Agenda item

Demolition of existing barns and erection of new four bed residential home and detached car port/garden store.

Public Participation

Ms Lyndsay Boothman spoke in objection to the application

Ms Rebecca Rymer spoke in objection to the application

Mr Andrew Wass spoke in objection to the application

Mr Matthew Haley (agent) spoke in support

Mr Ken Bolan (Applicant) spoke in support

Cllr Amanda Brockway of Swallowcliffe Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The Planning Officer, Joe Richardson, introduced a report which recommended that the application for the demolition of existing barns and erection of new four bed residential home and detached car port/garden store,  be approved. Key details were stated to include the principle of development and impact upon neighbour amenity. 

Attention was drawn to additional correspondence which had been sent to members and officer by a third party.

The presentation included context to the flood zones, current access, the removal of buildings 5,8 and 10 as shown on the Wiltshire Building Record extract, previous planning permissions associated with the farmhouse, the site in relation to the neighbouring properties and the existing and proposed block plans.

Members of the committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the officer. Details were sought on the difference between the original footprint and the proposed, it was clarified that the proposed property was set back slightly, and the roof height would be higher in places.

The Council’s duty in relation to the Dark Skies Initiative was raised, with consideration to the need for reduced lighting on sites within the AONB.

In relation to evidence of flooding, there had been a historic photograph circulated by a third party which depicted an area of flooding at the site. The Officer clarified that no building works were proposed on flood zones 2 or 3, only in zone 1, and that there was no further evidence that suggested the site flooded.

The default use for the site was currently agricultural, part of the application was to change the use to residential.

Attention was drawn to the conditions recommended by the Highways Officer and the access which would be created by the removal of the Hosier building from the site. The Officer noted that a large increase in vehicular movement was not anticipated on the site.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views to the committee as detailed above, with the Parish Council representative highlighting their objections, as set out in the report.

The Unitary Division Member, Councillor Nabil Najjar then spoke on the application, noting that he rarely called applications in to Committee for consideration, however due to the high level of objections received on the application and the objection of Swallowcliffe Parish Council, he felt that the weight of community concern justified a call in.

Cllr Najjar highlighted areas of concern which included the scale of the proposed development, noting that it was too large and not in keeping with the other nearby properties. He did not consider the development to be infill as it was set further back from the others and encroached on agricultural land and a pond.

There would be a loss of green space to achieve the property which was considered too large for the plot.  The significance of the AONB site was raised, in that there was a responsibility to protected and preserve such sites and to limit light pollution where possible.

Cllr Najjar noted the Highways comments on access, suggesting that they did not have the benefit of local knowledge on the difficulties there were due to the narrow nature, suggesting that creating additional pressure would be asking too much on the narrow entrance and egress point.

Cllr Najjar then moved the motion of refusal, stating the reasons to be size and scale, impact on drainage and flooding, not considered as an infill development and the impact on AONB and dark skies.

This was seconded by Councillor Bridget Wayman.

A debate followed where the matter of drainage consent was discussed, noting that it was a separate matter between the applicant and the Environment Agency.

It was noted by the Officer that seeking comments from AONB was not compulsory for each application, however the AONB had been consulted on this application.

Whilst discussing flooding, the Committee considered the possibility that should it be minded to refuse the application then there would be scope for the applicant to go to appeal. If one of the reasons for refusal was flooding, then this would be considered by an inspector, and as there were no objections based on flooding from the statutory consultees, subject to conditions, this element may not be supported by an inspector.

The original mover of the motion, Cllr Najjar was asked whether he would consider removing that element from the reasons for refusal, which he agreed to do.

Cllr Najjar then revised his motion to include the reasons as:

1. Scale
2. Infill
3. Impact on AONB

The original seconder Cllr Wayman agreed to support the amended motion.

The Committee was split in its view on the design and whether the proposal was in keeping with the other dwellings nearby.

The roof lights would create an element of lighting which currently was not present, as the existing barn did not have lighting. In addition, the Committee discussed the damage to the local eco system and wildlife corridor.  

At the close of debate, the Committee voted on the motion of Refusal, against Officer recommendation, for the reasons as listed above.

It was,

Resolved

That planning permission for PL/2023/07895 be Refused, for the following reason(s):

It is proposed to demolish an existing Dutch barn and remove other structures within the Poles Farmhouse complex, and provide a four-bedroom dwellinghouse, outbuilding and residential curtilage. The site is within a Conservation Area and the landscape of the Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty (AONB), where new residential development is limited. Due to the overall size, scale and positioning of the development proposal, it would result in an overly large dwellinghouse that is not considered to be compliant with the Council’s “infill” policy, and which

would cause significant harm to the character and setting of the area, and the wider AONB by way of the resulting light pollution created. Consequently, the proposal is contrary to the aims of Core Policies CP2, CP51, CP57 and CP58 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, and the aims of AONB Management Plan and the NPPF.