B. 22-0583-PP Houston Road, Bishopton (SM)
Renfrewshire Council · 14 March 2023
Back to Planning and Climate Change Policy Board — 14 March 2023 and its agenda
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 1 Planning Application: Report of Handling Reference No. 22/0583/PP Agenda Item (B ) KEY INFORMATION Ward: (11) Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank Applicant: Mr Derek Calder 243 Danes Drive Glasgow G14 8AH Registered: 23 August 2022 RECOMMENDATION Refuse Report by Head of Economy & Development PROSPECTIVE PROPOSAL: Erection of two storey detached dwellinghouse with associated two storey detached outbuilding and landscaping LOCATION: Site on South Western Boundary of West Cottage, Houston Road, Bishopton APPLICATION FOR: Full Planning Permission © Crown Copyright and database right 2021. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100023417. IDENTIFIED KEY ISSUES The application site is identified by Policy 8 – Green Belts in National Planning Framework 4 (2023) and Policy ENV1 ‘Green Belt’ of the Adopted Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021). Bishopton Community Council has objected on the grounds that the proposal would be located within green belt, is out of keeping with adjacent homes and approval would send out the wrong message to other potential developers. The proposal does not accord overall with the relevant provisions of National Planning Framework 4 and the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan. Alasdair Morrison Head of Economy & Development
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 2 REPORT OF HANDLING FOR APPLICATION 22/0583/PP SITE ADDRESS Site on South Western Boundary of West Cottage, Houston Road, Bishopton PROPOSAL Erection of two storey detached dwellinghouse with associated two storey detached outbuilding and landscaping RECOMMENDATION Refuse PROPOSALS Planning permission is sought for the erection of a detached, two storey dwellinghouse with associated two storey detached outbuilding and landscaping on green belt land at Houston Road near Bishopton. The application site is situated approximately 0.5 kilometres west of Bishopton and comprises a plot of ground measuring an area of approximately 0.23 hectares which is accessed from Houston Road to the north-west. The site extends to a maximum width of approximately 37 metres and depth of approximately 75 metres. The site is largely covered by long field grass and assorted low-lying vegetation, with a short track at its westmost corner offering vehicular access from Houston Road, as well as into an adjacent field to the south-west. The remainder of the site frontage features relatively young trees including hawthorn, holly and beech which appear to have originally been planted as hedging, while a line of evenly spaced mature sycamore trees runs along the south-west and south-east boundaries of the site, separating it from the adjacent fields. The site is situated on a slight side slope which runs downhill from the boundary with the adjacent dwellinghouse towards the south-west. To the north-east, the site is bounded by the first of three detached dwellinghouses which are situated within plots of similar size fronting Houston Road. To the south-west and south-east the site is bounded by fields. Bishopton Cemetery is also situated on the same side of Houston Road approximately 50 metres to the south-west. On the opposite side of Houston Road to the north-west are Ingliston House and Rose Cottage, beyond which is Ingliston Equestrian Centre and Country Club. The proposed dwellinghouse would have its principal frontage facing Houston Road to the north-west. The main body of the house would measure approximately 18.1 metres width by 8.3 metres depth and would feature a dual-pitched roof which would reach a maximum height of some 8.9 metres. At its north-west end, the house would feature an additional flat-roofed section which would project to the rear by an additional approximate 7.3 metres and measure a width of approximately 7.6 metres and height of 6.1 metres. This would contain additional floorspace at ground and first floor level, while also accommodating a sheltered balcony at first floor level. The dwellinghouse would feature a mix of traditional and modern, contemporary finishing materials. These would include zinc cladding to the majority of its walls at first floor level and to its roof, with light
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 3 brown facing bricks applied to the remainder of its walls and the windows featuring black uPVC frames. The windows themselves would be formed within high, narrow openings which would be formed over the ground and first floor levels. The flat roof at the rear would comprise a sedum green roof, while solar PV panels are also proposed on the rear elevation of the pitched roof over the main part of the house. A proposed outbuilding would sit adjacent to the house on its south- west side and would measure a footprint of some 7.0 metres width by 7.4 metres depth and would feature a dual-pitched roof which would reach a maximum height of approximately 5.5 metres. The building would contain garage space for two vehicles on its ground floor level and additional domestic floorspace at first floor level which would be served by wallhead dormer windows on the front and rear elevations. The finishings of the outbuilding would match the dwellinghouse, with the walls featuring light brown facing bricks and the roof and dormers featuring zinc cladding. Parking