Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Membership Changes

The Chairman confirmed a number of Committee membership changes approved at Full Council on 18 October, 2022, as follows:

·       Cllr Antonio Piazza was no longer a member of this Committee

·       Cllr Jonathan Seed was appointed as a member of this Committee.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Piazza for his contributions to the work of the Committee and welcomed Cllr Seed.

Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from

·       Cllr Suzanne Wickham substituted by Cllr Tony Jackson

·       Cllr Pip Ridout substituted by Cllr Mike Sankey

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2022 were presented.

Resolved:

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2022, subject to minute 68 - public participation being amended to Kate Hayes representing Hilperton Parish Council.

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

Cllr Jonathan Seed reminded the Committee that at its previous meeting he was not a member of the Committee and spoke as a member of the public in support of the planning application for Kingsdown Farm, Lords Hill, Longbridge Deverill PL/2022/01141. To remain consistent in this approach, and following his appointment to the Committee in the intervening period, Cllr Seed indicated that he would withdraw from the Committee for this item and again speak as a member of the public.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

The Chairman asked that all phones were switched off or turned to silent mode to minimise any potential disturbances and explained the procedure if a fire alarm were to sound.

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 19 October 2022 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 21 October 2022. 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.

No questions had been received from councillors or members of the public.

The Chairman welcomed all present. He then explained the rules of public participation and the procedure to be followed at the meeting.

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

The Planning Appeals Update Report for 16 September 2022 to 14 October 2022 was received.

Public Participation:

·       Francis Morland spoke about the appeal decision in relation to Land to the west of Drynham Lane, Trowbridge.

The Development Management Team Leader, Kenny Green confirmed that unfortunately there was no officer representation available for the Drynham Lane, Trowbridge appeal.

Cllr Carbin asked whether web links could be added to future appeal reports so that members could access detailed appeal decision letters. Officers agreed to consider the most appropriate way of achieving this request. Planning Appeal Decision letters are attached to these minutes for Drynham Lane, Trowbridge and Middle Lane, Trowbridge.

Resolved:

1.    To note the Planning Appeals Update Report for 16 September 2022 to 14 October 2022.

2.    That officers be asked to consider the most appropriate way of attaching web links for appeal decision letters in future appeal reports.

To consider and determine the following planning application.

Variation of condition 3 (timescale for deposit of waste materials) on 17/09988/VAR

Public Participation:

•                David Scales – spoke in objection to the application

•                Caroline Hobbs – spoke in objection to the application

•                Kate Phillips – Applicant – spoke in support of the application

•                Jonathan Seed – spoke in support of the application

•                Matt Williams – Agent – spoke in support of the application

Steven Sims, Senior Conservation/Planning Officer introduced the report which recommended that planning permission be approved, for reasons detailed in the report, for the variation of condition 3 (pursuant to the timescale for the deposit of waste materials) imposed on 17/09988/VAR.

The officer reminded the Committee that they had considered the application at their last meeting on 28 September 2022 and had agreed to defer the application for a site visit, which was held just prior to this meeting. He commented further on the site visit, the landscaping scheme and current screening. The Committee noted that additional representations had been received, however the issues raised were similar in nature as those previously addressed in the officer’s report. 

The Committee noted that condition 3 in relation to a landscaping scheme, had been amended since the last meeting following concerns raised at that meeting about the applicant’s ability to deliver the previous landscaping condition within timescales given. The revised condition allowed for the landscaping scheme to be phased in over the next 3 years.

The Chairman raised an issue in relation to screening of the site from various vantage points as viewed at the site visit earlier in the day and asked the Committee for comments on his suggestion. The Committee felt that Condition 3 was sufficient in detail to deal with any screening issues, and this did not need amending.

In response to technical questions asked by the Committee, officers explained how a s73 variation application should be considered, along with reviewing all the previously imposed planning conditions that were still ‘live’; and reimpose those that still were necessary and met the six legal tests.

Officers recommended that Planning Condition no.3 was necessary in recognition that the extant conditions imposed on the original planning permission twelve years ago and subsequent variations were worked erroneously. Following negotiations held with the applicants agent,  an agreement had bene reached to impose and secure a phased landscaping scheme, with full planting stock specification and a detailed planting programme for the next 3 years to satisfactorily filter views of the site and break up the massing of the various agricultural buildings built to date and for those still to be constructed; and in response to a query raised by Cllr Jackson, officers advised the Committee that Condition no.10 addressed external lighting and the protection of the international dark sky status of the AONB.

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

So that the Committee had something to debate Cllr Christopher Newbury proposed a motion to approve the application with conditions and informatives as detailed in the report. This was seconded by Cllr Edward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

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