Agenda and minutes

Before the start of the meeting a minute’s silence was held in honour of Cllr Tony Trotman, Vice-Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee and Member for Calne Chilvester and Abberd Division, who had sadly passed away on 30 November 2023 following a short illness.

Cllr Howard Greenman, as Chairman, paid tribute to Cllr Trotman as a much valued colleague and friend who would be deeply missed. It was noted Cllr Trotman had also served as Chairman of the Northern Area Planning Committee since 2009.

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillors Carole King, Christopher Newbury, and James Sheppard.

Cllr King was substituted by Cllr Stewart Palmen.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 1 November (to follow) and 29 November 2023.

The minutes of the meetings held on 1 November and 29 November 2023 were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee or Monitoring Officer.

There were no declarations.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no announcements.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

Members of the public who wish to speak either in favour or against an application or any other item on this agenda are asked to register no later than 10.20am on the day of the meeting. If it is on the day of the meeting registration should be done in person.

The rules on public participation in respect of planning applications are linked to in the Council’s Planning Code of Good Practice. The Chairman will allow up to 3 speakers in favour and up to 3 speakers against an application, and up to 3 speakers on any other item on this agenda. Each speaker will be given up to 3 minutes and invited to speak immediately prior to the item being considered. Representatives of Parish Councils are included separately in the speaking procedure, please contact the officer listed for details.

Members of the public will have had the opportunity to make representations on the planning applications and to contact and lobby their local member and any other members of the planning committee prior to the meeting. Lobbying once the debate has started at the meeting is not permitted, including the circulation of new information, written or photographic which have not been verified by planning officers.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution which excludes, in particular, questions on non-determined planning applications.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on Wednesday 3 January 2024 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 5 January 2024. Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

The procedure for public participation was noted.

Mr Francis Morland made a statement regarding the Secretary of State’s announcement updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and the implications for Wiltshire Council. In particular he made comments relating to decisions which had been considered by committees but where formal approval had not yet taken place, and how he believed these would need to be reconsidered, including four applications recently subject to resolutions from the Strategic Planning Committee. He sought clarity on the impact, if any, on the updated NPPF on the application being considered at the meeting.

The Chairman stated in response that he had written to the relevant Cabinet Member about the matter and whether there would be reconsideration of certain applications and made additional reference to applications permitted by the council or on appeal. He noted that the Committee often delegated applications for approval subject to various agreements being made before a formal decision was issued, and that as raised by Mr Morland some applications considered at Committee had not yet had decisions issued.

Officers confirmed Members would be briefed on the impact of the updated NPPF, and legal advice was being sought in relation to applications which had not had decision notices issued. In relation to the application on the agenda, the need to apply a four-year housing land supply did not apply to Gypsy and Traveller sites, which was explained in the officer’s report.

To receive details of completed and pending appeals, and any other updates as appropriate.

No updates were received.

Change of use of land to private Gypsy / Traveller site and associated works.

Public Participation

Shendie Green spoke in opposition to the application.

Cllr Stuart Barnard, Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council, spoke in opposition to the application.

Callan Powers, Senior Planning Officer, presented a report which recommended approval be granted for a change of use to a private Gypsy/Traveller site and associated works at Clackhill Yard, Bradenstoke. Details were provided on the site location and extent, and on the process of notifications when the application was submitted, and correcting a typo in the report, confirming there was no conflict with Core Policy 58.

Key issues were stated to include the principle of development, and information was provided on the level of unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller sites within Wiltshire, as well as recent appeals decisions. It was stated that highways officers had raised no objections to the application subject to appropriate conditions.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers. Details were sought on the surfacing of the site and if this was permeable, on the fencing which had been installed on the site, and confirming the road to the site was currently one way following a major landslip in 2022 on the B4069 Lyneham Banks, which was to be subject to repairs.

Members of the Public then had the opportunity to address the Committee with their views, as detailed above.

Cllr Allison Bucknell, Unitary Division Member for Lyneham, then spoke in objection to the application, noting concerns raised by residents and the parish council in relation to enforcement actions around the site, impact on character and amenity, sustainability of the site, vehicle and pedestrian access and other issues.

The Committee then discussed and debated the applications. Questions were raised around the fencing and brickwork on the site, and officers confirmed this had been investigated and amounted to permitted development for the site. It was confirmed that if the change of use were approved this would permit the stabling of several horses on the site. In response to queries it was stated that there had been an assessment in 2022 which had updated the figures of unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller sites, and that in previous appeals this had been considered a relevant factor even for windfall sites under the Local Plan.

During debate on a motion to refuse the application there was discussion of water provision and waste treatment and collection, concerns relating to highways and particularly pedestrian access, stability of the land for permanent structures, and the nature and sustainability of connections with Bradenstoke and Lyneham. It was confirmed concerns raised regarding behaviour should be given very limited to no weight in planning terms.

On the motion of Cllr Elizabeth Threlfall, seconded by Cllr Sarah Gibson, and at the conclusion of debate, it was then,

Resolved:

To REFUSE planning permission for the following reasons:

1)    Wiltshire Core Strategy [WCS] Core Policy 1 (Settlement Strategy) sets out a ‘Settlement Strategy’ where “…. sustainable development will take place to improve the lives of all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Any other items of business, which in the opinion of the Chairman, should be taken as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.