Agenda item

Erect new church with day nursery

Public Participation

I P Tilley provided a statement in objection.

Phil Gorman provided a statement in objection.

Sarah McNicol provided a statement in objection.

Foster Osei provided a statement in support.

Katie Dickinson provided a statement in support.

Simon Rutter, agent, provided a statement in support.

Amesbury Town Council provided a statement in objection.

The Development Management Team Leader, Adam Madge, presented a report on the application for erection of a new church and day nursery. Key issues included the principle of the application, design, highway safety and neighbouring amenity.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of officers. In response to queries it was confirmed that applications for community halls and nursery on the site had been approved in 2016, though the permission had now lapsed. The application before the committee was larger, with fewer provided parking spaces, but highways officers considered the number adequate. Details were sought on usage of the car park used by other facilities in the area.

In accordance with the procedure for virtual meetings public statements were then read out by the Democratic Services Officer, as detailed above, with further statements included in Agenda Supplement 1 along with the committee presentation.

The Local Unitary Member, Councillor Robert Yuill, then spoke in objection to the application.

The Committee then debated the application. Planning history on the site was raised along with parking requirements, relationship with other facilities and impact on residential amenity as a result of increased noise, along with consideration of overdevelopment of the site and design and scale of the proposed structure.

On the motion of Councillor Robert Yuill, seconded by Councillor Fred Westmoreland, at the conclusion of debate and with each member present for the item confirming they had heard and could access all relevant visual materials, it was,

Resolved:

That application 19/06605/FUL be refused against Officer recommendation, for the following reasons:

1.     The proposed Church and nursery by reason of it's size, design and appearance is considered to be both out of character with other more traditionally styled buildings within the local centre and to be of an excessive, size, scale and footprint for the plot on which it is situated. As such the building would dominate the area to the detriment of both local residents and others using the local centre and leaving insufficient area for parking within the curtilage of the plot. The proposal is therefore considered contrary to both chapter 12 of the NPPF which requires the creation of high quality buildings and Core policy 57 (iii and vi  and xiv) of the Wiltshire core strategy which requires a high standard of design.

2.     The proposed development, in that it exceeds the threshold for non A1 retail uses within the local centre at Archers Gate would conflict with the signed legal agreement for the development and core Policy 4 of the Wiltshire Core strategy, the appendix to the Core strategy relating to Kings Gate and the Adopted development brief for land South of Boscombe road dated 2001.

INFORMATIVE: -  It should be noted that the reason given above relating to an excess of non A1 retail uses and Policy 4 of the Wiltshire Core strategy could be overcome if all the relevant parties can agree a variation to the existing Section 106 Agreement.

Councillor Christopher Devine was not present for this item and therefore did not vote.