Agenda item

Use of site for stationing of 44 static for holiday purposes.

Public Participation

Simon Cooper spoke in objection to the application.

Cllr Graham Trickey spoke on behalf of Kington Langley Parish Council.

Development Management Team Leader, Simon Smith presented a report which outlined the use of site for the stationing of 44 static caravan units for holiday purposes

Details were provided including issues raised by the proposals, including the principle of development; design, appearance, and landscape impact; impact on the amenity of surrounding occupiers; highways; drainage; occupancy restrictions and other matters.

Members of the Committee had the opportunity to ask technical questions regarding the application.Details were clarified on, but not limited to that it would be the responsibility of the Wiltshire Council Enforcement Team to make checks to ensure that the static caravan units were only occupied for holidays. In addition, it was stated that one of the proposed conditions would compel the operator to be responsible for a register that they would have to provide to the Enforcement Team. It was noted that the Wiltshire Council Drainage Engineer had objected to the application based upon a flood risk assessment with extensive reasoning and that a local objection had cited a height difference from the site to the drainage outflow. The officer stated that the report addressed that issue by acknowledging that though the flood risk assessment was an issue, this could be addressed by a Grampian condition, that work could only take place once an improved drainage scheme had been agreed.

It was suggested that the access road was narrow and would not be acceptable and would likely not be accepted if this application was for a housing estate rather than for static caravan units. It was clarified by the planning officer that the Highways Engineer had been satisfied with the access road. It was also clarified that the static units would be wooden clad and located in permanent locations. Further reference was drawn to the enforcement of conditions on holiday homes and that in neighbouring counties more checks seem to take place from the authority. Furthermore, it was queried whether the commercial viability of the application had been considered by officers as had been considered for previous holiday homes in the locality.

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

The Local Unitary Member, Councillor Howard Greenman then spoke regarding the application. Cllr Greenman thanked the members of the public, who had objected to the application for their responses. Cllr Greenman stated that the application was very different to a tourist site and brought further attention to the drainage issue that had been identified, with it noted that the applicant had failed on multiple occasions to provide a solution to the outflow and that a housing development would not be considered without sewage outflow included. Cllr Greenman noted that Kington Langley was a small village as identified within the Wiltshire Core Strategy and had coexisted with the current touring site for caravans. In addition, it was noted that the nearest shopping facilities were 1.6 miles away and that there was not a local pub, therefore suggesting the proposal was not a sustainable development and that levels of local spending would be low.

Cllr Greenman drew reference to the high density of the proposed site and how this would potentially lead to an increase in highways usage with multiple families potentially able to use the static units due to their size. Reference was also drawn to the submission provided by Kington Langley, which had suggested a condition that occupancy could be for no more than 28 days in a 36-day period. Cllr Greenmandrew reference to the DCLG Good Practice Guide Planning for Tourism, with it stated that the proposal could potentially lead to demand on services which they would not expect, with an example of The Chase in Stanton cited.

Further reference was made by Cllr Greenman to the statement provided by Kington Langley, which had suggested that the proposal would sit outside of the existing development, would be overdevelopment as well as having received no information about lighting management. It was also suggested that the access to the site would not be acceptable as it would be a one vehicle lane from a hill.

At the start of the debate a motion to reject the officer’s recommendations for planning permission to be granted subject to conditions was moved by Cllr Howard Greenman and seconded by Cllr Elizabeth Threlfall.

The reason for refusal was that the application would conflict with Core Policies 39, 51(ii), 57(i) and (iii), and 67 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy (Jan 2015).

During the debate, issues were raised, but not limited to that Members of the Committee suggested that they would not be comfortable with the suggested Grampian condition and that the Committee should feel comfortable with all aspects of the application when making a decision. It was also suggested that the application would be in conflict with Wiltshire Core Strategy Core Policy 67 due to the flood risk presented. Tribute was also paid to the individuals who had spoken from Kington Langley and how they had made their statements whilst addressing the issues they had identified within planning law and core polices. Regarding the Wiltshire Core Strategy, it was suggested that the application would also be in conflict with Core Policies 39, CP51(ii) and CP57(i) and (iii) due to an unacceptable impact on the character of the settlement and its landscape setting, the local distinctiveness of the locality and how they proposal would not be supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure. 

Further issues that were debated included that the applicant had not demonstrated that the result of the proposal would allow for more tourism in the area and that in absence of a needs assessment, it was stated that the application would not satisfy Wiltshire Core Strategy Core Policy 39. Reference was also drawn to a previous restriction on the original planning permission granted in 1996, which stated that the eastern part of the site could only be used during certain months of the year. Further reference was also made to how there had not been an investigation into the traffic and occupancy of the site.

At the conclusion of the debate, it was, 

Resolved:

That the application be refused for the following reasons:

1. By reason of its scale in relation to its surroundings and the village of Kington Langley, the proposed development would have an unacceptable impact on the character of the settlement and its landscape setting, the local distinctiveness of the locality and would not be supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure.  Accordingly, the proposed development would not comply with the requirements of policy CP39, CP51(ii) and CP57(i) and (iii) to the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

2. The proposed method of surface water drainage does not result in a betterment in the rate of discharge and does not include sufficient information in respect of the soakaways or as to their future maintenance and operation.  Accordingly, the proposed development would not be provided with adequate sustainable urban drainage infrastructure and would fail the requirements of policy CP67 to the Wiltshire Core Strategy.