Agenda item

Schedule – Page 7

Item 1 – St David’s – Page 9

The Head of Planning submitted plans deposited as applications to develop land under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

24/0356/VAR, Former St David’s School Acklam, Middlesbrough

The Development Control Manager advised Members that Application 20/0004/FUL was granted on the 26th July 2024 for a residential development of 139 dwellings (and demolition of Caretakers Houses) on the site of the former St David’s School. The application was placed before planning committee in February 2021 and the decision was to approve subject to S106/legal agreements being signed. The S106/legal agreement were not signed until July 2024.

Members were advised that the application sought to amend the scheme to alter the house types, to make slight adjustments to the site layout and to also re-define the wording around several conditions to better reflect the current position. The existing approved scheme however remains extant and able to be built out.

Members heard that there was 7 conditions to vary and areas of concern had been addressed with the variations.

The proposal was to amend several conditions imposed on the previously approved

scheme, those being;

·        Condition 2 – Approved Plans

·        Condition 6 – Method Statement for Demolition

·        Condition 7 – Surface Water Drainage (approved details)

·        Condition 16 – Hedges and Hedgerows

·        Condition 21 – Off site highway works

·        Condition 23 – Archaeological Evaluation

The site was located off Hall Drive at the southern end of St David’s Way, just outside of the Acklam Conservation area boundary. To the north was Cowley Road and Adcott Road and to the west and south were Bewley Grove and Acklam Road. The Avenue of Trees provides the eastern boundary of the site and was within the Acklam Conservation area. The application site was within the vicinity of the Grade 1 Acklam Hall sited to the north across Hall Drive but does not form part of the i

immediate setting of this listed building.

The proposed changes include amendment to house types, and site layout (approved plans) and changes to the wording associated with the other conditions.

The scheme retains provision of 139 dwellings that will comprise of 2, 3 and 4 bedroomed properties. The house types would continue to be a mixture of terraced, semi-detached and detached dwellings and would include semi-detached and detached bungalows. The site layout of the proposed revised scheme retains an area of open space to the north of the site which would include a small trim trail and further retains a landscaped corridor running east / west across the site which provides a footpath/cycle path link between St David’s Way/Hall Drive

and Acklam Road. The scheme does not make any alterations which affects the surrounding area’s unduly and was considered to be in line with the basis on which the previous application was granted permission.

Members were advised that highway improvement works would continue to be undertaken to bring St David’s Way up to adoptable standards. The works included visitor parking bays, a pedestrian cycle path, removal of the plateaux table at the junction of Hall Drive and St David’s Way, being replaced by two speed cushions and the realignment of the kerbs at the junction with Hall Drive and resurfacing works.

Drainage provision within the site would include the installation of a dual pumping station with concrete attenuation tank system and link into the existing network north of the site.

A section 106 agreement had been agreed for contributions to replacement playing fields, highways in the form of 2 real time bus stops and towards the strategic networks and off-site affordable housing.

A Member queried the number of trees and length of hedgerow to be removed as part of the scheme the Development Control Manager advised that the hedgerow along the Avenue of Trees would be maintained as would most of the perimeter native species trees with the non-native species being the main ones removed.

Members raised concern regarding traffic along Cowley Road and cleansing of the roads used by works traffic it was advised that Cowley Road would not be used and that steps had been taken to reduce work traffic along Hall Drive and St David’s Way, it was advised that there was a condition in the report for cleaning of the roads.

The applicant addressed the committee and thanked the Planning Officers for their support.  It was advised that there would be 5 affordable bungalows built on the site.  Since the time between the application and approval there had been changes in regulations which had allowed for the scheme to include renewable energy heat sources.

ORDERED, that the application be approved subject to the conditions detailed in the report and update report which confirmed there was no requirement for deed of variations to existing legal agreements.