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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online Meeting

Contact: Kieran Elliott  Email: kieran.elliott@wiltshire.gov.uk, 01225 718504

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

2.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020 were presented for consideration, and it was,

 

Resolved:

 

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020 as a true and correct record.

3.

Declarations of Interest

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

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

4.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

Minutes:

There were no specific Chairman’s announcements.

5.

Public Participation

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public. During the

ongoing Covid-19 situation the Council is operating revised procedures and the public are able to participate in meetings online after registering with the officer named on this agenda, and in accordance with the deadlines below.

 

Guidance on how to participate in this meeting online

 

Access the online meeting here

 

Statements

Members of the public who wish to submit a statement in relation to an item on this agenda should submit this in writing to the officer named on this agenda no later than 5pm on 25 Janaury 2021.

 

Submitted statements should:

·       State whom the statement is from (including if representing another person or organisation);

·       State clearly whether the statement is in objection to or support of the application;

·       Be readable aloud in approximately three minutes (for members of the public and statutory consultees) and in four minutes (for parish council representatives – 1 per parish council).

 

Up to three objectors and three supporters are normally allowed for each item on the agenda, plus statutory consultees and parish councils.

 

Those submitting statements would be expected to join the online meeting to read the statement themselves, or to provide a representative to read the statement on their behalf.

 

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 electronically to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on 20 Janaury 2021 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 22 January 2021.

 

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 members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website. Questions and answers will normally be taken as read at the meeting.

Minutes:

The procedure for public speaking was noted.

6.

20/01938/OUT: Land at Semington Road, Melksham, Wiltshire

Outline planning permission for up to 144 dwellings with informal and formal open space, associated landscaping and vehicular and pedestrian accesses off Semington Road. All matters reserved except for principal means of access.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The following applications were considered:

 

20/01938/OUT: Land at Semington Road, Melksham, Wiltshire

 

Public Participation

Ryan Jones spoke in objection of the application.

Sue Owen spoke in objection of the application.

Teresa Strange spoke in objection of the application.

Jon Penrose, agent, spoke in support of the application.

 

Cllr Richard Wood, Chairman of Melksham Without Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

 

Mike Wilmott, Head of Development Management, introduced a report which recommended that outline planning permission for up to 144 dwellings with informal and formal open space, associated landscaping and vehicular and pedestrian accesses off Semington Road be approved.

 

Key issues included the principle of development, the impact on the character and appearance of the area, the impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents, highway issues, ecology issues, drainage issues, other issues and planning obligations. The current lack of a 5-year land supply for the council area was also a factor.

 

Members of the committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on the connectivity between the housing site and a previously approved application of 150 dwellings to the north, as well as to local schools. The commencement conditions of the site was queried as well as the proximity of the site to the nearby sewage works.

 

Questions were also raised on the NHS provision that would be obtained and whether anything could be done to decide what the health provision would be used for.

 

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

 

The unitary division member, Councillor Nick Holder, then spoke in objection to the application.

 

A debate followed, and a motion to approve the officer’s recommendation was moved by Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Phillipe, seconded by Councillor Christopher Newbury.

 

Issues raised included the acceptability of the site for development, connections with other sites, that the lack of a 5 year housing land supply made the application a strategic matter, and details of the section 106 legal agreement  The reliance upon private vehicles due to the location and the consequent impacts on future local plan and carbon neutral objectives were raised by some members.

 

In discussion, it was agreed that the possibility of connectivity of the adjacent sites should be investigated at further stages, in addition to the prior completion of a Section 106 legal agreement to comply with Section 10 of the report. 

At the conclusion of the debate, it was,

 

Resolved:

 

To Defer and Delegate to the Head of Development Management to grant outline planning permission subject to the conditions set out below and subject to the prior completion of a Section 106 legal agreement to secure the contributions set out in the Heads of Terms in   section 10 of the officer report.

 

1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of one year from the date of approval of the last of the reserved matters to be approved.

 

REASON: To comply with the provisions of Section  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Urgent Items

Any other items of business, which in the opinion of the Chairman, should be taken as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no Urgent Items.