80 no. dwellings on the outskirts of Colchester in village of Great Horkelsey, Essex. The application also includes highway improvements, land for allotments, and provision of a Scout and Girl Guiding Hut.
Outside of a Settlement Boundary
The application is located outside of the settlement boundary and in a location where adopted planning policies would resist development. However, in this instance the application forms part of an allocation for residential development in the emerging Local Plan. National planning policy affords significant weight to emerging local plans subject to the extent of any unresolved objections. This particular allocation was not subject to any substantive objections and these objections were largely resolved by the supporting technical information accompanying the planning application, whilst design issues will be resolved at the Reserved Matters Stage. Consequently, this application was supported by the Council and planning permission granted.
Technical Considerations
There were a number of matters that arose during the planning application, that needed to be resolved before the application was taken to Planning Committee for a decision. These included:
Flood Risk: the site is predominantly located within Flood Zone 1, which means that there is low probability of flooding, however part of the site lies within Flood Risk 2. A flood risk modelling exercise had to be carried out to demonstrate that no development would occur within any areas at risk of flooding.
Landscape: a detailed landscape assessment was undertaken with visual modelling to demonstrate that the proposed site would have a low impact on landscape character.
Highways: Access is a reserved matter, so the application proposed two access options to demonstrate that a safe access could be achieved. The proposed scheme also included mitigation measures to secure improved walking and cycling facilities within the wider village settlement.
Archaeology: The archaeological assessment discovered an historic brick kiln, which resulted in alterations to the parameter plan and indicative development layouts, to prove that the proposed development could be successfully accommodated within the available development areas.
We are very pleased that Colchester Borough Council agreed that the proposed scheme is located within a convenient location in respect to existing village facilities and that the development would support the needs and growth of the village, in terms of housing and community provision, and thus contributing to sustainable development.
Are you planning a residential development?
If you have a residential development project or a parcel with development potential, please do not hesitate to contact us at mail@adpltd.co.uk or use the form below.
Follow us on Instragram and twitter