Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

No apologies were received for the meeting.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2021 were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes 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.

As the last meeting before the local elections on 6 May 2021, the Chairman, who would not be standing, thanked officers and members for their contributions to the Committee in the past four years, particularly those who would not be returning.

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 19 April 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 14 April 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 16 April 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.

The procedure for public participation was noted.

Change of use of land to a gypsy and traveller residential caravan site consisting of 4 pitches, each containing 1 mobile home, 1 touring caravan, 1 semi-detached utility building, car parking, access and children's play area

Public Participation

Robin Snell spoke in objection to the application.

Dr Angus Murdoch, Agent, spoke in support of the application.

Rose Love, Clerk, on behalf of Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The Head of Development Management, Mike Wilmott, and Senior Planning Officer, Eleanor Slack, presented a report which recommended permission be granted for change of use of land to a gypsy and traveller residential caravan

site consisting of 4 pitches, each containing 1 mobile home, 1 touring caravan, 1 semi-detached utility building, car parking, access and children's play area.

The background to the application was detailed, including that an application for the site was refused by the Committee on 11 September 2019, which had been appealed, but that as a result of delays arising from Covid-19 the appeal had not yet been determined. A new application had been submitted in part as a result of changes to the evidence base through a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) as part of development of a Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document, which identified a need for 132 new pitches across the council area between 2019-2036 for Gypsys and Travellers meeting the government definition, and that the Hook site had a need for 4 adults and 2 teenagers to be accommodate.

Key issues for the application included the principle of development, impact on the character and amenity of the area, highways and drainage. Officers and consultees had confirmed there were no objections in relation to highways, drainage, landscaping or other matters, should the proposed conditions be approved. A late representation raising issues of drainage was raised.

Members then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officers. Details were sought on the GTAA, landscaping, drainage strategies and waste bins. It was confirmed that the evidence base generated through the GTAA was public information and a material consideration, though a new policy document had not yet been approved.

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

A statement on behalf of the local Unitary Member, Councillor Mollie Groom, in objection to the application, was then read by Councillor Allison Bucknell.

The Committee then debated the application. The objections of residents and the Parish Council were noted, including to the principle of the development and impact on neighbouring amenity. It was raised that the reasoning for the refusal in September 2019 continued to apply, notwithstanding the additional evidence base. Matters of enforcement of conditions were also raised.

At the conclusion of debate, on the motion of Councillor Tony Trotman, seconded by Councillor Andrew Bryant, and following confirmation by all Members present that they had seen and heard all relevant materials, it was,

Resolved

To REFUSE the application for the following reasons:

Proposals for new gypsy and traveller pitches are assessed against the criteria set out for such sites in policy CP47 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy. In this case, the proposal does not satisfy the following criteria in CP47:

vi) The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

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.