Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Terry Chivers and Baroness Scott of Bybrook.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2016.

Resolved:

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2016.

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 Chairman.

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 by phone, email or in person no later than 2.50pm on the day of the meeting.

The rules on public participation in respect of planning applications are detailed 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 Wednesday 9 November 2016 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 Friday 11 November 2016. 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 completed and pending appeals and other updates as appropriate.

The Committee noted the contents of the appeals update.

To consider and determine the following planning applications:

John Dennis and Aaron Smith spoke in support of the application.

The planning officer introduced the report which was for the erection of an agricultural workers dwelling, livestock barn and machinery/workshop store and the creation of new access. A site plan and location plan were shown alongside photos of the site and proposed access. The officer recommended that the application be refused due to concerns about its siting and prominence on the landscape from surrounding areas and drew attention to the late observations.

There were no technical questions.

Members of the public were then invited to speak, as detailed above.

The local member, Cllr Bob Jones spoke in support of the application.

Following statements from the public the planning officer confirmed that the Council’s agricultural consultant had considered the argument for the development in this location to be a marginal case.

In the debate that followed, the Committee considered that the dwelling would be damaging to the surrounding open countryside in the proposed location. The importance of supporting agricultural industry was acknowledged and it was suggested that a structure near to the highway on the edge of the site would be more acceptable in terms of the impact of the development, similarly a temporary structure would be more acceptable.

Cllr Hutton, seconded by Cllr Berry moved the officer recommendation that planning permission be refused for the reason set out in the report.

Resolved:

To REFUSE planning permission for the following reason:

The proposed development would, by reason of its siting, scale, form bulk and mass in conjunction with the significant length of access road required to be created, result in harm to the visual amenities and open character of the countryside. Therefore, the development is considered to be contrary to Core Policy 51 & 57 i) & iii) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and Paragraph 7 & 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Colin Read spoke in objection to the application in his capacity as a local resident and not on behalf of the parish council.

Mark Willis spoke in support of the application.

The planning officer introduced the application which was for the erection of a workshop building and stables, it was noted that the application was partly retrospective. The location of the site and photographs of the current development were shown alongside the plans for the site and details of the previously approved scheme. Members commented that it was difficult to compare the new plans with the previously agreed plans and it was explained that the span of the building had been enlarged, and there were changes to the dormer elevations and stepping down arrangements. It was confirmed that the application included a change of use for the adjacent land. The officer recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions outlined in the report.

In response to technical questions, it was confirmed that the application was dissimilar to an application previously refused for a residential element to the dwelling; the current application gave no provision for residential use. The planning officer detailed where the building was to be widened beyond the approved scheme however noted that the eaves and ridge height would remain the same.

Members of the public were then invited to speak as detailed above.

The local member, Cllr Howard Greenman, spoke in objection to the application.

Following statements from the public the planning officer confirmed that under condition 5, use of the workshop should only take place between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.

In the debate that followed, members expressed disappointment that the development had not been built in accordance with the previously approved plans. The Committee considered that the new proposals were significantly different and larger than the previous application and as such would cause more harm. It was considered that the height, mass and scale of the proposal would fail to conserve the setting of the neighbouring property which was a historic building. It was also noted that the Parish Council had objected to the application. Concern was also raised that the application was similar to an application that had previously been refused, however it was noted that this was refused on the grounds that it included a residential element.

Cllr Greenman, seconded by Cllr Crisp, moved that the application be refused on the grounds that the scale, bulk, massing and design would result in harm to the neighbouring residential amenity and property through overbearing impact and harm to the character and appearance of the area and damage to the neighbouring heritage asset.

Resolved:

To REFUSE planning permission for the following reason:

The proposed development, by reason of its scale, bulk, massing and design, will result in an unacceptable overbearing impact on the neighbouring property and consequent loss of residential amenity to occupiers. The proposal therefore conflicts with Core Policy 57 (vii) of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy and Paragraph 17 of the National  ...  view the full minutes text for item 159.

Linda Peak spoke in objection to the application.

Kathleen Philips spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Jeff Batty, Grittleton Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.

The planning officer introduced the application which was for the change of use of land from agricultural to equestrian, the construction of stables, horse walker and associated parking/turning area. It was recommended that planning permission be approved, subject to the conditions detailed in the report. It was highlighted that the application was partly retrospective and the proposed site layout was presented. Photos of mobile field shelters were shown and it was explained that proposed conditions attached to permission would restrict the site for personal rather than commercial use.

Members were invited to ask technical questions, in response to which the planning officer advised that submitted plans should be to scale, however if councillors were concerned this was not the case, the submission of more detailed drawings could be conditioned.

Cllr Toby Sturgis spoke on behalf of the local member, Baroness Scott of Bybrook, in objection to the application.

In the debate that followed, the Committee expressed concern that, although horses were kept on neighbouring fields, the appearance of neighbouring sites was agricultural and the application in question appeared commercial due to the number of horses and installation of a horse walker. Members considered that the hardstanding, gates and paraphernalia were harmful in urbanising the site and that the fencing was harmful to the setting in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Committee felt that the large gate to access the site was out of proportion and uncharacteristic of the area and that the application was contrary to policies of horse keeping in the AONB. The Chairman highlighted that there was already a right of vehicular access to the site and that the enforcement of conditions was not a planning consideration, however the Committee concluded that no conditions could make a development of this type acceptable in this location.

Cllr Sturgis, seconded by Cllr Greenman, proposed that the application be refused on the grounds of harm to the landscape of the area and AONB and non-compliance with AONB guidelines on the keeping of horses.

Resolved:

To REFUSE planning permission for the following reason:

The proposed development, by reason of the cumulative scale and form of physical development will have an urbanising effect on the site and its setting, resulting in harm to the character, appearance and openness of the landscape and intrinsic quality of the Cotswolds AONB. The proposal therefore conflicts with Core Policy 51(ix) of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy and Criteria 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2013 - 2018

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.