Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Tony Trotman.

Cllr Christine Crisp was substituted by Cllr Ben Anderson and Cllr Mollie Groom has been substituted by Cllr Jacqui Lay.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 August 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8^th August 2018 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.

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 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 26 September 2018 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm onFriday 28 September 2018. 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.

To consider and determine the following planning applications:

Conversion of stable block into 1 bed dwelling, amended access and associated works.

Public Participation

Simon Chambers, agent, spoke in support to the application.

Councillor Tom Hall, of Colerne Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The Planning Officer, Simon Smith, introduced a report which recommended granting planning permission, subject to conditions, for the conversion of a stable block into a 1 bed dwelling, amended access and associated works.

Key issues highlighted included: the principle of development; its impact on heritage assets; the design/character and appearance of the area (AONB); highways and parking and residential amenity.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer which focused on: whether the application was for a separate dwelling or for an annex to be connected to the existing property; parking arrangements; the number of bedrooms in the bungalow and the location of its windows.

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

Councillor Brian Matthew, Division Member, spoke regarding the application with the main points focusing on the area’s cultural and historical significance and parking arrangements.

At the start of the debate a proposal was moved by Councillor Peter Hutton, seconded by Councillor Toby Sturgis to grant planning permission as detailed in the report.

During the debate the main points raised were: that, currently, national and local policy did not support the possibility of ‘overdevelopment’ on this site; over parking arrangements and and whether more storage space would be needed (sheds etc.) for the separate dwelling.

Resolved

That planning permission is approved subject to the following conditions:

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:

Plans as received by the LPA 16/04/2018:

Existing Plans and Section (1740 S/03, Dated: Jan 2018);

Existing Elevations (1740 S/04, Dated: Jan 2018); and

Existing Site Plan (1740 S/02, Dated: Jan 2018).

Plan as received by the LPA 09/07/2018:

Location Plan (1740 S/01 Rev: A, Dated: Jan 2018).

Plans as received by the LPA 04/09/2018:

Proposed Elevations (1740 P/07 Rev: C, Dated: 04.09.18);

Proposed Plans and Section (1740 P/06 Rev: D, Dated: 04.09.18); and

Proposed Site Plan (1740 P/05 Rev: D, Dated: 04.09.18).

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

3.    No part of the development hereby permitted shall be occupied until the access, turning area and parking spaces have been completed in accordance with the details shown on the approved plans. The areas shall be maintained for those purposes at all times thereafter.

One off-street parking space as shown on the site plan must be retained for use in association with the new dwelling in perpetuity.

REASON: In the interests of highway safety and to ensure the revised access is no wider than as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

Development Works Required for the Construction of a Battery Energy Storage Facility.

Public Participation

Jamie Denman, local resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Jan Brooks, local resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Lee Searles, the agent, spoke in support of the application.

Simon Wheeler, the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Charles Brook, Chairman of Minety Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The Planning Officer, Richard Sewell , introduced a report which recommended granting planning permission, subject to conditions, for the development works required for the construction of a battery energy storage facility. 

Key issues highlighted included: principle of development; impact on residential amenities of adjoining neighbours; impact on character and appearance of the area; impact on ecology; impact on highways and impact on drainage.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer which focused on: the location of other battery energy storage facilities in Minety; location of the nearest gas main; on-site security arrangements and details about the construction method statement. 

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

Councillor Chuck Berry, Division Member, spoke regarding the application with the main point focusing on the oversupply of battery energy storage facilities in the Minety area.

At the start of the debate a proposal was moved by Councillor Peter Hutton, seconded by Councillor Brian Mathew to grant planning permission as detailed in the report and subject to additional conditions detailed below.

During the debate the main points raised were: concerns over current and future road conditions of the B4040; the possibility of a lead escort vehicle; the precedent this might set for future development on greenfield sites; consideration of policy guidelines and notification of construction vehicle movements to the Parish Council, residents fronting the B4040 and the local school.

Resolved

That planning permission is approved subject to the following conditions:

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.    Within six months of the commencement on site, a scheme for the decommissioning and restoration of the development shall have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority, the details of which shall include how the land will be restored back to fully agricultural use upon the development no longer being in operation or upon the expiry date of 25 years from the date of the development starting to feed electricity to the Grid, whichever is sooner. The Decommissioning and Restoration scheme of this development shall be carried out in accordance with the scheme so agreed.

REASON: To ensure upon the development no longer being in use, the complete removal of all development allowed under this permission and the restoration of the land to its former condition.

3.    The Local Planning Authority shall be notified in writing within one month of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

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.