Agenda item

Public Participation

Mr Philip Crowther spoke in objection to the application.

Mr John Robins, applicant, spoke in support of the application.

Mr Michael Fowler, agent, spoke in support of the application.

The Planning Officer introduced a report which recommended refusal. In a correction to the report, it was stated the footprint of the proposed double story building would be approximately 197m² and not 210m². It was further stated there had been four letters of objection, and twelve in support of the application.

It was then confirmed the proposed buildings lay outside the village policy limit within the open countryside and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and that there was no outstanding permission on the site resulting from that previously granted in 1967, which had since lapsed, and the key issues included the principle of development and impact on the countryside, AONB and the access.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. In response to queries it was confirmed by the officer that two out of the four dwellings of the original outline permission on the site had both been given reserved matters approval with a restriction that they be occupied in connection with the agriculture industry. However, as one of those dwellings permitted had been proven to have been occupied in defiance of that justification for a period of ten years or more, a certificate of lawfulness had been granted allowing it to be occupied without the said agriculture tie, although the tie remained in place on the other dwelling.

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

The Local Member, Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe, then spoke in support of the application.

A debate followed, where the status of the site as being in the open countryside was raised, and the impact on neighbouring properties and the wider area, including regarding highways, was assessed. The legal position of the 1967 permission on the site as detailed in the report was discussed, and it was reiterated that it had been established by officers that the permission was no longer extant.

At the conclusion of debate,

Resolved:

To REFUSE the planning application for the following reasons:

1.    The proposed residential development is located outside of the defined Village Policy Limits for Longbridge Deverill as identified in the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st alteration in an area of open countryside carrying an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation. The status of the site, including the Village Policy Limit, is not proposed for any change in the draft Wiltshire Core Strategy that has been submitted to the Secretary of State and has been subject to examination in May/June 2013. The proposed development, located on open land within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area, constituting an unwarranted urbanisation of, and intrusion into, the AONB and countryside, to the detriment of the visual openness and quality of the area and to the enjoyment that users of the nearby public footpath currently enjoy.  No rural occupation or other exceptional circumstances have been presented which would outweigh the harm associated with the development. The proposals are therefore contrary to policies C1, C2, H17 and H19 of the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alteration (2004), the emerging Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework 2012.

2.    The proposal, located outside of village policy limits, is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework (Section 4 paragraphs 29, 30 & 37), and the emerging Core Strategy for Wiltshire (Policy 60), which seek to reduce the need to travel, influence the rate of traffic growth and reduce the environmental impact of traffic overall in support of sustainable development.