would also be accommodated in the front curtilage of the property, along with a front lawn area. SITE HISTORY 93/0950/PP – Erection of a dwelling house (Planning Permission – in outline) – Refused, 19/11/1993. CONSULTATIONS Bishopton Community Council – object to the development on the grounds that the proposal would be located within green belt, is out of keeping with adjacent homes and would send out the wrong message to other potential developers who may be considering development within the green belt. Communities & Housing Services (Environmental Protection) – No objection subject to advisory guidance regarding potential site contamination. Chief Executive’s Service (Roads Development) – No objection subject to conditions that: ‐ A visibility splay of 4.5 metres x 60 metres x 1.05 metres shall be provided and maintained at all times in accordance with the application drawings; and ‐ A 2 metre wide adoptable footway shall be formed across the Houston Road frontage of the site. Glasgow Airport Safeguarding – No objection subject to standard advisory guidance regarding the use of cranes. Scottish Water – No objections. REPRESENTATIONS No representations received. DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES National Planning Framework 4 NPF4: Policy 1 - Tackling the climate and nature crises NPF4: Policy 2 - Climate mitigation and adaptation NPF4: Policy 3 - Biodiversity
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 4 NPF4: Policy 8 - Green belts NPF4: Policy 16 - Quality homes NPF4: Policy 17 - Rural homes Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021) Policy ENV1 - Green Belt Policy I1 - Connecting Places Policy I7 - Zero and Low Carbon Buildings Renfrewshire New Development Supplementary Guidance (2022) Delivering the Environment Strategy: Housing in the Green Belt; Green Belt Development Criteria Delivering the Infrastructure Strategy: Connecting Places Material considerations New Development in the Countryside 2022 PLANNING ASSESSMENT Assessment Section 25 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act requires decisions on planning applications to be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Development Plan comprises of the National Planning Framework 4 (2023) and the adopted Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021). The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) provides the long- term national spatial strategy for planning in Scotland. It sets out the Scottish Government’s current view on delivering sustainable, liveable and productive places through the application of spatial principles. Policy 8 - Green belts in NPF4 and Policy ENV 1 of the Adopted Renfrewshire Local Development Plan is applicable for consideration of this proposal wherein the policy principles and outcomes of the green belt objectives are for development to be directed to the right locations. Policy 8 of NPF4 outlines that residential accommodation will only be supported in the green belt if it is “required and designed for a key worker in a primary industry within the immediate vicinity of their place of employment where the presence of a worker is essential to the operation of the enterprise”. It has not been demonstrated that the dwellinghouse in this case is required for the above purpose and the proposal does not therefore comply with Policy 8 of NPF4. The proposal also fails to comply with Policy 16 (Quality Homes) of NPF4 as it is not demonstrated that the house is required to address any shortfall in the area, with the variety of housing needs in the Bishopton and Erskine area already addressed by allocated housing land within the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan. Policy 17 of NPF4 refers to rural homes and in this respect states that new homes will be acceptable in rural areas if they are situated on a site which is identified for housing in the LDP or reuses brownfield
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 5 land where a return to the natural state has not, or will not happen without intervention. The site is not identified as housing land in the LDP and no evidence has been presented to suggest the site constitutes brownfield land. Policy 17 also allows that residential proposals may be acceptable in rural areas where the proposal makes use of redundant or unused buildings; makes use of or secures the future of historic environment assets; demonstrates a necessity to support the sustainable management of a rural business; offers retirement succession of a viable farm holding; relates to the subdivision of an existing dwelling of appropriate scale; or reinstates a former house or is a one-for-one replacement of an existing permanent house. None of these instances are noted to apply in this case. As such, the proposal is not supported by Policy 17 of NPF4. Policy ENV1 of the local development plan states that residential development within the green belt will be considered appropriate in principle where it offers a housing land shortfall remedy. As noted above, no such shortfall has been identified in the North Renfrewshire area and the proposal does not therefore accord with this principle. Additional criteria for considering new housing in the green belt are also outlined in Policy ENV1 and the New Development Supplementary Guidance and are considered in turn below: Development is required to maintain and support an established activity There is no indication that development is required to maintain or support an established activity