Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

Cllr Stewart Dobson

Cllr Jerry Kunkler

Cllr Stewart Dobson was substituted by Cllr James Sheppard.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2015.

Resolved

To approve and sign as a true and correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2015.

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

None.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

None.

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 the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on Thursday 01 October 2015. 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.

None.

To receive details of the completed and pending appeals.

The appeals update was received. In particular it was noted that the performance in the area covered by the Eastern Area Planning Committee exceeded the national average.

Resolved

To note the 2015 Appeals Performance Report for the area covered by the Eastern Area Planning Committee.

To consider and determine the following planning applications.

At the 17 September 2015 Eastern Area Planning Committee meeting a resolution to approve application 15/01052/OUT in accordance with the officer recommendation was debated and defeated. Members of the Committee resolved to request that the Area Development Manager prepare a report for consideration at the next meeting setting out possible reasons for refusal for their consideration.

The Committee is asked to consider the report detailing possible reasons for refusal.

Public Participation

Cllr Mervyn Hall spoke in opposition to the application on behalf of Marlborough Town Council

The Area Development Manager introduced the report which detailed possible reasons for refusal as requested at the previous meeting of the Eastern Area Planning Committee on 17 September 2015. Key refusal reasons were landscape impact; replacement of existing open space; and archaeology.

There were no late items.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. It was clarified that Action River Kennet (ARK) were entitled to make their own representations to any appeal inspector if an appeal was submitted.. ARK would be able to provide evidence on any reasons they wished to pursue and the Planning Inspector would have to take these into account. It was also explained that at an appeal existing representations received by the Council from all third parties would be sent for the Planning Inspector to consider in addition with any new information that may have been submitted.

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

A debate followed where the Committee considered the possible reasons for refusal detailed in the report. Possible reasons for refusal from ARK were also considered.

It was discussed whether the application would have a negative effect on wildlife surrounding the River Og. The ecological survey conducted by Thames Water for a pipeline and by the applicant was considered in reference to this issue.

The issue of replacing existing open space with equivalent open space provision was discussed. Consideration was given to the fact that the existing play area was not previously a water meadow. The Committee debated whether the recreational space offered in the application was acceptable as a replacement to the existing recreational area.

Resolved

To refuse the application for the following reasons:

1.    The proposed development is located within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, at the interface between the built-up area of Marlborough and the countryside beyond. Government policy, as set out in the NPPF (paragraph 115), is that great weight should be given to conserving the landscape and scenic beauty of this area. The proposed development would conflict with this policy and would have a harmful impact on the landscape of this part of the AONB, through the change of use and associated works required to convert that part of the site lying within the water meadows to casual open space, and through the works required to the landscape screen between the water meadows and the proposed equipped play area and MUGA, which would open up the new housing to direct view from nearby rights of way and would reduce the existing screening of the built-up area that currently enhances the setting of the town at this rural/urban interface. This would conflict with Core Policy 51 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

2.    The proposed development would result in the loss of the main part of the existing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

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