Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence had been received from Cllr Clare Cape.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 29 November were presented.

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.

Cllr Groom declared herself a member of the Cotswold Conservation Board, in respect of item 7a) Arland House, however approached the application with an open mind and would debate and vote on the item.

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 13 December 2017 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 15 December 2017. 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 any details of completed and pending appeals as appropriate.

There was no planning appeal update, however the Chairman noted there would be one for consideration at the next meeting.

To consider and determine the following planning applications.

Members considered the applications as detailed below.

Ian Anderson, Angelica Anderson and Charlotte Watkins spoke in support of the application

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application which was for the erection of a new dwelling, car port, solar array and associated works. The application was recommended for refusal for the reasons outlined in the report. Attention was drawn to the late items which included a correction to the officer report, clarifying that Alderton did benefit from a conservation area, the boundary to which lay adjacent to the site. A location plan was shown and the location of the main road was identified, photographs of the site were also shown. The planning officer highlighted the proposed development was in open countryside and would be an unsustainable development.

There were no technical questions.

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

The local member, Cllr John Thomson, explained the application had generated some public interest, and he had called it in to Committee at the request of the parish council.

In response to statements, the officer confirmed Alderton was in open countryside.

In the debate that followed the Chairman commended the environmental elements of the proposal. Cllr Hutton moved the officer recommendation for refusal, seconded by Cllr Mollie Groom. Whilst members appreciated the environmental credentials of the scheme, it was considered the site for the proposed dwelling was inappropriate and the proposal therefore was contrary to Core Policies. It was noted that in planning terms Alderton was not a village and the paddock was agricultural.

That planning permission be REFUSED for the following reasons:

1. The site is located outside of the limits of development of any village defined in CP2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy. The proposed residential development does not fall to be determined under any of the 'exception policies' defined within Core Policies 46 and 47 (Specialist accommodation provision) or Core Policy 48 (Supporting rural life) or para 55 of the NPPF. The proposal conflicts with the Delivery Strategy set out in Policy CP2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, which seeks to properly plan for sustainable development of housing sites in Wiltshire to deliver the identified needs in the Community Areas through a Site Allocations DPD and/or a Neighbourhood Plan, a strategy supported by the Wiltshire Core Strategy Inspector. The site has not been brought forward through this process. The proposal would therefore conflict with Core Policies 1 and 2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy; saved policy H4 of the North Wiltshire Local Plan (appendix D of the Wiltshire Core Strategy); Advice in the NPPF particularly paragraphs 7, 14 and 55.

2. The proposal, by way of its scale, siting and form of development would be an incongruous and unacceptable form of development which would be harmful to the landscape quality of this part of the Cotswolds AONB contrary to policies CP42 and CP51 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and advice in the NPPF section 11, particularly para 115.

3. The proposal, located remote from a range of services, employment opportunities which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.

Robert Elkins spoke in support of the application

The Development Control Team Leader introduced the application which was for a two storey side extension and mono-pitch garden storage with internal alterations to the main house. It was recommended the application be approved, subject to the conditions outlined in the report. A location plan, existing and proposed site plan, photographs and proposed elevations were shown. The officer highlighted there would be some overlooking of terraced properties nearby as a result of the development, however not at a sufficient level to warrant refusal.

The Committee was invited to ask technical questions, in response to which it was confirmed that Permitted Development Rights could be removed from the development. The distance between the new development and neighbouring properties was confirmed, as was parking arrangements. It was acknowledged the proposal may slightly darken the gardens of neighbouring properties, however not to a significant degree.

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

Cllr Hutton spoke on behalf of the local member Cllr Cape who had requested that, should permission be granted, it be conditioned to tie the development to the main house to prevent it from being subdivided. Cllr Hutton noted this matter was already accounted for in the officer’s recommendations.

In the debate that followed, Cllr Hutton moved the officer’s recommendation, subject to a standard condition for the removal of Permitted Development Rights, seconded by Cllr Grant.

Resolved:

That planning permission be GRANTED, subject to the conditions listed below (the standard wording for the removal of permitted development rights was to be determined by officers):

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.    The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans:

Location Plan, Drawing number 560/PL/01 (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 9^th October 2017

Existing and Proposed Site Plans, Drawing number 560/PL/02b (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 8th December 2017

Existing Ground Floor Plan, Drawing number 560/PL/03 (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 9th October 2017

Existing Elevation, Drawing number 560/PL/05 (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 9^th October 2017

Existing First Floor Plan, Drawing number 560/PL/04 (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 9th October 2017

Proposed Ground Floor Plan, Drawing number 560/PL/06a (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 28th November 2017

Proposed First Floor Plan, Drawing number 560/PL/07 (7/8/17) received by the LPA on 9th October 2017

Proposed Elevation, Drawing number 560/PL/08 (8/7/17) received by the LPA on 9^th October 2017

Application Form, Section 11: Materials received by the LPA on 8th December 2017

REASON: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

3.    No part of the development hereby approved shall be first brought into use until the parking area shown on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 131.

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.