Exploring a Live Planning Application

During the session we followed a series of steps to explore a live planning application and then tried to decide whether or not we, as planners, would approve the proposal.

STEP 1: WHAT IS THE PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT?

We were told that the site was located in South Gloucestershire Council and then spent a few minutes researching what the relevant planning policy context was, and found the following documents:

- South Gloucestershire Local Plan

Core Strategy 2006-2027

- South Gloucestershire Local Plan

Policies, Sites and Places Plan 2017

- Joint Waste Core Strategy 2011

- Local Plan 2020

This plan is currently in development

- Multipile current Neighbourhood Plans

- Thornbury 2017

- Pucklechurch 2017

- Charfield 2015-2016

STEP 2: WHAT POLOCY ALLOCATIONS EXIST FOR THIS SITE?

We were then given the address in order to find the relevant policy allocations.

Site:

Bolbrek Fulton Road

Hambrook

South Gloucestershire

BS16 1QG

We found that one very important aspect of the site was that it was designated green belt land. However, the site was surrounded by residential homes to the east and west, as well as a multi-storey hotel sitting across the road.

STEP 3: PLANNING REFERENCE

We were then given the planning reference number and had a look through the different documents related to the proposal on the South Gloucestershire planning site.

Planning Reference Number: P20/23557/F

We looked at the Design and Access Statement (DAS) which provided details on what was proposed which was 5 new detached houses.

Some key points from the discussion:

- Financial incentives. We had a search for the the company that wrote the DAS, and from viewing their site many people in the group found they were commercially focused. This led to questioning the difference between their intention in the writing of the DAS and the intention of the design. The DAS discussed sustainable development and improving the currently underused site by building quality homes. It then illustrated different options for the site; showing a plan with four houses and then another with five. As a group we highlighted that the plan with four houses appeared more in keeping with the surrounding dwellings, however, the company was justifying the plan with 5.

- Is planning present to ensure good design?

- Is the importance of community and green belt being considered? Were the neighbours to the site consulted?

STEP 4: GREEN BELT & DECISION

In order to make a decision on whether or not the application should be approved, we discussed in more depth the importance of green belt and looked at the relevant policy. We looked at documents such as The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the South Gloucestershire Development Plan. This made us think about the purpose of green belts and how it is about openness and not the quality of the green space.

While discussing the policy, the question of whether or not the site could be considered an infill site came to light. We discussed what infilling means in practice and how big a gap can be until it can no longer be considered a gap. We also discussed whether the site can be considered previously developed land, brownfield, or ‘abandonment’.

Although many people in the group raised points about the development lacking quality, the only valid reason that we could find for denying the application planning permission was the fact that it sits on green belt land. This called into question whether it is ethical to approve a poor quality development simply because it complies with planning policy.