Agenda item

Public Participation

Mr John Mead spoke in objection to the application.

Canon Paul Richardson spoke in support of the application.

George Batterham spoke in support of the application.

Robert Hunt-Grubbe spoke in support of the application.

Sarah Bridewell spoke in support of the application on behalf of Devizes Town Council.

The Area Development Manager outlined the application and detailed the report which recommended the application be refused planning permission. The Area Development Manager outlined the Grade 1 listed status afforded to the site, and detailed the relevant planning considerations for the committee.

This included: Kennet Local Plan 2011: PD1, National Planning Policy Framework: Section 7 and 12. English Heritage guidance: “New work in historic places of worship, 2012” and the Devizes Conservation Area Statement, September 2005. The Area Development Manager also provided guidance on planning considerations as detailed in the Wiltshire Core Strategy Pre-Submission Document 2012: CP57 and CP58, although the guidance in the core strategy was suggested to not carry full weight as it was yet to have been formally adopted by the Council.

Therefore the relevant planning considerations were summarised as being the impact on the building as a grade 1 listed structure, the impact on the conservation area and the public benefit of the proposed development.

The Committee were then invited to ask technical questions of the application. Cllr Dobson questioned the impact of the proposed development on the boundary wall and its impact on the neighbouring property. The Area Development manger confirmed that part of the wall may need to be reconstructed, but that the impact on the neighbouring property would not be substantial.

Cllr Peter Evans then questioned the footprint  of the development in relation to the overall size of the church and churchyard. The Area Development manager stated that he was not able to answer the question exactly but had an understanding that it was around 13%.

Following public participation, Cllr Sue Evans, the local member spoke in favour of the application.

Members then entered a debate on the application and discussed the previous planning application, and the discussions between the applicant and planning officer at the pre application stage. The design and materials of the application was discussed, and the public benefit of the application was considered. Cllr Gamble provided a summary of the reasoning of his views and relevant planning policy. The local development framework was debated and the consultation with statutory bodies including English Heritage was also discussed.

At the end of the debate it was:

Resolved:

To REFUSE planning permission for the planning application for the following reason:

Reason:

The extension, by reason of its scale and size, siting, form, design and materials/detailing, would cause substantial harm to the grade I listed building and its setting, to the character and appearance of this part of the Devizes Conservation Area.  No evidence has been provided to adequately demonstrate that the proposal represents the optimum viable use for the building or that there is an overwhelming local need for the facilities such that the public benefit of providing them would outweigh the substantial harm that would be caused to the heritage assets.  The proposal would therefore be contrary to Policy PD1 of the Kennet Local Plan, Policies CP57 and CP58 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy Pre-Submission Document 2012, the Introduction and Sections 7 & 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2012 and guidance contained in the Devizes Conservation Area Statement.