that is suitable in the green belt. There is a need for the residential use to be located outwith the settlement It has not been demonstrated that there is a need for the development to be located outwith the settlement. Buildings which have special architectural, traditional or historic character may be converted for residential use The development does not involve the conversion of an existing building. The proposal demonstrates outstanding quality of design, is of an appropriate scale within its setting, and makes a positive contribution to the site and surrounding area The applicant has shown that they have given careful consideration to the design of the house and outbuilding, with a range of different initial design options having been set out in their Design, Access and Sustainability Statement. The statement also advises that the development seeks to tie in with the scale, massing and design of the three neighbouring houses to the north-east but to add a contemporary feel to the development. In this respect, the
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 6 development is of a similar mass to the existing three houses, but would feature more contemporary materials, with the proposed zinc cladding intended to lend a more modern aesthetic so that the development offers its own individuality, while also appearing in context with its rural surroundings. The development in this case is considered in keeping with the scale of the neighbouring houses in the area and also follows the general development pattern formed by the three properties to the north-east. While the zinc cladding differs from the other houses, it would be of an appropriate dark grey colour which would to some extent tie in visually with the existing three properties, while lending the development a contemporary edge as per the intentions of the applicant. However, it is not considered that the design of the house and garage would be of such quality as to add positively to the surrounding rural area to an extent that it would outweigh the lack of a locational justification for the proposal. Additionally, it is observed that other than its position within the plot and approximate massing, the proposal does not take any design cues from other buildings in the area, including the neighbouring three houses to the north-east. It is agreed that the development should not seek to replicate the three existing houses. However, given the rural location of the site the inclusion of some design cues from other buildings in the area would have allowed the development to potentially be a better fit. Policy 1 of NPF4 requires that planning decisions give significant weight to the global climate and nature crises, while Policy 2 requires that development minimises emissions and adapts to the current and future impacts of climate change. Policy I7 of the local development plan additionally requires that new build developments should, in meeting building regulation energy requirements, install technology that produces low or no amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in order to contribute to reducing predicted emissions by at least 15% below 2007 building standards. The Council’s approved guidance for New Development in the Countryside (2022) builds on this in advising that zero or low carbon technologies require to be integrated into development proposals, including the use of both active carbon reducing technologies such as solar panels or ground source heat pumps and passive factors such as orientation, siting, ventilation and sustainable materials. The applicant’s sustainability statement advises that energy consumption and sustainability would be at the forefront of the development. The statement outlines an intention to “surpass national requirements for new homes”. The application drawings include solar PV panels on the rear roof plane, while a SuDS pond is indicated within the rear garden area. The sustainability statement also outlines an intention to incorporate various energy efficient technologies, including Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery, Air or Ground
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 7 Source Heat Pump Technology, rainwater soak-away and rainwater harvesting provision. Further reference is also made to the sustainability of the building materials and to other measures such as a preponderance of large windows on the south elevation to maximise solar gain and thermal insulation and triple glazing which would reduce heat loss. The statement also outlines measures that could be undertaken to compensate for any biodiversity loss and to plan for biodiversity enhancement such as through wildflower and scrub planting within the plot and bird and bat boxes within its trees. These measures give some support to the principle of Policy 3 of NPF4 which states that development proposals will include appropriate measures to conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity which are proportionate to the nature and scale of the development. Notwithstanding these commitments, it is not considered that the design of the development and its contribution to the area would be of such outstanding quality as to outweigh the lack of a demonstrable need for the development to be located within a green belt area. The proposal integrates with, complements and enhances the established character of the area The positioning and footprint of the house and garage would generally accord with the development pattern offered by the