Agenda item

Public Participation

Roger Pounder, Graham Small, George Threlfall and Cllr Owen Gibbs spoke in objection to the application.

Simon Chambers spoke in support of the application.

The officer introduced the report which recommended that planning permission be granted subject to conditions.

He explained that planning permission had previously been granted, but was subsequently extinguished due to non-compliance with a condition. He drew attention to the late observations which contained an alternative condition to be considered by the Committee. The application for planning permission was initially prompted by engineering works carried out at the site to create jumps suitable for competitive motocross racing. He confirmed that Highways had not raised any objections.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers and it was confirmed that although the use of a public address system was controlled through conditions, a reasonable and expedient approach would be taken towards its use in times of emergency. It was also confirmed the conditions applied equally to rescheduled meetings. Practicing and racing would be treated in the same manner and would both count towards the annual event quota. 

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

The local member, Cllr Toby Sturgis then addressed the Committee. He noted that if the Committee refused permission, and the site reverted to agricultural land it could continue to host up to 14 days of motocross racing a year through its permitted development rights. In light of this possibility, he encouraged the Committee to grant planning permission, which would control such motocross racing through conditions producing a better solution for local residents.

In the debate that followed the Committee discussed the possibility of extending the schedule notice period contained within the conditions. It was also confirmed that the issue of holding events on a consecutive weekends was a critical matter for Environmental Health.

Resolved:

That planning permission is GRANTED, subject to the following conditions:

Condition

1)    Within 3 months of the date on which the land subject to this permission has not been used for the purposes approved for a period of 6 months, the use/activity hereby permitted shall cease, all equipment and materials brought onto the land for the purposes of such use shall be removed, the engineering works shall be reversed and the land restored to its former agricultural condition.

REASON: To ensure the reversibility of the development in the interests of visual

and residential amenities.

2)    The land subject of this permission shall be used for the racing and/or practice of motocross motorcycles up to a maximum of 14 days in any one calendar year.

REASON: In the interests of residential amenity.

3)    The development hereby permitted shall not be first brought into use in any calendar year until a full schedule of events for that year has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority not later than the date 28 days prior to the first event of that year. Alterations to the approved schedule shall pertain solely to scheduled events that must be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances and shall be notified to the Local Planning Authority no less than 7 days prior to that event.

REASON: In the interests of residential amenity and to enable the Local Planning Authority to monitor the distribution of events.

4)    Events shall not take place on consecutive weekends. No more than 2 Events shall take place in any 5-week period. For the avoidance of doubt and the purposes of this condition, an ‘Event’ is defined as a single day or two days of racing/practicing within the period Saturday to Monday inclusive.

REASON: In the interests of securing an environment free from intrusive levels of

noise disturbance

5)    The use hereby permitted shall not take place on the days of Tuesday to Friday inclusive. No testing, practicing or racing of motorcycles shall take place on the site on any day other than Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

REASON: In the interests of visual amenity, highway safety and to secure an

environment free from intrusive levels of noise disturbance.

6)    No sound-amplifying equipment, loudspeaker, public address system shall be operated in association with the development hereby permitted.

REASON: To ensure the creation of an environment free from intrusive levels of

noise and activity in the interests of the amenity of the area.

7)    The development hereby permitted shall be implemented and the site operated in full accordance with the submitted Event Management Plan (LPC, December 2013), in perpetuity.

REASON: In the interests of residential amenity and highway safety.

8)    The mobile toilet block indicated on the site location plan shall be completely removed from the site no later than the date 6 weeks after the most recent event. At such time it shall be removed completely from the site and shall not be reinstalled on the site until the recommencement of events on the site thereafter.

REASON: To ensure the removal of a temporary structure when the site is not in

use, in the interests of visual amenity.

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

Site Location Plan

LPC/2798/2 - Site Layout Plan

LPC/2798/3 - Sections 1

Received 24 October 2013

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

INFORMATIVES:

1)    It is the view of the Local Planning Authority that the development hereby approved represents a change of use of the land to sui generis, as set out in the Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended). As such, all permitted development rights set out under Class B of Schedule 2, Part 4 of the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended), are effectively rescinded. Use of the land subject of this application for such purposes will therefore require a separate planning application.

2)    The applicant is requested to note that this permission does not affect any private property rights and therefore does not authorise the carrying out of any work on land outside their control. If such works are required it will be necessary for the applicant to obtain the landowners consent before such works commence. If you intend carrying out works in the vicinity of the site boundary, you are also advised that it may be expedient to seek your own advice with regard to the requirements of the Party Wall Act 1996.