To consider proposals contained within the draft development brief for land at Potton Road, Biggleswade and responses to public consultation and provide comments to the Executive.

Cllr Mrs J Lawrence advised the Committee of concerns with regards to traffic movement in Potton that would use the Eastern Relief Road to travel north.  In light of proposed developments there was a genuine concern that residents would not use the Eastern Relief Road but would instead use smaller roads such as Potton Road, St John’s Street and Sun Street, which were not capably of taking that level of traffic.  Something had to be done to address concerns of capacity for the local infrastructure, which should be addressed before any development occurred.

The Principal Planning Officer delivered a presentation that set out the development principles as well as key elements of the development brief and the process that had been taken to date in relation to consultation.  The presentation also outlined some of key themes of the responses to the consultation and the way in which the Council had responded to some of these issues.  It was also highlighted that a full traffic assessment would be required as part of the development brief and that a plan could not come forward before the completion of the Eastern relief road.  Whilst the brief highlighted some elements many of these would not be resolved until a formal planning application was submitted.  The Committee were informed that representatives from the Council’s Highways Team and Bellway and Bloor homes were in attendance to answer any detailed questions on the development brief.  

In light of the report and presentation the Committee discussed the following issues in detail:-

·         Whether enforcement action would be undertaken for those residents who did not park appropriately in parking courts.  It was confirmed that the Council was working with the developer to review the design of the development to ensure that parking concerns were planned out of the design.  The Council was also reviewing bins and storage to ensure that the design provided an appropriate architectural solution.

·         The importance of resolving challenges of local infrastructure and the impact of development on other local roads.  In response the Executive Member commented that issues relating to strategic transport would be considered during the development of the local transport plan.  Officers were considering sustainable transport in Biggleswade as part of proposals for Land East of Biggleswade.  A full transport assessment would be undertaken and there was the opportunity to consider the use of S106 to address these challenges.  Conversations with regards to the Northern bypass would be undertaken during the new site allocations process.

·         A petition that was in development with regard to the suitability of local infrastructure that would be considered at a future date by the Traffic Management Meeting.

·         Progress in relation to the number of completed housing units on Land East of Biggleswade, which would trigger S106 funding for the development of the Eastern Relief Road.  

·         The list of likely requirements in the development, such as health facilities, which had been included in the draft development brief and would be considered in more detail as part of a planning application.

·         The need to ensure that the development brief took account of the recently approved Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) guidance and that references to “where appropriate” were removed so that developers were required to take account of this.

·         The importance of providing adequate open space that allowed for outdoor play.

The Committee agreed to unanimously support the development brief and whilst there were challenges that had been raised these would be addressed during the planning application stage.

RECOMMENDED to Executive that the development brief be adopted as technical guidance for Development Management purposes.