existing three neighbouring houses to the north-east and it is acknowledged that a single dwellinghouse on the site could have some potential to integrate with the existing developments. The application site is also generally well-contained on account of the mature tree line running along both its south-east and north-east boundaries which would be retained. The tree belt is an important feature in the existing rural landscape and the Council’s guidance for New Development in the Countryside emphases the importance of retaining such features. The retention of the trees and general self- contained nature of the site would also reduce the likelihood of development of the site opening up the wider area to significant additional development pressure. Notwithstanding the above factors, the site in its existing condition still contributes to the established rural landscape character and it is not demonstrated that the development is needed in order to enhance the surrounding area, or that the proposal would have any other special qualities that would outweigh the lack of a locational justification, as outlined above. Replacement dwellings should reflect the specific character of the location, fit well with the surrounding landscape and achieve a high design standard The proposed development does not constitute a replacement
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 8 dwellinghouse. On balance, whilst it is acknowledged that the development site does have certain aspects in its favour, there is no locational justification for the development, and it is not considered that there are any other outstanding reasons in terms of the quality of the development that would sufficiently outweigh these considerations. In addition to the above, the development must also be assessed against the green belt development criteria outlined in the New Development Supplementary Guidance. In terms of these criteria, the proposals would result in no loss of prime quality agricultural land and it is not considered that the site constitutes valuable agricultural land. The site has evidently not been cultivated for some years and is overgrown with long grass and shrubs, but is not subject to any statutory or non-statutory nature conservation designations. With respect to traffic and access, the applicant has submitted a plan outlining the visibility splay that could be achieved through the cutting of vegetation along the site frontage. This has been accepted by Roads Development, although it is observed that trees fronting the site would almost certainly require to be removed to achieve this. The trees along the site frontage are largely overgrown hedge trees of limited individual quality, but their removal would still affect the rural character of the wider area. Further to the above Policy I1 states that all development proposals require to ensure appropriate provision and accessibility including the ability to connect to active travel and public transport networks. Proposals which give priority to sustainable modes of travel and have no significant impact on the safe and efficient operation of the local road network will be supported. It is noted that the development would be able to accommodate the provision of a 2m wide footpath across the frontage of the site and that this could support an aspirational walkable link to the cemetery. However, at this time there is no plan to provide such a link and it would result in an isolated footpath which would not connect to any other footpath as well as being at a considerable distance to any core path. It would also have an adverse impact on the site’s natural frontage. In terms of any other infrastructure connections there is no reason to suggest that the site could not be serviced given the nearby infrastructure in the area, whilst Scottish Water has confirmed no objection to the development and have advised that sufficient capacity exists in their infrastructure to support the proposals. In terms of the landscape character, as noted above, the application is unlikely to enhance the surrounding landscape character.
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Renfrewshire Council Planning and Climate Change Policy Board Page 9 In summary, the proposed development is found to be contrary to the relevant policies of NPF4 including Policy 8 - Green Belts and to Policy ENV 1 of the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan, as no locational need for the development to be sited within the green belt has been demonstrated and as there are no other factors in terms of the potential contribution of the development to the surrounding area that would be sufficient to outweigh this consideration. It is therefore recommended that planning permission be refused. RECOMMENDATION Refuse Reason for Decision 1. The proposed development is considered contrary to Policy 8 of the National Planning Framework 4 (2023), Policy ENV1 of the Adopted Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021) and the New Development Supplementary Guidance (2022) on Housing in the Green Belt, as it has not been demonstrated that there is a specific locational need for a dwellinghouse at the application site and there are no other material considerations sufficient to outweigh the lack of any demonstrable locational need. Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 - Background Papers For further information or to inspect any letters of objection and other background papers, please contact Andrew MacKenzie on 0141 487 1375