Browse

Agenda item

19/09862/VAR: Tricky's Paddock, Brickworth Road, Whiteparish, Wiltshire, SP5 2QG

Variation of Condition 3 of Planning Approval 18/09609/VAR to allow an additional pitch and changes to the existing pitch to include for each pitch a static mobile home, a family dayroom and tourer for a family member with associated treatment plant.

Minutes:

Public Participation

Peter Claydon - Objection

Dr Roger M Sherwin - Objection

Simon & Hilary Parsons - Objection

Keith Smith - Support 

James Gammell - Support

Whiteparish Parish Council – objection

 

The Chairman confirmed once again for the record that all members could hear and where possible see all relevant materials.

 

The Committee received a presentation from Mike Wilmott, Head of Development Management, which set out the main issues in respect of the application. The purpose of the report was to assess the merits of the proposal against the policies of the development plan and other material considerations, and to consider the recommendation that the application be approved subject to conditions.

 

The application proposed the Variation of Condition 3 of Planning Approval 18/09609/VAR to allow an additional pitch and changes to the existing pitch and to include for each pitch a static mobile home, a family dayroom and tourer for a family member with associated treatment plant.

 

The application was originally scheduled to be heard on the 25 March 2020 meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee, which was subsequently cancelled due to the covid-19 situation.

 

The location of the existing one pitch site in relation to the A27 and A36 was shown. The proposal was to extend this to include a second pitch with two new single-storey day rooms, one for each pitch, and a treatment plant.

 

The existing pitch had a personal permission attached to it, for the applicant Mr James Gammell. The second pitch would be occupied by the applicant’s son and dependents. The Applicant would benefit by having his son close by due to his reported medical condition, for which evidence had been provided.

 

Details of relevant planning policies were provided. It was also confirmed the council did not have a 5-year land supply for Gypsy and Traveller sites and this was a material consideration. Previous appeal decisions were noted.

 

The Chairman invited Members to ask any technical questions of the Officer where it was clarified that what was currently permitted on the site. In response to queries around the permitted use being exceeded this was stated to be an enforcement matter, and acknowledged that the current situation did make enforcement more difficult. Details were sought on the level of unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller sites.

 

The Chairman then asked the Democratic Services Officer, Kieran Elliott, to read out the public statements which had been submitted in accordance with the procedure as detailed above. All of the statements submitted within the deadline were also available in the previously uploaded agenda supplement online along with the presentation to the meeting.

 

The Local Member, Councillor Richard Britton, was then invited to address the Committee, where he spoke in objection to the application He noted that the site had been subject to requests for enforcement of existing conditions, detailed past history of the site, the unsuitability of the site for residential use particularly in the context of the local landscaping, which would be increased if the application were approved.

 

The Officer the responded to points raised by statements. He provided details of the change in the existing permission by the Committee when ownership was transferred, that Highways considered the impact of the application to be acceptable, and the need to address the personal circumstances of the application along with the ongoing lack of a 5-year land supply.

 

The Chairman moved the motion of approval with conditions, in line with the Officer recommendation. This was seconded by Councillor Derek Brown.

 

A debate followed where the history of the site was discussed, including the initial permissions in 2008. Although the site had been allowed to be occupied for specific personal reasons, Members debated the suitability of the extended site for residential occupancy, and the increase of that occupancy proposed. The visual impact of the site was noted.

 

At conclusion of debate and before the Chairman proceeded to the vote. For the vote each Member was asked to confirm that they had been able to hear and where possible see all relevant materials.

 

The Democratic Services Officer, then asked each Member in turn to vote.The motion of approval was not passed. The Chairman therefore invited alternative motions.

 

A motion was moved by Councillor Fred Westmoreland, seconded by Councillor Tony Trotman, to refuse the application for the reasons set out below, including impact on character and appearance of the landscape. It was stated  in relation to personal circumstances that it was felt the existing restrictions on the site remained appropriate.

 

The Democratic Services Officer, then asked each Member in turn to vote.

 

When each Member had voted, the Democratic Services Officer announced the decision as follows.

 

Resolved:

 

To refuse the application for the following reasons:

 

It is considered the original harm to the surrounding landscape (which was previously outweighed in part by the personal circumstances of former occupier Mr Clarke at the time) has since been mitigated to a significant extent so that the impact of the authorised use of the site for a single gypsy and traveller pitch no longer results in an undue adverse impact on the surrounding landscape, however the current application would result in an increase in the number of pitches from one to two, with a new pitch becoming established to the immediate west of the existing and a consequent increase (doubling) of the number of caravans, permanent structures and associated vehicles, paraphernalia etc. in an area of the site that has little screening within the wider landscape and would be visible from the main Brickworth Road (A27) to the north.

 

Whilst new planting around the additional pitch and extended site area is shown on the submitted proposed plans, this would likely take a number of years to establish and mature sufficiently to provide a meaningful and appropriate level of screening in order to sufficiently mitigate the adverse visual impact of the additional pitch within the character of the surrounding landscape.

 

In this respect it is considered the development would be likely to result in undue and detrimental visual impacts on the character of the surrounding Special Landscape Area and is consequently considered to conflict with policies  CP47 (criteria vi and viii); CP51 (criteria ii and vi); and CP57 (criteria i) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, and saved policy C6 of the Salisbury District Local Plan, which together are the relevant policies in the adopted development plan for the area. These adverse impacts and consequent conflicts with the development plan are considered to outweigh the personal circumstances put forward as part of the application, and the acknowledged shortfall of pitches in the South Wiltshire Housing Market Area at the time of this decision.

 

Supporting documents: