Agendas, Minutes and Reports

MINUTES

OF THE MEETING OF THE

Planning and Regulatory Committee

Wednesday 9th April 2003

HELD AT THE TOWN HALL, WESTON-SUPER-MARE, SOMERSET.

Meeting Commenced: 2.30 p.m. Meeting Concluded: 4.27 p.m.

PRESENT: Councillors Anthony Lake (Chairman), Felicity Baker (Vice-Chairman), Elfan Ap Rees, Peter Burden, John Clark, Bob Cook Alan Cotton, John Daws, Glyn Duck, Peter Goulbourn, Alan Hockridge, Greta Lewis, Michael Nobes, Hugh Parsons, David Shopland, Barry Walters, John Wiltshire, Deborah Yamanaka

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Councillor Patrick Taylor

PAR

Suspension of Standing Orders

The committee noted that a late request to speak had been received from a representative of Cleeve United Junior Football Club.

RESOLVED: that Standing Orders be suspended to enable a representative from the football club to address the committee.

THE COMMITTEE’S PROCEEDINGS WITH STANDING ORDERS SUSPENDED THEN FOLLOWED

PAR

Public Speaking at Planning Committee under Standing Order 17A

Planning Application No.02/P/2073/F

Mr Steve Richardson, Treasurer of Cleeve United Junior Football Club addressed the committee speaking in support of the application.

The Chairman thanked Mr Richardson for his comments.

THE COMMITTEE’S PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF STANDING ORDERS THEN RESUMED

PAR

Public Speaking at Planning Committee under Standing Order 17A

Planning Application No. 03/P/0047/F

Mr Andrew Renshaw, agent for the applicant, addressed the committee speaking in support of the application.

The Chairman thanked Mr Renshaw for his comments.

PAR

Declarations of Interest

Councillor Shopland declared a personal interest in respect of application no. 02/P/2073/F (minute no. PAR 84 refers) – his son is involved with club. He indicated he would take no part in the discussion or voting on this item.

Councillor Cotton declared a personal interest in respect of application no. 02/P/2073/F (minute no. PAR 84 refers) – he is a regular supporter of the football club.

Councillor Cook declared a personal interest in respect of application no. 03/P/0047/F(minute no. PAR 86 refers) – the applicant works at his local garage.

PAR

Planning Performance

The Chairman referred to the significant improvement in the performance of the planning team during 2002 and on behalf of the committee congratulated officers on their achievement.

PAR

Minutes of the Meeting of the Planning and Regulatory Committee held on 12th March 2003 (Agenda Item 4)

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 12th March 2003 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

PAR

Application No. 02/P/2073/F – Change of use of agriculture land to sports/recreation use. Formation of 3 no. full size and 2 no. half size sports pitches. Erection of new clubhouse to providing changing facilities and social area. Construction of new access to Manmoor Lane and parking area at Manmoor Lane, Clevedon (Agenda Item 6.1)

The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director of Development and Environment recommending refusal of this application which proposes to provide a new sports facility outside the settlement boundary. The application had been recommended for approval by the North Area Committee.

The Committee was advised of additional correspondence which had been received since the report was drafted, details of which are set out on the update sheet inserted in the Minute Book.

RESOLVED: that the application be REFUSED for the following reasons:

1. The proposal is contrary to Policy 17 of the Joint Replacement Structure Plan in that the combined impact of the building and car parking will have a significant impact on the character of this open agricultural landscape.

2. The proposal is contrary to Policies 1 and 59 of the Joint Replacement Structure Plan and advice contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 (Transport) in that the proposed development would be situated in a rural location and would therefore not be accessible by alternative modes of transport.

3. The proposed development is contrary to Policies T/11 and T/12 of the North Somerset Local Plan in that the proposed formation and use of the access to the classified road with sub-standard visibility, and the likely use of the highway for parking from the proposed use will be to the detriment of highway safety.

4. The proposed development is contrary to Policy ENV/6 of the North Somerset Local Plan and advice contained within Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 (Development and Flood Risk) in that the site is situated within a high risk flood area, and in the absence of a Flood Risk Assessment to prove that engineering and mitigation works are possible to prevent the proposal from unacceptably increasing the risk of flooding, the proposed development would reduce the capacity of the floodplain, impede the flow of water, and increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.

