Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Parker.

Cllr Parker was substituted by Cllr Berry.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29 January 2014.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 29 January were presented.

Resolved:

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

Cllr Groom declared an interest in agenda item no. 7b as she served on the Lydiard Millicent Parish Council. She declared she would participate in the debate and vote for each item with an open mind.

To receive any announcements through the Chairman.

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 in person no later than 5.50pm on the day of the meeting.

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. The rules on public participation in respect of planning applications are detailed in the Council’s Planning Code of Good Practice.

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 5^th March 2014. 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.

Attention was drawn to the late list of observations provided at the meeting and attached to these minutes, in respect of application 13/05724/OUTand 7a as listed in the agenda pack.

Kieth Chubb, Juliett Powell and Paul Turner spoke in objection to the application.

Chris Watt, Jamie Lewis and Cllr Whalley (speaking on behalf of Corsham Town Council) spoke in support of the application.

The officer introduced the report which recommended planning permission be delegated to the Area Development Manager to GRANT subject to the signing of a s106 agreement and conditions.

He explained that the proposal comprised of 12 small commercial units, two slightly larger commercial blocks, 88 dwellings and landscaping surrounding the central area. Neighbouring the site were several business units. It was proposed that the site was access by a right-turn lane. A toucan crossing and a crossing island on the road neighbouring the site were also proposed. Attention was drawn to the late observations circulated at the meeting.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers and it was confirmed that the commercial sites proposed were for B1 use and that further applications would be required to alter this use.

Members of the public then addressed the Committee as detailed above.

The local member, Cllr Tonge spoke in objection to the application. He noted other proposed developments in the area and concern that the application could set a precedent for future developments.

In the debate that followed, some members noted potential benefits for the local community such as providing housing for local workers and the possibility that the development would serve as a catalyst for the improvement of local services. The Committee highlighted difficulty in striking a balance between permitting development to meet government policy whilst also respecting the local community.

It was resolved to:

Delegate to the Area Development Manager to grant planning permission, subject to all parties entering into an agreement under S106 of The Act (as amended) in relation to the following matters:

·         Delivery of affordable housing;

·         Delivery and maintenance of on-site play provision and public open space;

·         Provision of a contribution in respect of local leisure provision;

·         Provision of a contribution in respect of local cemetery facilities;

·         Delivery of site access works and other off-site highways works;

·         Provision of costs associated with the requisite Travel Plan;

·         Provision of a contribution in respect of strategic highways works;

·         Provision of contributions in respect of local primary and secondary education.

And subject to the following conditions:

Conditions

Angelo Papa, Chris Wannell and Simon Chambers spoke in support of the application.

The officer introduced the report which recommended that planning permission be REFUSED.

He explained that the application was to convert an existing property into a self-contained four bedroom dwelling. Permission was originally granted to construct a building for equine use, a larger building than that permitted was constructed and retrospective permission was granted.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers and it was confirmed that refusal was recommended due to the proposal’s poor design and cramped, close relationship with the dwelling it was originally intended to serve. It was also confirmed that the building had been used for equine use for over two years and was located in open country-side.

Members of the public then addressed the Committee as detailed above.

The local member Cllr Groom spoke in support of the application. She noted the lack of local objection, the need for housing in the area and that the building’s design was consistent with the adjacent house.

In the debate that followed concern was expressed that the development could set a precedent for the future conversion of other agricultural buildings. The Committee also discussed the benefit of converting the redundant building to meet local housing needs and the benefit of demolishing the garage. NPPF paragraph 55 was noted as was the proposal’s poor design which did not enhance the immediate setting.

It was resolved to:

REFUSE planning permission forthe followingreasons:

Byreasonof the proposal’s poordesign andcramped,closerelationship of the garage with the dwelling it was originallyintendedto serve,the developmentwouldhave anunacceptableimpact on residentialamenityandwould notpresentanenhancement of the immediatesetting. Accordingly,it is consideredthat the proposed developmentconf  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23b

Simon Chambers spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Martin Davies spoke in objection to the application.

The officer introduced the report which recommended that planning permission be delegated to the Area Development Manager to grant subject to the signing of a s106 agreement and conditions.

He explained that the application concerned a number of holiday let properties which had been granted planning permission on appeal and which were adjacent to a nine-hole golf course and supporting club house facility. A number of these properties had been sold as holiday lets. Planning permission existed for another phase of building which had not yet begun.

The application concerned eight of the units on the site. It sought to remove the conditions which restricted their use to holiday lets, allowing them to be used as residential properties. An independent advisor had confirmed that in their current form, the units were unviable as holiday lets. The units had been marketed at a heavily discounted price but had not sold. He confirmed that conditions one and two required re-wording.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers and it was confirmed that the application would not affect the open space on the site and that the site consisted of a mixture two and three properties.

Members of the public then addressed the Committee as detailed above.

The local member Cllr Berry highlighted the challenge the Committee faced, seeking to ensure that a local business did not fail, whilst also ensuring that the site was suitable for residential properties. He noted the difficulty of considering the application in isolation from the site as a whole. 

A motion to delegate to the Area Development Manager to grant planning permission subject to the signing of a s106 agreement and subject to conditions was moved and seconded. 

In the debate that followed the Committee discussed other holiday lets in the area and the lack of local amenities. The Committee noted that planning permission existed for the final phase of development, but that work had not yet begun. Concern was expressed that the application if granted could set a precedent for others to seek to vary the restrictive conditions on their properties. The lack of private open space was discussed as was the difficulty of considering one element of a development in isolation.

The motion was voted on and lost.

A motion to refuse planning permission was moved and seconded. In the debate that followed the Committee noted insufficient detail of a number of elements of the application including private amenity space, s106 agreement and details of the provision of council services including waste. Following advice from the legal officer, the motion was withdrawn. 

Resolved:

To defer the application to allow officers to gather more information.

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.