Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

·       Cllr Tony Pickernell – substituted by Cllr Dom Muns

·       Cllr Sam Pearce-Kearney

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2023.

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Dom Muns, it was:

Resolved

To approve the minutes of the meeting, held on 7 September 2023, as a true and correct record.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

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 no later than 10 minutes before the start of the meeting. If it is on the day of the meeting registration should be done in person.

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

Members of the public will have had the opportunity to make representations on the planning applications and to contact and lobby their local member and any other members of the planning committee prior to the meeting. Lobbying once the debate has started at the meeting is not permitted, including the circulation of new information, written or photographic which have not been verified by planning officers.

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 28 September 2023 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 Monday 2 October 2023. 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.

To receive details of the completed and pending appeals, and any other updates as appropriate.

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Dom Muns, it was:

Resolved

To note the appeals report for the period 25 August 2023 to 22 September 2023.

To re-use a former equestrian barn to create two dwellings, driveways, landscaping and related infrastructure.

To erect a stable block within one of the gardens comprising 10 stables, a tack room, store and hay room. To erect a barn and garage within the same curtilage and to erect a garage within the other curtilage (resubmission of PL/2022/08607).

Public Participation

·       Ms Victoria Hellyer spoke in opposition to the application.

·       Mr Steven Abbott (Steven Abbott Associates LLP) spoke on behalf of the Applicant, in support of the application. 

The Planning Officer, David Millinship, introduced a report which recommended that the application for the re-use a former equestrian barn to create two dwellings, driveways, landscaping and related infrastructure be refused. He explained that the proposals included plans to erect a stable block within one of the gardens comprising 10 stables, a tack room, store and hay room; to erect a barn and garage within the same curtilage and to erect a garage within the other curtilage, a resubmission of PL/2022/08607. Key details were stated to include the principle of development, landscape, visual, highway, ecological and environmental impacts as well as the impact on neighbouring amenity.

It was noted that the site was of distinctively rural character within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There were nearby footpaths to the public highway network, but vehicular access was via single tracked roads.

Attention was drawn to late representations on behalf of the Applicant and from Wiltshire Council’s Drainage Consultant, included in Agenda Supplement 1. The Planning Officer confirmed that neither of these representations changed their recommendation.

The Planning Officer highlighted the statement in his report that it was reasonable to expect that the former equestrian barn would be capable of conversion into two residential units. However, he clarified that this conclusion was based on the incorrect assumption that it was steel, rather than concrete, framed. He explained that concrete framed structures were often more challenging to convert than steel framed ones. As a result, he felt that there was insufficient evidence, without the submission of a structural report, to say that it would be capable of conversion. He noted therefore that structural integrity was another possible reason for refusing the application.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the Planning Officer.

Details were sought about whether the Applicant would apply for another commercial stable to meet business needs if the application to convert the former equestrian barn was approved. It was confirmed that the application site abutted a larger enterprise known as Boomerang Stables and that stables, still in operation as part of that commercial enterprise, were leased to a tenant.

In response to a query about the current use of the site, the Planning Officer noted that it was classed as sui generis, so for equestrian business and leisure use. If permission were to be granted it would become residential (C3) use.

Queries were asked about whether, if the application were to be approved, it would ever be possible to use the proposed 10 domestic stables on a commercial basis. The Planning Officer explained that they would need to apply for change of use for the block to be used commercially. However, he noted there would be a need for a planning condition to limit the use of the stables to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

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.