PAR

Application No. 02/P/2753/F – Alterations and extensions to existing dwelling to include partial demolition and roof alterations and construction of a terraced area at Lime Breach, Cadbury Camp Lane, Tickenham (Agenda Item 6.2)

The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director of Development and Environment recommending refusal for the application which proposes to alter and extend a dwelling on land within the Bristol and Bath Green Belt where there is a presumption against inappropriate development unless very special circumstances can be demonstrated. The application had been recommended for approval by the North Area Committee.

In discussing this application, it was generally agreed that the proposal would improve the appearance of the existing building and would not adversely affect the openness of the Green Belt given the character of the locality, in which there are already houses of a similar scale.

RESOLVED: that, subject to referral of the application to the Secretary of State as a departure from the Development Plan, the application be APPROVED subject to standard conditions (to be delegated to officers).

PAR

Application No. 03/P/0047/F – Demolition of existing bungalow and erection of a new two-storey dwelling at Garth, Tower House Lane, Wraxall (Agenda Item 6.3)

The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director of Development and Environment recommending refusal for this application to demolish an existing bungalow and erect a two-storey dwelling on the site located outside an identified settlement boundary, within the countryside, Green Belt and the Tickenham Ridge Landscape Character Area. The application had been recommended for approval by the Central Area Committee.

In discussing the application, members did not generally accept that the proposal would be materially larger than the existing dwelling or that it would affect the openness of the Green Belt given the limited areas from which it could be viewed. It was also felt that the proposal would be an improvement on the existing dwelling, which was in a poor condition.

RESOLVED: that the application be APPROVED subject to suitable conditions, to be agreed with the Chairman of the Planning and Regulatory Committee.

PAR

Application No. 02/P/1815/F – Proposed change of use from a hotel to 7 self-contained flats at 5 Paragon Road, Weston-super-Mare (Agenda Item 6.4)

The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director of Development and Environment recommending refusal of this application to change the use of and convert the Paragon Hotel to seven residential flats. The application had been recommended for approval by the West Area Committee.

In discussing the application, it was generally agreed by members that the proposal did not conflict with the Council’s objectives to promote more mixed residential use in the area around the seafront. Furthermore it was noted that other hotels in the vicinity had already been granted planning permission to change to permanent residential use. However it was agreed there were issues relating to the town’s hotel stock which lay outside the proposed Waterfront Revitalisation Area which would need to be addressed as part of the review of the draft local plan.

RESOLVED: that the application be APPROVED, subject to referral back to the West Area Committee for suitable conditions to be agreed.

(Councillor Duck voted against the proposition and asked for this to be recorded in the minutes.)

PAR

Draft Planning Enforcement Policy (Agenda Item 6.5)

The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director of Development and Environment recommending adoption of a draft Enforcement Policy that had been agreed with the Executive Member for the purposes of consultation.

Members raised a number of queries in respect of the policy to which officers responded accordingly. In response to concerns raised regarding anonymous complaints, the Development Control Manager drew members’ attention to paragraph 2 of the Policy (page 52 refers) pointing out that anonymous complaints would not be entertained. Any complainant who wished to remain anonymous would be encouraged to ask their ward member or parish council representative to advance their complaint on their behalf.

RESOLVED: that the Enforcement Policy be adopted for use in the management of enforcement work.

PAR

Local Access Forum – Appointment of Members (Agenda Item 7.1)

The Committee considered a report of the Executive Member for Environment, Community and Youth advising members of the appointment of eighteen independent members to serve on the North Somerset Local Access Forum.

RESOLVED: that the appointments and the arrangements for appointment of reserved members be noted.

PAR

Final Meeting of The Committee

As this was the last meeting of the Planning and Regulatory Committee for this municipal year, the Chairman thanked officers and members for their support during the year. In response, members thanked the Chairman for the good-humoured and impartial way in which he had chaired meetings of the committee

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Chairman

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