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Committee: |
Regulatory Planning Committee
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Date: |
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Report by: |
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title of Report |
Traffic Regulation Order – U2037 Southfields Road, Eastbourne
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Purpose of Report |
To consider the objection received in response to the formal consultation on the draft Traffic Regulation Order associated with the development of Land adjacent to Southfields Court, Southfields Road, Eastbourne. |
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Contact Officer:
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Mark Weston – 01273 482242
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Local Member:
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Councillor Rodohan
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RECOMMENDATIONS
The Planning Committee is recommended to:
1) Not uphold the objection to the draft Order as set out in paragraph 2.2 of this report; and
2) Recommend to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport that the draft Traffic Regulation Order be made as advertised.
1.1 Planning permission for a residential development of 19 dwellings at Land adjacent to Southfields Court, Southfields Road, Eastbourne was granted by Eastbourne Borough Council in January 2022 (Planning application reference PC/200323). An agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (S106) dated 30 November 2021 was entered into and is linked to this permission. There are obligations in the S106 which require the owner to make a financial contribution towards the implementation of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for a car club bay providing a parking space close to the development and to pay a financial contribution towards the cost of providing the car club vehicle.
1.2 An initial consultation for the proposed car club bay was carried out between 31 October 2023 and 24 November 2023 with the local Borough, and County Councillors, and statutory consultees including the emergency services and bus companies.
1.3 On 5 April 2024, the County Council gave notice under the relevant sections of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended), that it was proposing to make a Traffic Regulation Order. A copy of the draft Traffic Regulation Order is included in Appendix 1. A copy of the advertised Notice of proposals was placed on a post in Southfields Road, copies of the proposals were also placed on deposit in County Hall reception for viewing by members of the public and on the County Council’s Consultation website. In addition, the Public Notice was advertised in the local newspaper (The Eastbourne Herald) on 5 April 2024. Statutory Consultees were also contacted again to make them aware of the formal consultation. The formal period for representations ended on 26 April 2024.
1.4 The proposals are as follows:
· To introduce a car club bay at Any Time in the following road,
Southfields Road, Northeast Side, from a point 8 metres south-east of the boundary of Southfields Court and the car park, south-eastwards for a distance of 6 metres.
1.5 The proposed car club vehicle and associated bay were requested as part of the planning application as the development was for 19 flats, (2no.1 and 17no. 2-bedroom units) on the site of a car park that provided 25 pay and display spaces. The onsite parking provision is for two blue badge holder parking spaces and secure cycle store for 38 cycles. Although the site is located within the town centre and within short walking distance to shopping, employment, public transport (Rail & Bus), there is a significant shortfall in the provision of onsite parking. The car club bay was secured via the S106 agreement linked to the planning permission granted for the development in order to reduce the likelihood of car ownership by prospective new residents and reduce the demand for on street parking in the area. The S106 legal agreement for the site includes the provision of an on-street car club vehicle and entitles each first-time occupant of the flats to three years free membership of the car club. By having the bay on street rather than in the development, the membership can be open to other residents in the area.
2.1 During the formal consultation period, one item of correspondence was received objecting to the proposal. Full copies of the correspondence received have been made available to the Members of the Planning Committee.
2.2 The objection stated the following:
· Your map hasn’t been updated. You show a car park!
· This is now a block of 19 flats. With 19 families. Many that house disabled residents. There are 3 at the moment in wheelchairs and several others with blue badges.
· Your proposal was turned down last year I believe. That was before The Glenn was completed. Now you wish to bring it up again and not even show updated information.
· I'd also like to point out so your information is completely up to date. There are only 2 parking bays on the grounds of The Glenn. This leaves up to 17 flats needing to find parking on the road. Again, many residents have Blue Badges
· As we are adding important information. The pavement between the post office car park and The Glenn is not conducive to a manual wheelchair. Things like this need to be understood before a bay is removed from use.
2.3 Having considered the objection, officers are satisfied that there are not sufficient grounds for the proposals to be withdrawn. In addition, it is not considered possible to amend the proposal and still meet the aims set out in paragraph 1.5. The TRO relates solely to the approved development and also reduces the impact of the development.
2.4 With regard to the TRO plan excluding the newly built flats, the system we use relies on updates to the Ordnance Survey Map (OSM). The OSM is routinely updated but, given that it covers the whole of the UK, there is a priority system. One of the processes undertaken is based on cyclic revision. This generally means that the smaller the change the lower the priority. New builds properties are normally recorded within a few months of completion, but for small builds on existing sites it can take up to two years to show on the system that ESCC uses.
2.5 Appropriate locations were considered for the car club bay and the location chosen (see plan ref: OG175) is recommended based on the existing parking restriction layout and the proximity to the entrance to the development which it is primarily to serve. The development as approved only provides minimal parking on site to cater for all the residents.
2.6 The County Council’s Parking Team have confirmed that there have not been any previous proposals for a car club Bay in the area and there are no current applications for disabled bays in or around Southfields Road, Eastbourne.
2.7 It is acknowledged that the footway fronting the site is narrow, but this has been the case for many years. There is also no requirement for the development to improve the footway. Southfields Road is a two-way bus route and to retain sufficient carriageway width for this and a widened footway would likely result in the loss of a substantial amount of on street parking.
3. Conclusion and reasons for recommendation
3.1 This proposal seeks to provide residents of the new development and other nearby properties a viable alternative to car ownership. The expectation is that this will reduce the levels of car ownership locally, making on street parking easier for residents who need to retain use of a private car.
3.2 It is therefore recommended for the reasons set out in the report, that the Planning Committee does not uphold the objection, and recommends to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport that the Traffic Regulation Order be made as advertised.
None