Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

An apology for absence was received from Cllr Derek Brown OBE, who was substituted by Cllr Matthew Dean.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2017.

Resolved:

To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 December 2017.  

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

Cllr Stewart Dobson declared a non-pecuniary interest in Application No. 15/04004/OUT: Old Sarum Airfield Ltd, Lancaster Road, Old Sarum, Salisbury (Minute No. 83a below) as he personally knew the applicant 12 years ago as they owned adjoining land in a village in a different part of Wiltshire.  He intended to withdraw from the meeting during consideration of this application.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no Chairman’s announcements made at the meeting.

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 (4 clear working days, e.g. Wednesday of week before a Wednesday meeting) 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 (2 clear working days, eg Friday of week before a Wednesday meeting). 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 of public participation were noted.

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

An update on planning appeals and decisions was received together with information on the legal duty to state reasons for making decisions on planning applications particularly where the Committee departs from officer recommendations.

Resolved:  To note the contents of the updates.

To consider and determine the following planning applications.

Outline application with all matters reserved, except from the means of access to the site for the demolition, modification and renovation of existing buildings, structures and site development. Provision of approximately 18.6ha (gross) of residential land accommodating approximately 462 residential dwellings. Provision for a mixture of employment, commercial/leisure, and aviation uses on 3.1ha of land at Area B, including a "flying hub" comprising a control tower, heritage centre, visitor centre, café/restaurant, parachute centre, aviation archives and aircraft hangars. Provision of associated access, including the construction of new points of vehicles access to the surrounding highways network, car parking and connections to the surrounding footpath and cycle networks. Green infrastructure provision, including open space, play space, recreational footpaths, cycle paths and landscape enhancement areas; the provision of above and below ground utilities, including a sustainable urban drainage system. Associated vegetation removal, ground modification and engineering works

Outline application with all matters reserved, except from the means of access to the site for the demolition, modification and renovation of existing buildings, structures and site development. Provision of approximately 18.6ha (gross) of residential land accommodating approximately 462 residential dwellings. Provision for a mixture of employment, commercial/leisure, and aviation uses on 3.1ha of land at Area B, including a "flying hub" comprising a control tower, heritage centre, visitor centre, café/restaurant, parachute centre, aviation archives and aircraft hangars. Provision of associated access, including the construction of new points of vehicles access to the surrounding highways network, car parking and connections to the surrounding footpath and cycle networks. Green infrastructure provision, including open space, play space, recreational footpaths, cycle paths and landscape enhancement areas; the provision of above and below ground utilities, including a sustainable urban drainage system. Associated vegetation removal, ground modification and engineering works.

Public Participation

Mr Ron Champion, a local resident, spoke against the application.

Mr Graham Renshaw, a local resident, spoke against the application.

Cllr Vic Bussereau, representing Laverstock & Ford Parish Council, spoke against the application.

The Committee received a presentation from the Case Officer which set out the issues in respect of the application.  It was explained that following a protracted period of discussions and negotiations, the applicant had chosen to exercise their right to appeal against non-determination of the application. This meant that the Council no longer had the powers to formally determine the application, as this power now rested with the Planning Inspectorate. This matter was scheduled to be considered at a Public Inquiry for which no date had been set. The views of the Committee on the application were now being sought to enable the Council to make its case to the Inspector.  The Head of Development Management reported that he had received a letter from the applicant the previous day requesting that the application be withdrawn from the agenda for today’s meeting to enable further dialogue and discussion to take place.  This request had not been agreed as the application had been appealed and was now being dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate who required the Council to set out its statement of case. 

Members then had the opportunity to ask technical questions after which they heard the views of members of the public as detailed above, expressing their views regarding the planning application.

Members then heard the views of Cllr Ian McLennan, the local Member, who set out his objections to the proposal.  In particular, he drew attention to the need to protect the Old Sarum Conservation Area and considered that the proposals would destroy the character of the priceless World War 1 flying field.  The plans proposed would also result in a massive overdevelopment of the northern area of Laverstock and Ford Parish and would also jeopardise the current flying arrangements.

During discussion, Members considered that the level of proposed development was completely unacceptable and noted the impact this would have on local bus services, roads and local amenities.  Concern  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

Variation of Condition 32 of 14/10461/OUT relating to site access

The Committee received a presentation from the Case Officer which set out the issues in respect of the application, with a recommendation that the application should be approved subject to a revised Section 106 Agreement and conditions. The proposal sought to vary Condition 32 of consented application 14/10461/OUT which listed the 2016 approved plan drawings, to allow the proposed northern vehicular site access located along Thyme Road, to be relocated approximately 150 metres further to the west. The variation proposal also included removing the second internal access road into the proposed development site.

Members then had the opportunity to ask technical questions after which they heard the views of Cllr Jon Hubbard, the local Member.  He stated that, whilst generally supporting the scheme, he was concerned at the proposal to route construction traffic along Snowberry Lane, rather than along the new relief road, and the potential impact on residents in Snowberry Lane with regard to noise, traffic congestion and highway safety, bearing in mind that Snowberry Lane was used as a walking route to Melksham Oak School.

During discussion, it was noted that the Council’s Highways Officer raised no objections to the proposed change of the northern access into the site.

On the proposal of Cllr Christopher Newbury, which was seconded by Cllr Tony Trotman,

Resolved:

To grant planning permission, subject to the completion of a supplemental Section 106 Agreement to the existing Section 106 Agreement relating to planning permission 14/10461/OUT so that the planning obligations secured therein apply to this planning permission and subject to the following conditions:-

1 The development hereby permitted shall be begun either before the expiration of threeyears from the date of the original outline permission (i.e. by 22 September 2019), or before the expiration of two years from the date  of approval of the last of the reserved matters to be approved, whichever is the later.

REASON: To comply with the provisions of Section 92 of the Town and Country    Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2 No phase as referred to in Condition 5, of the development hereby permitted shall          commence, other than the site access until details of the following matters for that phase          (hereinafter called "the reserved matters" have been submitted to and approved in          writing by the Local Planning Authority.

(a) The scale of the development;

(b) The layout of the development;

(c) The external appearance of the development;

(d) The landscaping of the site;

(e) The internal access arrangements

(f) The mix and type of housing

The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

REASON: The application was made for outline planning permission and is granted to comply with the provisions of Section 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 andArticle 5 (1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

3 Applications for the approval of reserved matters for a minimum of 300 dwellings shall be made to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7b

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 of business.