Agenda item

Proposed construction of agricultural trackway, pole barn for hen house, service link building, pole barn for rearing shed and feed bins, along with temporary stationing of mobile home, all in connection with free range egg production flock, with associated works.

Public Participation

Mr Burrows (Agent) spoke in Support of the Application

The Planning Team Leader drew attention to the late correspondence, from Highways and the Applicant which had been circulated at the meeting. He then introduced the application for proposed construction of agricultural trackway, pole barn for hen house, service link building, pole barn for rearing shed and feed bins, along with temporary stationing of mobile home, all in connection with free range egg production flock, with associated works, at Longacre Farm, Figsbury, Salisbury.

The application was recommended for REFUSAL on Highways grounds.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the Officer, it was noted that it would not be possible for the applicant to adjust the land to overcome the visibility issue raised by Highways.

It was noted that the decisions of previous planning applications detailed in the report had all either been refused or withdrawn.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views as detailed above.

The unitary Division Member, was not in attendance.  

Cllr Hewitt moved APPROVAL, against Officer’s recommendation. This was seconded by Cllr McLennan.

The Committee then discussed the application, it was noted that the access to the farm lay in a dip and that farm vehicles exiting the site would have limited visibility from vehicles approaching at speed from the direction of Salisbury.

Some Members felt that as the site was clearly visible from the road the proposals were contrary to CP51 & 58.

The motion for approval was not carried.

Cllr Westmoreland then moved REFUSAL in line with Officer’s recommendation on the grounds given by Highways and in addition to the impact on Landscape issues raised during discussion, CP51 & CP58. This was seconded by Cllr Britton.

Resolved:

That application 16/04956/FUL be REFUSED in line with Officer’s recommendation, for the following reasons:

1.    The site is served by bridleway FIRS3 directly off the A30. Vehicles resulting from the proposed development entering and leaving the busy fast section of the A30 Class 1 road at a point where visibility from and of such vehicles is substandard, would endanger, impede and inconvenience other road users to the detriment of highway safety. As such the proposal is considered to be contrary to the aims and objectives of Core Policy 62 ‘Development impacts on the transport network’ of the Wiltshire Core Strategy as the development does not provide appropriate mitigating measures to offset any adverse impacts on the transport network at both the construction and operational stages.

2.    The proposed pole barn, rearing shed and feed bins will be substantial structures in this sensitive rural location, measuring as they do, 5.4M in height to the top of the feed bins and 5.2M to the ridge of the barns. Such substantial structures will be prominently visible in the landscape in views along the A30 and from Figsbury rings Hill Fort, scheduled Ancient monument. There is a roman road that runs to the South of the application site along footpath Firs 2. It is considered that the effect of these structures in combination with that of the new trackway and mobile home would not be completely mitigated by the bunding proposed. The site is located in a special landscape area and it is considered that such large and prominent structure’s will have a negative and intrusive effect on the special landscape area and views of it, and would therefore be contrary to Saved policy C6 of the Salisbury District council local plan and core policy 51 (vi) of the Wiltshire Core strategy.