Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

• Councillor Sam Charleston
• Councillor Nabil Najjar
• Councillor Charles McGrath
• Councillor Rich Rogers

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 19 December 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 19 December 2024 were presented.

In relation to item 11 – Application PL/2022/00839, Farmer Giles Farmstead - Councillor Bridget Wayman noted that the conditions listed did not include the additional condition relating to the removal of permitted development rights for the entire blue line area, as had been discussed, and agreed by the Committee and set out in the decision notice. It was agreed to amend the minutes to include this condition.

Subject to the amendment above, it was;

Resolved:

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes.

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

There were none.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

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 Thursday 9 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 Monday 13 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.

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

To receive details of completed and pending appeals.

Appeals

The Committee received details of the appeal decisions as detailed in the agenda. It was;

Resolved

To note the Appeals Report

To note the adjustment to the education provisions and the substitution of a condition for the nutrient neutrality obligation and hence officers confirm that the planning permission be APPROVED subject to conditions and a suitable S106 legal agreement as adjusted.

Updates

The Committee also received an update from Principal Planning Officer, Adam Madge on application PL/2022/03103 noting changes since the application had been approved at Committee on 12 September 2024.

It was explained that under the planning scheme of delegation (in Part 3, section D3 of the constitution, para 1.13), officers were able to adjust any legal agreement or conditions, providing the modifications were in line with the principles of the Committee’s decision, and that changes would be reported back to a subsequent meeting of the Committee. As such, officers requested that the Committee note the update.

The changes included a reduction in contributions for education provision and amendment to the ecological requirements associated with the Outline Application for up to 30 dwellings (as amended) with all matters reserved (except access).

It was;

Resolved

That the update on PL/2022/03103, Land to the East of Wagtails, Southampton Road, Alderbury, SP5 3AF, regarding changes to the S106 agreement which included a reduction in contributions for education provision and amendment to the ecological requirements associated, be noted.

Excavation of former railway embankment, erection of 3 x new self-build dwellings, hard and soft landscaping and associated works.

Public Participation

Mr Martin Plimsoll spoke in objection to the application

Mr Paul Sims spoke in objection to the application

Ms Sarah Stephens spoke in objection to the application

Mr Dan Roycroft (Agent) spoke in support of the application

Cllr Elaine Hartford of Alderbury Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The Senior Planning Officer, Joe Richardson, introduced a report which recommended that the application for excavation of former railway embankment, erection of 3 new self-build dwellings, hard and soft landscaping and associated works be approved.

Key details were stated in the report included the principle of development including self-build; contribution site makes to public amenity; character and Design; neighbouring amenities; archaeology; drainage; parking/highway safety; ecological impact including river Avon/river Test nitrate neutrality and New Forest SPA; and other matters including land stability and the Council’s current Housing Land Supply position.

Slides detailing the layout of the current application for 3 self-build dwellings and a previous application for 4 dwellings which had been refused, were shown. It was noted that the 4-dwelling scheme had been appealed and the outcome of that appeal had not been concluded. The reasons for refusal of the 4-dwelling scheme had included over development, impact on parking, and biodiversity issues.

Members of the committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on the differences between the previous application and the current and clarification on what constituted ‘self-build’.

The Officer clarified that the applicant would be required to enter into a legal agreement as set out in para 9.1 of the report, which prevented the owners of the dwellings from selling them on before a period of 3 years. If the application was approved, then the design of the dwellings as they were presented would be how they must be built.

The Committee asked for clarification around the process for the allocation of a tree felling licence. It was noted that the Forestry Commission were the body who issues the tree felling licences and that when this occurred, the Planning Officers were not part of that process and were not informed. However, the removal of the dense planting and trees on the embankment had been cleared legally in line with the issued license.

The Committee was advised that planning permission to remove the embankment separately would also require planning permission, however the application for consideration did include the removal of the embankment.

The site was noted as being within the development boundary and the local member confirmed that there was no neighbourhood plan for Whaddon.

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

The Parish Council representative provided grounds for objection to the application.

The unitary division member, councillor Richard Britton then spoke in objection to the application, noting an array of other developments for housing in Whaddon and Alderbury which had been approved over recent years, stating that Alderbury and Whaddon had received in excess of their fair  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

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