Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and authorise the Chairman to sign the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 January 2019;

DM.51/18       

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 January 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Members are invited to declare any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests, including the nature and extent of such interests they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting;

DM.52/18       

Members and officers were invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be considered and the following were made:

Cllr Foss declared a personal interest on behalf of all Members of the DM Committee in application 4412/17/ARM:  Reserved Matters application for the approval of appearance, landscaping, scale and layout for 29no. dwellings, following grant of outline permission 1825/16/OPA – Land at SX 550 552, North of Canes Orchard, Brixton, by virtue of the land owner being a Member of South Hams District Council.  All Members remained in the room and took part in the vote thereon;

Cllr Holway declared a personal interest on behalf of all Members of the DM Committee in application 2117/18/FUL:  Application for new agricultural building to house livestock and for associated access – Woodland Barton Farm, Avonwick, by virtue of the applicant being the Chairman of the DM Committee, and those Members who declared a personal interest remained in the room and took part in the vote thereon;

Cllr Steer declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in application 2117/18/FUL:  Application for new agricultural building to house livestock and for associated access – Woodland Barton Farm, by virtue of being the applicant and he left the meeting for the duration of this item;

Cllr Rowe declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in application 2117/18/FUL:  Application for new agricultural building to house livestock and for associated access – Woodland Barton Farm, by virtue of the applicant being a close relative and she left the meeting for the duration of this item; 

Cllr Holway declared a personal interest in application 3460/17/OPA:  Outline application with some matters reserved for 7 self-build/custom-build dwellings (five open market and 2 affordable self-build plots) – Lutterburn Farm, Lutterburn Street by virtue of owning a field on the other edge of the village and he remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote thereon;

Cllr Cuthbert declared a personal interest in application 2066/18/FUL:  Demolition of hotel (14 guest bedrooms, 4 staff bedrooms, indoor swimming pool, lounge/bar/dining areas etc) and construction of a mixed use development of 9 serviced short term holiday let apartments (providing total of 16 bedrooms), 1 unit of owner’s/manager’s accommodation and 5 residential apartments – Lantern Lodge Hotel, Grand view Road, Hope Cove, by virtue of her husband being a Hope Cove Commissioner, and she remained in the room and took part in the vote thereon;

Cllr Cuthbert also declared a personal interest in application 1189/18/HHO: Householder application for re-location of access and extension to dwelling – Orchard Barn, Ermington, by virtue of the applicants being close friends, and she left the chamber for the duration of this item;

Cllr D Brown declared a personal interest in the following planning applications that were sited within the South Devon AONB by virtue of being a Member of the South Devon AONB Partnership Committee and remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote thereon:

2066/18/FUL:  ...  view the full minutes text for item DM.52/18

The Chairman to advise the Committee on any requests received from members of the public to address the meeting;

DM.53/18       

The Chairman announced that a list of members of the public and town and parish council representatives, who had registered their wish to speak at the meeting, had been circulated.

To see Letters of Representation and further supplementary information relating to any of the Applications on the agenda, please select the following link and enter the relevant Planning Reference number: http://apps.southhams.gov.uk/PlanningSearchMVC/

DM.54/18       

The Committee considered the details of the planning applications prepared by the Planning Case Officers as presented in the agenda papers, and considered also the comments of Town and Parish Councils together with other representations received, which were listed within the presented agenda reports, and RESOLVED that:

a)     2066/18/FUL        Lantern Lodge Hotel, Grand View Road, Hope Cove

Parish:  South Huish

Demolition of hotel (14 guest bedrooms, 4 staff bedrooms, indoor swimming pool, lounge/bar/dining areas etc) and construction of a mixed use development of 9 serviced short term holiday let apartments (providing total of 15 bedrooms), 1 unit of owners/manager’s accommodation and 5 residential apartments

Case Officer Update:      Consultation period for final revisions ended 8 February, 2019, after publication of report.  26 late letters of representation received raising a few additional points such as concerns over light pollution, unattractive proposal, clarity sought on specification of privacy glass, clarification on distance of proposal from Cliff House and finally the proposal claiming it was not major development.  In response to the final point, the case officer explained the difference between major development as set out in the Town and Country Planning Act and the definition of major development in the AONB as set out in the NPPF.         

Speakers included:         Objector – Ms Jill Beavis: Supporter – Mr Simon Bird:  Parish Council – Cllr Jo Hocking;   Ward Members – Cllrs Pearce and Wright

Recommendation: Delegate to Head of Development Management Practice (HoP), in conjunction with Chairman to conditionally grant planning permission, subject to a Section 106 legal obligation.

However, in the event that the Section 106 legal Agreement remains unsigned six months after this resolution, that the application is reviewed by the HoP, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, and if no progress is being made delegated authority is given to the HoP to refuse to application in the absence of an agreed S106 Agreement.

During debate, Members referred to the points made by the Parish Council, particularly the high level of second homes already in Hope Cove, that the proposal did not offer any affordable housing, nor any contribution.  The increased footprint of the building would adversely impact the AONB, which deserved the highest protection, and the parking proposals were inadequate, and would exacerbate current difficulties along Grand View Road.  Members felt that the proposal was trying to ‘cram’ too much into the space, and did not see the need for five properties, a fewer number would be more reasonable.  The proposal would also result in overlooking and a detrimental impact on the neighbour amenity of the neighbours at The Cove.

Committee Decision:     Refusal

Reasons: 

1. Having regard to the scale, massing, design and siting of the proposed development it fails to conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of this part of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is out of character with the area. As such the proposed development is contrary to Policies DP1, DP2, CS7 and CS9 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item DM.54/18

DM.55/18       

Members noted the list of appeals as outlined in the presented agenda report.  

DM.56/18       

Members noted the list of Planning Performance Indicators as outlined in the presented agenda report.  

DM.57/18

Members were presented with a report that asked for a recommendation to either retain or remove Procedure Rule 2.5 which prevented Members from voting where they had not remained for the whole of the debate.

Members had a full discussion on this item, including a debate on whether Member should be allowed to vote if they had not attended the official site visit.  Whilst no conclusion was reached regarding attendance at site visits, Members did conclude that Procedure Rule 2.5 should remain.

It was then RESOLVED:

That Development Management Committee RECOMMEND to Council that Procedure Rule 2.5: Voting re retained.