Positive appeal decision at Farmborough, B&NES

We are pleased to announce that the Planning Inspectorate has allowed an appeal for the development of 38 dwellings on land at Farmborough, Bath and North East Somerset.

We represented the appellant in relation to transport sustainability and highway safety issues, at a hearing held on 4^th September.  The Inspectorate had upgraded the appeal from a Written Representation appeal as a result of the high degree of local interest by the public. 

The Inspector considered little to no weight should be afforded to the B&NES draft Core Strategy in relation to the decision making.  Whilst the appellant offered a Unilateral Undertaking for a highway related planning obligation being sought by the Council, the Inspector found that it did not meet the test of CIL Regulation 122 on the basis that the scheme would not be in an unsustainable location and because it would not compromise highway safety.

Phil Tilley, who appeared at the hearing for TPA, said “the Inspector got to the nub of the issues and expressed his reasoned arguments to grant planning permission with clarity”.  Phil also said “we are pleased with the decision given our view of the generally favourable local transport and highway conditions”.

Positive decision for Penn's Mount, Kingsteignton

We are pleased to announce that Teignbridge District Council has a resolution to grant planning permission for the development of land for up to 250 dwellings, open space, community orchard and associated infrastructure at Penn’s Mount, Kingsteignton for Eagle One Homes Ltd.  The site comprises approximately 11.5 hectares of undeveloped land to the west of the A380, Kingsteignton.

Permission for residential development in Northern Ireland

We are pleased to announce that Planning Service Northern Ireland have granted planning permission for an application for the redevelopment of a site at South Street, Newtownards to construct 162 residential apartments and associated infrastructure. The site is located in close proximity to the recently opened Tesco foodstore and proposed shopping centre sites, for which we previously assisted in securing planning permission and carried out the detailed design of required highway works.  

We were instructed by Castlebawn Developments to prepare a Transport Assessment to support the planning application which demonstrated the anticipated trips generated by the development and their impact on the local highway network as well as detailing how access to the site from South Street is to be achieved. As part of the Transport Assessment process, we consulted with Translink and the Roads Service Cycling Officer to ensure that access to the site by non-car modes of travel was maximised.

Following the submission of the planning application, we carried out detailed negotiations with Roads Service and their consultants in order to demonstrate that the development could be satisfactorily accommodated without detriment to the operation of the local highway network or the requirement to undertake any off-site highway works. As a result of this work, Roads Service were able to offer a positive consultation response, enabling Planning Service to grant planning permission subject to conditions and obligations.  

Positive decision for Sudbrook, Monmouthshire

We are pleased to announce that Monmouthshire County Council granted outline planning permission for the proposed redevelopment subject to the signing of the s106 agreement of industrial land at Sudbrook, Monmouthshire for 46 dwellings including 9 affordable dwellings.  We were instructed by St Maurs Estate Ltd to prepare a comprehensive Transport Assessment, which included traffic capacity assessments to demonstrate the redevelopment proposals would not have a material impact at three local junctions.

We also carried out detailed negotiations with the local highway authority and stakeholders and prepared a Technical Note with supporting parking surveys that concluded that there are numerous places on Sudbrook Road for vehicles to wait and allow opposing vehicles to pass; and that the redevelopment proposals will not result in a material increase in the propensity of two opposing vehicles being present on Sudbrook Road at the same location and at the same time, in comparison to the existing situation, further to concerns raised by local residents.

Permission for Cheswick Village Neighbourhood Centre

We are pleased to announce that South Gloucestershire Council granted planning permission for a reserved matters application for the development of the Cheswick Village Neighbourhood Centre, for a children’s Nursery; 53 open market apartments, 40 affordable apartments, 44 retirement apartments, a fitness suite, a D1 use class such as a doctors surgery, and a mixture of A1 food retail, A1 / A2 non-food retail and A3 / A4 / A5 financial / restaurant / cafe/ public house and hot food takeaway uses.

We were instructed by Mansell Construction Services Limited to prepare a comprehensive Transport Assessment that demonstrated that the forecast traffic associated with the reserve matters application for the neighbourhood centre is in accordance with the quantum of traffic previously agreed to be acceptable by South Gloucestershire Council. 

We also had extensive input with the design team and carried out detailed negotiations with the local highway authority and stakeholders to inform the evolving layout of the scheme, including the suitability of proposed access arrangements, shared surface public square proposals, bus stop locations, parking provision and refuse and servicing arrangements.