Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Graham Wright and Tony Trotman.

Councillor Wright was substituted by Councillor Ian West.

To approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee on 11 September 2013, and the Special meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee on 25 September 2013.

The minutes of the meetings held on 11 September 2013 and 25 September 2013 were presented for consideration. It was,

Resolved:

To APPROVE as a true and correct record and sign the minutes.

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.

The Chairman announced that application N/11/02320/WCM - Hills Waste Recovery Facility, Lower Compton, Calne - had not been ready to come to the Committee for the  meeting, but it was hoped it would be able to be scheduled for the next meeting of the Committee in November 2013.

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 in person no later than 13:50am on the day of the meeting.

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. The rules on public participation in respect of planning applications are detailed in the Council’s Planning Code of Good Practice.

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 16 October 2013. 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.

Attention was drawn to the updated list of late observations, including an amendment to the suggested conditions for application 13/00673/OUT, which is attached to the council website with the rest of the agenda papers.

Site visit for Members at 1030.

Public Participation

Mr Richard Greenwood spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Paul Brocklehurst, on behalf of the applicants, spoke in support of the application.

Mr Greg Mitchell, planning consultant to the applicants, spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Ron Champion, Laverstock and Ford Parish Council, spoke in support of the application.

The Planning Officer introduced a report which detailed two schemes for the application site, and recommended both for delegation to the Director of Development Services to approve subject to the securing of an appropriate s.106 legal agreement. Key issues for both schemes included the principle of the proposed housing development and its impact upon the area, links to the neighbouring development in construction at Old Sarum, provision of affordable housing and the heads of terms for any proposed s.106 agreement.

It was noted that the application was for outline permission only, and that detailed specifics presented were indicative, with permission for those specifics on design and layout and other matters being required at a future date should the principle of the development, with either scheme, be approved. A proposed roundabout access for the site was included as part of the outline application, and it was noted that an underground gas main running through the site could not be constructed over, and this had been taken into account with proposed designs and layout.

The key difference between scheme A and scheme B was stated to be that scheme A encompassed a larger area, and with a proposed upper limit of 673 houses against 425 for scheme B, as well as the provision of an area of community open space to the north of the site and further employment space.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought of the number of dwellings being constructed in the adjoining Old Sarum development to enable consideration of the total impact from each scheme for the Longhedge site, along with details of the archaeological investigation as part of condition 22. Attention was also drawn to proposed condition 21 as detailed in the late submission papers, which limited the scale of proposed retail units within the site, and the existence of a 1m strip of land surrounding the Old Sarum development which was owned by a third party, and its impact on any proposed linkage between the two developments.

In response to queries it was also confirmed that a large portion of scheme A and smaller section of scheme B included areas that were a departure from local planning policy as being identified for housing development, and should permission be approved this would need to be advertised as such and referred to the Secretary of State. There were also queries regarding the width of the roads in the proposed development and parking concerns, and it was stated that final details would come with later permissions, but that initial designs had been made to encourage less on-street parking and for roads to be of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

Public Participation

Patricia Fagan, Shadow Community Operations Board, spoke in support of the application.

The Planning Officer introduced a report which recommended that planning permission be granted. Key issues were stated to include the principle of the proposed extensions to the current Leisure centre as part of the transformation into a community campus, the impact upon local amenity and the local highways, and the design and appearance. It was noted that the building contained significant amounts of parking spaces to the rear, and that no objection had been received from the Highways officers.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought regarding new entrances, including for the police teams that would be based in the building, and details of how the site’s historic use as a landfill site prevented the complete parking areas to be covered in tarmac.

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

The Local Member, Councillor Richard Clewer, then spoke in support of the application.

A debate followed in which the access to the site was acknowledged as an existing concern, and whether the alterations to the use of the site would adversely impact the highways issue to a significant degree. The expanded facilities for disabled users was noted, and the design of the proposed extensions was assessed for suitability.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

That Planning Permission be GRANTED for the following reason:

The proposed development is considered to be an acceptable redevelopment of an existing leisure centre for similar extended and enhanced purposes.  Subject to the imposition of relevant and necessary planning conditions, the development would not have an unacceptable impact upon highway safety, amenity, ecology or the landscape and would have the effect of enhancing sports, leisure and community facilities to the local community as well as improving the appearance of the site and wider public realm.  The proposal is considered to comply with the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework as well as saved policies G1, G2, D1, C10, R1A and R1B of the adopted South Wiltshire Core strategy.

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. No development shall commence on site until details and samples of the materials to be used for the external walls and roofs 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: In the interests of visual amenity and the character and appearance of the area.

3. No development shall commence on site until details showing ventilation and extraction equipment within the site (including details of its position, appearance and details of measures to prevent noise emissions)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.