Agenda item

GH/ED/83 Land at Chard Road, Axminster

Proposal: Housing and 0.8 hectares employment land

Number of dwellings: 140

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Sarah Jackson advised it would be a fruitless exercise to oppose this site allocation as it was subject to a recent planning application.

 

Committee sought clarification on the current issues regarding the phosphate levels in the River Axe.  Committee were reminded that 2 years ago Natural England had instructed the council to only grant planning permission to developments in the catchment area that were neutrient neutral.  As the Local Plan would run from 2020 to 2042 it was to be assumed that solutions would be found to mitigate these issues during the early years of the plan.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by the Chair.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include GH/ED/83 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_01a Land off Musbury Road, Axminster

Proposal: 3.3 hectares employment land

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson spoke about the rising population of Axminster and addressed the existing infrastructure that was not adequate to support the increase.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by the Chair.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_01a in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_01b Land off Musbury Road, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 15

Recommendation: Not to allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Sarah Jackson supported the officers recommendation.

 

Councillor Geoff Jung proposed to move on, supported by Councillor Paul Hayward.

 

Committee agreed to move on to the next site allocation.

 

Axmi_02 Land north of Shoals, Musbury Road, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 100

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Susan Gallagher strongly objected to the site allocation on access, ecology and environment reasons and drew committee’s attention to the archaeological importance in being close proximity to the roman fort.

 

Simon Coles from Carney Sweeny representing the landowner advised the new footfall would help support the declining town centre as it was well located for walking and cycling into the town.

Ward Member Councillor Simon Smith raised serious concerns that the schools were located on the other side of Axminster which would require car usage and this should be discouraged. 

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson’s main concern was about the proposed housing numbers and questioned whether this was a realistic figure as some houses would be very close to the bypass.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by Councillor Paul Hayward, seconded by Councillor Mike Howe.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_02 in the site allocation.

 

The Chair advised about a slight change in the order and that Axmi_08 and Axmi_09 would be considered before Axmi_07.

 

Axmi_08 Land off Wyke Lane, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 68

Recommendation: Allocate

 

The Chair advised that committee should take into account Susan Gallagher’s previous comments for this site allocation.

 

Simon Coles from Carney Sweeny representing the landowner acknowledged that the land did rise slightly from the valley floor but advised it would follow the identical pattern of how Axminster had evolved over the years which would be consistent with the settlement pattern.

 

Ward Member Councillor Simon Smith raised concerns about the changing built up area boundary and highlighted that access by foot and cycle was not good.

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson asked committee to be mindful that access would be better suited at Musbury Road and raised a concern about noise pollution from the A35.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by Councillor Mike Howe, seconded by Councillor Geoff Jung.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_08 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_09 Great Jackleigh Farm, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 270

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson highlighted to committee that the development would back onto the A35 and reiterated her concerns about noise pollution and that it was further away from the town centre.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by Councillor Mike Howe, seconded by Councillor Geoff Jung.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_09 in the site allocation.

 

Councillor Dan Ledger left the chamber and did not take part in discussions or the vote for the following site allocation.

 

Axmi_07 Axminster Carpets Factory Site, Woodmead Road, Axminster

Proposal: Mixed employment and Housing

Number of dwellings: 50

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Sarah Jackson supported allocation of the site provided the housing could be delivered on part of the site that does not flood and the employment area should not pollute the river Axe.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by the Chair.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_07 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_10 Scott Rowe Building, Axminster Hospital, Chard Street, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 5

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Simon Smith supported the officer recommendation as the site allocation was close to the town.

 

Inclusion for allocation was supported by Councillor Paul Hayward, seconded by Councillor Dan Ledger.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_10 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_11c Land on the south east side of Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 50

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Simon Smith advised that although the site was close to the town centre he questioned the proposed density highlighting that there was a high pressure gas pipe running under a section of 11c and two sets of pylons running across the site.

 

Councillor Simon Smith left the chamber and did not hear the discussions or the vote for this site allocation.

 

Inclusion for allocation was supported by Councillor Dan Ledger, seconded by Councillor Paul Hayward subject to further investigation to the gas pipe.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_11c in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_11d Land on the south east side of Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 330 dwellings

Recommendation: Not to allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Sarah Jackson did not support the site allocation.

 

Councillor Dan Ledger proposed to move on, supported by Councillor Paul Hayward.

 

Committee agreed to move on to the next site allocation.

 

Councillor Jess Bailey left the chamber for the next site allocation and did not take part in discussions or vote.

 

Axmi_12 Land at Lea Combe, Field End, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 9

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Members Councillor Smith Smith and Councillor Sarah Jackson supported the site allocation as it was a prime location for development.

 

Inclusion for allocation was supported by the Chair.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_12 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_16 The Co-operative Food, West Street, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 15

Recommendation: Not to allocate

 

Ward Members, Councillor Sarah Jackson and Councillor Simon Smith agreed with officer recommendation and did not want to see the site used for housing.  Councillor Smith suggested to committee that there was a missed opportunity as the council owned garages bordering the site which were a better opportunity for housing development.

 

The Chair proposed to move on.

 

Committee agreed to move on to the next site allocation.

 

Axmi_17 Land at Millwey, Chard Road, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 19

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson supported this site for housing allocation and suggested it could be used for social housing.  It was also suggested that the garage site and other sites which were owned by the council could be looked at as potential development in its entirety.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by Councillor Geoff Jung, seconded by Councillor Brian Bailey.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_17 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_18 Millwey Garages, St Andrews Drive, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 6

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Simon Smith agreed with officer recommendation as the garages were falling apart and almost derelict and the land was a brownfield site close to the town centre.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by the Chair.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_18 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_22 Land east of Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 104

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member, Councillor Sarah Jackson did not support the site allocation as the proposed layout in the current live planning application was not suitable as it would have an adverse impact on the existing residential dwellings.

 

Inclusion for allocation was proposed by Councillor Mike Howe, seconded by Councillor Kevin Blakey.

 

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_22 in the site allocation.

 

GH/ED/80 Prestaller Farm, Beavor Lane, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 225

Recommendation: Partially Allocate

 

Ward Members Councillor Simon Smith and Councillor Sarah Jackson did not support the site allocation on topography and flooding grounds.

 

Councillor Paul Hayward proposed to move on, seconded by Councillor Olly Davey.

 

Committee agreed to move on to the next site allocation.

 

Axmi_23 Websters Garage, 9 Lyme Street, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 10

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Ward Member Councillor Sarah Jackson supported the site allocation and suggested it should be used as a mixed use development site as the site was in the town centre.

 

Advice was sought about whether the site could be used for employment only.  Committee were advised that as the report only gave a yield of 10 dwellings the intention was for a mixed use development.

 

Inclusion for allocation as a mixed use site was proposed by Councillor Geoff Jung, seconded by Councillor Kevin Blakey.

Committee endorsed the recommendation to include Axmi_23 in the site allocation.

 

Axmi_24 Land west of Prestalier Farm, Beavor Lane, Axminster

Proposal: Housing

Number of dwellings: 29

Recommendation: Allocate

 

Neal Jillings advised that the site was part of an existing allocation and was currently a live undetermined planning application which makes sense to retain the allocation.

 

Ward Members Councillor Simon Smith and Sarah Jackson raised concerns about the highly unsuitable accesses suggested for this site.

 

Councillor Paul Hayward proposed to move on, seconded by Councillor Brian Bailey.

 

Committee agreed to move on to the next site allocation.