Agenda item

Development of a new Local Centre comprising a Class E(f) day nursery and Class E(a) convenience store, with associated parking, access and landscaping. 

Public Participation

·       Ms Caroline Richardson (Aspbury Planning, on behalf of Latestop) spoke in objection to the application.

·       Ms Anne Henshaw (The Countryside Charity) spoke in objection to the application.

·       Mr Damian Barry (RPS Consulting) spoke in support of the application.

·       Mr Ioan Rees made a neutral statement broadly supportive of the application.

·       Cllr Doug Price (Calne Without Parish Council) spoke in favour of deferring the application.

Senior Planning Officer, Peter Cozier, introduced a report which recommended that the application for the development of a new local centre comprising Class E(f) day nursery and a Class E(a) convenience store with associated access and landscaping, be approved. Key details were stated to include the principal of development, visual impact, highway impact, sustainability, noise, and drainage.

The Senior Planning Officer explained that the site was located on a parcel of land situated at the junction of Spitfire Road and Abberd Lane, outside of the defined settlement boundary. The application was very closely linked to another application PL/2022/07893, which was seeking outline planning permission for 100 houses. However, as this application was yet to come to Committee, as there were still a number of outstanding technical matters to be resolved, Cllr Tony Trotman had called in the application due to concerns about considering the application for the day nursery and convenience store in isolation from the proposed housing development.

Attention was drawn to amendments made during the course of the determination of the application, such as the removal of an acoustic fence, intended to shield the proposed adjoining housing development and a minor change to the proposed access. It was also noted that there had been some late comments from Wiltshire Council’s Landscape Officer.

Members of the Committee then had the chance to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on whether the proposed development would contain solar panels. It was confirmed that there would be four electric vehicle charging points but no solar panels. It was also stated that Wiltshire’s Department for Education and Skills had not been consulted on the proposals for the nursery. Furthermore, it was clarified that conditions relating to outdoor storage did not make any specific reference to the front of the property.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views to the Committee as detailed above. The Chairman then made a statement in his capacity as one of the local unitary division members, as access to the site went partially through his division. 

So that the Committee had something to debate, the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Clare Cape, proposed that the application be deferred until plans for housing came forward so that the design of, and need for, the development could be better assessed.

A debate eschewed about whether it would be possible to defer the application. It was also noted that developers were often criticised for not putting in infrastructure in advance of new housing. The Development Management Team Leader urged caution about deferring the application on grounds of prematurity in the context of the emerging Local Plan. He noted that the application should be considered on its own individual merits and that the applicant would be able to appeal for non-determination if the application was deferred indefinitely.

After considering advice from officers, the Chairman, in agreement with his seconder Cllr Cape, withdrew his motion to defer the application.

Cllr Peter Hutton, seconded by Cllr Tom Rounds, then proposed that permission for the development be granted in line with officer recommendation.

Issues debated included the benefits that the additional service provision would bring to local families, as well as concerns about the quality of design and its location outside of the settlement boundary.  Worries were also raised about the use of a tin roof given the noise impact that this could have on the nursery during periods of heavy rainfall.

Following a vote, the motion to grant permission was lost. A motion to refuse the application, contrary to officer recommendation, was then moved by Cllr Gavin Grant, seconded by Cllr Cape. The reasons for refusal were that the proposed development contradicted Core Policy 51 (Landscape) and Core Policy 57 (High Quality Design and Place Shaping) of the Wiltshire Core strategy as well as Policy NE2 (Setting of Calne and Calne Without) of the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan.

A vote was then held on the motion to refuse permission and it was:

RESOLVED:  That planning permission be REFUSED contrary to officer recommendation.

REASONS: The proposed development contradicted Core Policy 51 (Landscape) and Core Policy 57 (High Quality Design and Place Shaping) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy as well as Policy NE2 (Setting of Calne and Calne Without) of the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan. The development being of poor design and extending out into countryside beyond settlement limits.

Cllr Cape left the meeting at 6:30pm after the item was concluded.