Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

Cllr Jacqui Lay (substituted by Cllr Peter Hutton)

To approve as a true and correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 February 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 2025 were presented.

Resolved:

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

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no Chairman’s 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 minutes before the start 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.

Members of the public and others will have had the opportunity to make representations on planning applications and other items on the agenda, and to contact and lobby their local elected member and any other members of the planning committee, prior to the meeting.

Those circulating such information prior to the meeting, written or photographic, are advised to also provide a copy to the case officer for the application or item, in order to officially log the material as a representation, which will be verbally summarised at the meeting by the relevant officer, not included within any officer slide presentation if one is made. Circulation of new information which has not been verified by planning officers or case officers is also not permitted during the meetings.

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 19 March 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 21 March. 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 Committee noted the rules on public participation.

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

The Committee noted the contents of the appeals update.

Proposed conversion and change of use of agricultural barn to dwelling and associated works together with extensions to hay barn (part retrospective)

Public Participation

·       Ms Watkins and Miss Hicks spoke in support of the application.

Planning Officers introduced the report which recommended that the Committee approve planning permission, subject to conditions, for the conversion and change of use of agricultural barn to dwelling and associated works together with extensions to hay barn (part retrospective).

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions to the officer. The following was clarified:

·       That if planning permission was permitted, the mobile home would be removed once the works were completed.

The Committee then received statements from the public.

The local member Cllr Elizabeth Threlfall also spoke to the application, giving a balanced viewpoint that sympathised with the difficulty of the application and noted the benefits of approval.

During debate, the committee noted that the Parish Council supported the application, and that there had been no objections from the public.

The committee considered that there would be no overwhelming change or “suffering” caused if the application is granted.

It was also noted that the biodiversity net gain was high.

Core Policy 48 and its emphasis on supporting rural life was raised, with the committee considering the rise in rural crime and the advantage of the applicants living on site.

The committee also sympathised with the difficulties the applicants had faced with obtaining planning permission and considered a significant negative impact should the application be refused.

During debate, a motion to approve was proposed by Cllr Steve Bucknell and seconded by Cllr Gavin Grant following which it was:

Resolved

To approve the planning application subject to the following conditions:

1.The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

REASON: To comply with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans:

·       Application Form & Certificate Received 10th June 2024

Plans Ref:

·       Location Plan DWG: 1070-P-09A Received 21st June 2024

·       Proposed Site Plan DWG: 1070P01 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Hay Barn Front and Side Elevations DWG: 1070P07 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Hay Barn Extension Floor Plan DWG: 1070P06 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Barn C Conversion - First Floor Plan, Rear and Side Elevations DWG: 1070P03 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Barn C Conversion - Ground Floor Plan, Front and Side Elevations DWG: 1070P02 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Barn C Conversion -Garage Plans and Elevations DWG: 1070P05 Received 10th June 2024

·       Proposed Barn C Conversion - Typical Section DWG: 1070P04 Received 10th June 2024

REASON: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

3. The materials used in the external surfaces of the proposals hereby permitted shall match those as detailed on the approved plans and application form

REASON: In the interests of visual amenity and the character and appearance of the area.

4. Within 3 months of first  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

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.