Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Laura Mayes.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2013.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 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.

1)    To note the following changes of membership to the Committee:

Councillor Trevor Carbin to be replaced by Councillor Chris Humphries as a full member of the Committee.

2)    To note that Item 7b in the agenda pack – E/2012/1216/FUL: Land to the rear of Wilcot road, Pewsey – will not be considered by the Committee to allow completion of a noise survey to take place and would be withdrawn from the agenda with the agreement of the Committee.

3)    The Chair gave details of emergency exits in the event of a fire.

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 5.50pm 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 committee@wiltshire.gov.uk no later than 5pm on Tuesday 26 March 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 Committee noted the rules on public participation.

There were no questions submitted.

To consider objections received to the making of “The Wiltshire Council (Sheet SU 05 NW) Easterton 26 Diversion Order 2011 and Definitive Map Modification Order No. 8 2011”, under Section 119 of the Highways Act 1980, and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Public Participation

Mrs Michelle Hayley spoke in objection to the order.

Mrs Emma Hodgson spoke in objection to the order.

Mr Bill Donald spoke in objection to the order.

Mr John Snook spoke in support of the order.

The Rights of Way Officer presented the report, which recommended that the order be forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with the recommendation that the order be approved without modification. The history of the order being made, details of objections and the layout of the current and proposed bridleways were detailed.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. The presence of pigs alongside the bridleway routes was raised, and it was stated there were no regulations prohibiting pig sites being placed alongside the bridleway, but that the land owner was planning to move the pigs to a new location permanently in the summer. The width of the proposed bridleway was confirmed as 4m, and that the current bridleway had no recorded width.

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

A debate followed, where the additional distance to be travelled along the highway under the proposed route was discussed, and it was stated Highways officers had raised no concerns. The viability of the historic bridleway was debated, taking into consideration the necessary measures to bring it into usage.

At the conclusion of debate, it was,

 Resolved:

That “The Wiltshire Council (Sheet SU 05 NW) Easterton 26 Diversion Order 2011 and Definitive Map Modification Order No.8, 2011”, be forwarded to the Secretary of State for determination, with a recommendation from Wiltshire Council that the Order be confirmed without modification.

Public Participation

Mr Ffinlo Costain (Pewsey Environmental Action Group) spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Duncan Hartley spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Patrick Durnford spoke in objection to the application.

Mr Middleton, agent, spoke in support of the application.

Mr Stephen Dangerfield spoke in support of the application.

Mr Michael Fowler, agent, spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Marilyn Hunt, Pewsey Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.

The Planning Officer introduced the report which recommended approval, as well as drawing attention to and summarising late representations as attached to these minutes. The key issues were stated to include the designated limits of development under local planning policies, the principle of the development, and impact upon the character of the area. It was noted that 75 trees on the site had been granted Tree Protection Orders, and the site lay within the stated limits of development for Pewsey.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. The extent of construction in the area adjacent to the development site was raised, along with the extent of the private orchard currently occupying the site to be removed.

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

The Local Member, Councillor Jerry Kunkler, then stated that he had brought the item to Committee for determination as a matter of public interest, and detailed some of the concerns the application raised, as well as mitigating measures put in place. He stated he would not vote on the application given his close involvement with all parties during the course of its application progression.

A debate followed, during which it was confirmed the site did not meet the minimum number of properties required for affordable housing provision to be legally obliged, and the presence of flooding in the area was discussed. The Committee further debated the impact of local, regional and national planning policies on the proposal.

At the conclusion of debate, it was,

Resolved:

That planning permission be GRANTED subject to a S106 legal agreement to secure financial contributions in lieu of on-site children’s play space provision for the following reason and subject to the following conditions:

The site lies within the Limits of Development and hence there is no in principle objection to the site’s development. The site represents a sustainable location for new development, and could be developed without any adverse landscape impact or harm to the setting of nearby listed buildings. Satisfactory designs and layout are proposed, with no adverse highway safety implications and with no material harm to the residential amenity of existing local residents. The applicant has demonstrated that there will be no harm to local biodiversity and that with appropriate flood risk mitigation measures, the development will not increase flood risk in the locality.

Conditions

The application was withdrawn from the agenda as detailed under Chairman’s Announcements.

There were no urgent items.