Agenda item

The Committee considered an application for the phased development of the land at former Godstone Quarry for 140 new homes, new doctor’s surgery, publicly accessible open space, land reprofiling and associated infrastructure including the Godstone Parish Council car park and access, site access, internal roads and off-site highways works, parking areas, landscaping and associated car and cycle infrastructure and associated works to facilitate the development.

The Officer recommendation was to permit, subject to conditions and Section 106 agreement as outlined in the report.

Councillor Jim Gardner of Godstone Parish Council spoke in favour of the application.

Michael Arnaud, Dorking Healthcare Limited, and Tracy Puttock, on behalf of the applicant, spoke in favour of the application.

Councillor Chris Farr, seconded by Councillor Jackie Wren, proposed amendments to the recommendation. Upon being put to a vote, the motion to amend the recommendations was agreed.

R E S O L V E D – that the application be approved subject to conditions and to authorise the Chief Planning Officer and the Head of Legal in conjunction with the Chair and Vice-Chair to finalise the Section 106 agreement as set out in recommendations 2, A-H to make sure that all matters are fully secured and:

1.    The application being referred to the Secretary of State under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2021; and the application then not being called-in by the Secretary of State for determination; and

2.    The completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure the following matters:

A.    The delivery of the affordable housing (70 units) prior to the occupation of 50% of the open-market dwellings with the freehold of the affordable housing having been transferred/granted to a registered provider. All affordable housing shall be subject to nomination rights.

B.    The construction of a doctor’s surgery to shell and core stage shall have commenced prior to the commencement of the construction of any dwellings. The doctor’s surgery shall have been practically completed prior to the occupation of 25 dwellings and transferred on a 999 year lease to an NHS contracted doctor’s surgery in a timeline to be agreed in writing by the District Council. A scheme of marketing and control over the disposal and subsequent use of the building shall be secured in the event that there are unforeseen obstacles to the transfer occurring.  In the event of the doctor’s surgery not being taken up, or the healthcare provider in occupation of the surgery loses the NHS contract to operate as a doctor’s surgery, then the site designated for the doctor’s surgery and associated car park will be transferred to the District Council for a price of £1 (one pound). The doctor’s surgery building and car park shall then be transferred by the District Council, in consultation with Godstone Parish Council, to a use deemed fitting by the District Council with first priority being transfer to an NHS contracted doctor’s surgery or other healthcare use.

C.   The provision of Open Space and the Play Area prior to the occupation of 80% of the dwellings. The management of these features would also be secured with the formation of a Management Company included.

D.   Provisions for implementing and managing measures to secure biodiversity enhancements across the application site.

E.    The implementation of a Travel Plan and the payment of the Travel Plan Monitoring Contribution would be secured.

F.    The payment of a contribution of £57,525 towards the mitigation of impacts on the nearby Public Right of Way.

G.   The agreement of a specification for the Parish Council Car Park and the delivery of the car park in the same timescale as the Doctor’s Surgery and the transfer of the completed car park to Godstone Parish Council.

H.   A right in perpetuity for the owner and any tenant of the doctor’s surgery building and car park site to have unrestricted vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian access across the shared access with the Parish Council Car Park, together with an apportionment of the maintenance costs of that shared access.