A controversial application to vary a condition attached to a housing development in an Isle of Wight village was turned down on Tuesday evening.
The Planning Committee rejected a bid by Journey Estates Ltd to vary the timing of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) included in its permission for 44 houses on land to the east of Birch Close in Freshwater, contrary to a council officer recommendation to give conditional approval.
Double yellow lines
The TRO is for double yellow lines on the southern side of Birch Close at its junction with the development site’s access and junction with Colwell Road and on Colwell Road at its junction with Birch Close.
County Hall originally said the TRO should be secured before development is begun for highway safety and to be compatible with the Island Plan Core Strategy, the Isle of Wight’s planning policy framework.
Change to condition
Journey Estates applied to change the condition to a TRO being secured and carried out before proposed housing is occupied.
The application was refused due to no changes taking place that are relevant to the development’s original permission, as worded by Oliver Boulter, strategic manager for planning and infrastructure delivery.
Jarman: ‘Contrary’ to ‘established’ council policy
Councillor Chris Jarman, representative for Totland and Colwell, objected to the proposal.
His reasons included it being ‘contrary’ to ‘established’ council policy, the rationale for a previous rejection of the application remaining valid, ‘associated pre-conditions’ not being ‘fulfilled’ and ‘significant disruption’ for ‘local users’ and highway safety.
Holmes: “This application has no impact whatsoever on when the TRO is provided”
Matt Holmes, Journey Estates Ltd’s agent, said,
“The application does not seek to change the requirement for the TRO to be implemented prior to the occupation of the homes.
“Therefore, this application has no impact whatsoever on when the TRO is provided and therefore has no impact either on neighbouring properties or on highway safety.”
The proposal was brought to the committee after a request for it to be voted on by Councillor Jarman.
He said a Planning Committee decision was required due to a previous rejection of an application to remove the condition, the committee’s initial attaching of the condition and the proposal being ‘contentious’ with ‘material objections and concerns’ including ‘safety’ and ‘significant community impacts’.
He also said changing the condition would set a ‘precedence’ for ‘past, present and future’ Isle of Wight planning applications.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
