346 new homes set for go-ahead (From York Press)

346 new Derwenthorpe homes set for go-ahead

8:04am Saturday 17th November 2012 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

DETAILED plans for another 346 homes in York’s Derwenthorpe development are set to win the go-ahead despite concerns that some properties are overbearing and too close to existing houses.

City of York Council’s planning committee is being recommended to give conditional approval next Thursday to the final phases of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust’s 540-home scheme for land on York’s eastern outskirts.

The application includes details of siting, design, external appearance and landscaping for the 304 houses and 42 apartments.

Osbaldwick Parish Council has claimed the design is “unorthodox and overbearing”, and will compromise the amenity of bungalows in the Meadlands estate, says a report by Hannah Blackburn, development management officer.

Tom Hughes, spokesman for Meadlands Area Residents Association, told The Press he had deep concerns about issues including the height of the proposed properties and their proximity to existing properties, which breached York’s guidelines, and drainage problems.

The report said letters had been received from residents from Fifth Avenue and Meadlands raising concerns about issues including overshadowing, loss of light, noise and disruption, loss of privacy, the impact of increased numbers of cars using Fifth Avenue and drainage in Meadlands.

Ms Blackburn said the close proximity of housing to the boundary had been discussed with the applicant, who had highlighted the tight nature of the developable area and stated the only way to increase distances would be to redesign the scheme to reduce the number of dwellings within the scheme.

She said: “A condition could be attached to remove permitted development rights to prevent any further additions to the roof of these properties or rear extensions.”

Responding to the concerns about the “overbearing” design, she said a cross-sectional drawing which had been submitted indicated the height of houses would be similar to existing ones.

“In the case of the Meadlands area, the properties have been kept as dormer bungalows with an asymmetrical roof, whereby the roof ridge is off centre and thereby potentially gives the impression that the properties are further away from existing dwellings on Meadlands.”

She claimed the proposal would not “cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance”.