Agenda item

Cllr Jonny Walker spoke on behalf of Grittleton Parish Council and raised concerns with the application it felt could be controlled by condition, including the number of horses permitted on the site and boundary treatment.

The Planning Officer introduced the report which recommended that planning permission be granted subject to conditions, as amended by the late observations. The application was for a change of land use to the keeping of horses, an area of hardstanding, and a new access and was part-retrospective. The location of the site was shown in the context of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and recommended conditions were explained. The Planning Officer highlighted that the existing access was unlawful and that the new access met the recommended visibility requirements.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions and the officer confirmed that horses had to be walked from the area of hardstanding to the stables. It was advised that the proposed grassland management plan would minimise damage to the turf and that any additional hardstanding would require further planning permission. Cllr Toby Sturgis, posed questions on behalf of the local member, Cllr Jane Scott OBE, and recommended that conditions 5 and 10 be amended to remove the wording ‘without the prior approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority’.

The Planning Officer verified that the application covered the site as a whole, that the trees currently screening the stables were under local authority control, and that a condition could be added to address the means of enclosure and highways safety concerns.

Members of the public then addressed the Committee as detailed above.

Following the statements from members of the public, the Planning Officer drew attention to conditions which limited the number of horses, ponies or donkeys permitted on the site. The condition had been added in response to the Parish Council concerns of overgrazing affecting the landscape quality of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It was confirmed that a planning condition could be added to ensure appropriate boundary treatment to contain the horses on site.

Cllr Toby Sturgis spoke on behalf of the local member, Cllr Jane Scott OBE, who sympathised with Grittleton Parish Council’s concerns and welcomed the restriction on the number of animals and the grassland management plan. Some concerns were raised about the quality of building material for the stables, and it was noted that the reduction in the number of stables to five complied with the council’s planning policies. The Councillor requested that boundary treatment match existing or typical styles on this site.

The Planning Officer confirmed the buildings on site were permanent and a ‘tidy up notice’ could be issued for the site if necessary.

In the debate that followed, the Committee discussed the upcoming auction of the property and considered that, if deemed appropriate by the Council’s legal advisers, details of any permission granted and associated conditions on site be passed to the new owners. Members considered the materials of the existing stables, and the visibility of the site in the context of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, commenting that there was limited visibility of the stables from the roadside. The additional condition on boundary treatment and amendments to conditions 5 and 10 were supported in addition the officer’s recommendation.

Resolved:

To GRANT planning permission subject to the following conditions:

1.     Within 6 months of the date of this permission, the existing stables, hardcore  and ancillary buildings shall be completely removed from the site unless those buildings and hardcore form part of those buildings approved by condition 4 of this approval in the layout so approved.

REASON: In the interests of the landscape quality of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

2.     Within one month of the date of this permission the caravan on site shall be completely removed from the site.

REASON: In the interests of the visual amenity of the site.

3.     Notwithstanding the approved plans, within one month of the date of this permission, the existing access to the site in the western corner, shall be stopped up, the gate and hard standing removed and post and rail fencing installed to match the existing.

REASON: In the interests of highway safety.

4.     The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Location Plan received 27th May 2014; elevations and block plan (as amended by condition 3) received 3rd November 2014 and sight line diagram received 18th March 2015.

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

5.     No fences or jumps shall be erected on the site.

REASON: In order to protect the rural character of the area.

6.     Within in one month of the date of this permission details for the storage of manure and soiled bedding (including the location of such storage) and its disposal from site (including frequency) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Before the development is first brought into use, the works for such storage and disposal shall be completed in accordance with the approved details and shall subsequently be maintained in accordance with the approved details. No storage of manure and soiled bedding shall take place outside of the storage area approved under this condition.

REASON: In the interests of public health and safety, in order to protect the natural environment and prevent pollution.

7.     The development hereby permitted shall only be used for the private stabling of horses and the storage of associated equipment and feed and shall at no time be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever, including for livery, or in connection with equestrian tuition or leisure rides.

REASON: In the interests of highway safety.

8.     There shall be no parking of horse boxes, caravans, trailers or other vehicles during the hours between dusk and dawn on the site.

REASON: In order to protect the living conditions of nearby residents and/or the rural character of the area.

9.     There shall be no more than a total of 6 horses, ponies or donkeys kept on the site at any one time.

REASON: To prevent overgrazing affecting the landscape quality of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

10.No portable buildings, van bodies, trailers, vehicles or other structures used for storage, shelter, rest or refreshment, shall be stationed on the site.

REASON: In order to protect the rural character of the area.

11.Within 2 months of the date of this permission a scheme of supplementary landscaping to the site boundaries, including the area adjacent to access proposed to be stopped up and details of the means of enclosure for the site shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority. Once approved by the Local Planning Authority the details relating to the means of enclosure shall be completed within 3 months and the landscaping completed within 6 months or by the end of the first planting season, whichever is sooner.

REASON: To ensure a satisfactory landscaped setting for the development and in the interest of highway safety.

12.No development shall commence on site until details of the hardstanding materials to be used on the development have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

REASON: In the interests of visual amenity and the character and appearance of the area.

13. No development shall commence on site until a grassland management plan, including long-term design objectives, management responsibilities and maintenance schedules for all grassland areas has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The grassland management plan shall be carried out as approved in accordance with the approved details.

REASON: To ensure the proper management of the landscaped areas in the interests of visual amenity.

14. No external lighting shall be installed on site until plans showing the type of light appliance, the height and position of fitting, illumination levels and light spillage in accordance with the appropriate Environmental Zone standards set out by the Institute of Lighting Engineers in their publication “Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light” (ILE, 2005)”, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved lighting shall be installed and shall be maintained in accordance with the approved details and no additional external lighting shall be installed.

REASON: In the interests of the amenities of the area and to minimise unnecessary light spillage above and outside the development site.