Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Tony Trotman, who was substituted by Councillor Christine Crisp.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2016 were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign as a true and correct record.

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

There were no declarations.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no 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 by phone, email or in person no later than 10.20am on the day of the meeting.

The rules on public participation in respect of planning applications are detailed 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 will have had the opportunity to make representations on the planning applications and to contact and lobby their local member and any other members of the planning committee prior to the meeting. Lobbying once the debate has started at the meeting is not permitted, including the circulation of new information, written or photographic which have not been verified by planning officers.

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 1 February 2017 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 Friday 3 February 2017. 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 rules on public participation were noted.

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

An update on planning appeals and decisions was received.

Mr Francis Morland delivered a statement querying the council’s position on its five-year land supply at recent appeal hearings. Following discussion from the Committee it was requested an update to the briefing note prepared in the new year on the five-year land supply be prepared.

Resolved:

To note the update.

A report by the Case officer is attached.

The Senior Planning Officer, Mark Staincliffe, presented a report recommending that approval be granted for change of use of land to one gypsy and traveller pitch, erection of a day room, siting of a static home with parking space for two cares, a mobile home, space for a garden and the siting of a cess pit. Key issues included the principle of development, impact on character and appearance of the area and highway safety. Details were provided on conditions to control landscaping and drainage, and the level of work that had already taken place on the site.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on the level of need for further gypsy and traveller pitches under the Core Strategy. In was stated that during the examination of the Core Strategy the government inspector had questioned the methodology and so the council had committed to preparing a development plan document to further demonstrate the total need, but that in its absence the Core Strategy figure, which had been met, was a minimum need, and any applications should be judged in accordance with Core Policy 47. Officers were of the opinion that the application met the necessary criteria in that policy.

No members of the public had registered to speak regarding the application.

During the debate that followed the Committee further discussed relevant policies and the level of unmet need for gypsy and traveller pitches.

Councillor Trevor Carbin, seconded by Councillor Terry Chivers, moved the recommendation as detailed in the officer report, and at the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

That planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1          The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

REASON:   To comply with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

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

TP1- Received 09/11/2016

TP2- Received 09/11/2016

TP 3 REV B- Received 12/01/2017

TP4 REV A- Received 12/01/2017

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

3          Within 3 months from the date of this permission the parking areas shown on the approved plans shall have been consolidated, surfaced and laid out in accordance with the approved details. Those areas shall be maintained and remain available for that use at all times thereafter.

REASON: To ensure that adequate provision is made for parking within the site in the interests of highway safety.

4          No development shall commence on site until the exact details and samples of the materials to be used for the external walls and roofs of the 'Day Room' have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

REASON: The application contained insufficient information to enable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

A report by the Case Officer is attached.

Public Participation

Mr Chris Wannell, resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Steve Walls, resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Mike Drury, resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Steve Sensecal, agent, spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Peter Willis on behalf of Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.

Councillor Paul Heaphy, on behalf of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council, spoke in objection to the application.

The Development Management Team Leader, Lee Burman, introduced a report which recommended that authority be delegated to the Head of Development Management to grant planning permission for Mixed Development of up to 320 Dwellings, a Community Hub Comprising of 500sqm of A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/D1 & D2 Uses, Public Open Space, Landscaping, Extension to Approved Sports Hub and Access subject to the conditions and the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement. If the legal agreement was not completed within six months of delegation, the application would be refused.

Key issues were stated to include the scale of development and its visual, environmental and highways impact, and design, also including impact upon the curtilage of a nearby listed building. It was stated that the site lay outside boundaries identified in the Core Strategy meaning it should only be approved if material reasons it should and its benefits outweighed the harm. The council not currently having the required level of Wiltshire housing land supply was highlighted as a material consideration. Officers detailed the site history and the relationship between applications submitted at the site and reported on the agenda.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on potential noise pollution on the site, assessment of drainage issues and mitigating proposals on the site which officers considered acceptable, and detail on relevant council policies, highway speed limits and the council’s lack of a current five-year housing land supply and the impact of that lack when weighing the planning balance.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to address the Committee, as detailed above.

Local Unitary Division Members Councillors Mollie Groom, Mary Champion and Chris Hurst then spoke in objection to the application, raising concerns about the impact on highways. Green space, overdevelopment in the community area and lack of adherence to Core Policies 1, 2 and 19.

The Committee then debated the application, noting the complexity of the site and significant potential impacts on several issues that had been raised, and it was raised whether a delay to inspect the site might resolve some of the concerns that had been raised.

Councillor Christopher Newbury, seconded by Councillor Charles Howard, moved that the application be deferred for a site visit and opportunity for request of additional information if required, and at the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

To DEFER the application for arrangement of a site visit, and to allow members of the Committee and local Unitary members to submit requests for further information to be provided within two  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

A report by the case Officer is attached.

Public Participation

Mr Alan Williams, Planning Potential (Cambria Automobiles plc), spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Chris Wannell, resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Steve Walls, resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Steve Sensecal, agent, spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Peter Willis, on behalf of Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.

Councillor Paul Heaphy, on behalf of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council, spoke in objection to the application.

The Development Management Team Leader, Lee Burman, introduced a report which recommended that authority be delegated to the Head of Development Management to grant planning permission for a 2,469 m2 (GIA) supermarket with access and landscaping (detail), up to 33 senior living units and Class C2 care home of up to 3,000 m2 (outline) subject to conditions and the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement. If the legal agreement was not completed within six months of delegation, the application would be refused. Given the previous resolution in respect of the related application a limited scope presentation was given.

Key issues were stated to include retail impact on the town centre and the sequential approach to site selection;, surface and foul water  outage and the location outside the settlement boundary. Detail was provided on the sequential tests to be followed when determining application for large scale retail.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details on the care home element of the application was sought.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to address the Committee, as detailed above.

Local Unitary Division Members Councillors Mollie Groom, Mary Champion and Chris Hurst then spoke in objection to the application and requested the application also be deferred for a site visit.

A debate followed, where the impact of the out of centre retail development proposed was assessed, along with whether a care home operator was or shortly would be in place for the proposed units.

Councillor Fred Westmoreland, seconded by Councillor Bridget Wayman, moved that the application be deferred pending a site visit. At the conclusion of debate, it was,

Resolved:

To DEFER for a site visit.

To note that the next scheduled meeting of this Committee is due to be held on Wednesday 8 March 2017, starting at 10.30am in the Council Chamber at County Hall, Trowbridge.

The date of the next scheduled meeting was confirmed as 8 March 2017.

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.