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 5 July 2017;

DM.13/17       

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 5 July 2017 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.14/17       

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

Cllr D Brown declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in application number 1785/17/HHO ‘Installation of a new dormer and rooflights with existing loft conversion – 77 Mewstone Avenue, Wembury’ by virtue of the applicants being his parents and left the meeting during consideration of this item;

Cllr D Brown declared a personal interest in application number 1593/17/VAR ‘Section 73 application to remove/vary conditions relating to the Sherford New Community – Land South/South West of A38, Deep Lane and East of Haye Road, Elburton, Plymouth’ by virtue of being a local Ward Member, who also served on the Local Liaison Committee, and remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote thereon;

Cllr R J Vint declared a personal interest in application number 2021/17/PAT ‘Prior notification of proposed developments by telecommunications code system operators for 17.5m shrouded monopole, 2 no. microwave dishes and 2 no. equipment cabinets – Highways land off Babbage Road, Totnes’ by virtue of being an acquaintance of the registered objector for this application and remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote thereon; and

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:

-       1554/17/OPA: Application for approval of Outline Planning Permission (all matters reserved except for access) for the development of 13 no. age restricted dwellings and 6 no. affordable dwellings to be accessed via School Road, Stoke Fleming – Land off School Road, Stoke Fleming TQ6 0PR;

-       25/1720/15/O: Outline application with some matters reserved for erection of 14 no. dwellings, provision of community car park, allotment gardens, access and associated works – Progressed Development Site at SX 612 502, land north of Church Hill, Holbeton;

-        25/1721/15/O: Outline application with some matters reserved for erection of 11 no. dwellings, village hall with car park, access and associated works – Progressed Development Site East of Vicarage Hill at SX 614 503, Vicarage Hill, Holbeton; and

-       3139/16/OPA: Outline planning application for the erection of 12 dwellings to include 6 affordable units for the over 55s – Land adjacent to Parsonage Farm, Parsonage Road, Newton Ferrers.

Cllr R J Foss declared a personal interest in application numbers 25/1720/15/O: Outline application with some matters reserved for erection of 14 no. dwellings, provision of community car park, allotment gardens, access and associated works – Progressed Development Site at SX 612 502, land north of Church Hill, Holbeton and 25/1721/15/O: Outline application with some matters reserved for erection of 11 no. dwellings, village hall with car park, access and associated works – Progressed Development Site East of Vicarage Hill at SX 614 503, Vicarage  ...  view the full minutes text for item DM.14/17

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

DM.15/17       

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.16/17       

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:

1554/17/OPA              Land off School Road, Stoke Fleming

Parish:  Stoke Fleming

Application for approval of Outline Planning Permission (all matters reserved except for access) for the development of 13 no. age restricted dwellings and 6 no. affordable dwellings to be accessed via School Road, Stoke Fleming

Case Officer Update:          - contrary to the report, the AONB team had not made any comments on this application;

-  The first condition of the Section 106 should read: ‘6 Affordable housing units – 4 Affordable Rent and 2 Intermediate’;

-  3 additional letters of support and 1                             additional letter of objection – no new issues raised; and

-  South West Water had been contacted in                   response to issues raised during the Site                  Inspection and reiterated that they had no          objections to this application.

Speakers included:                Objector – Mrs Gail Dorrington; Supporter – Mrs Judith Newman Andrew Rowe; Stoke Fleming Parish Council – Cllr Lady Mary Newman; and local ward Member – Cllr Hicks

Recommendation:                 Delegate to COP Lead Development Management, in conjunction with Chairman to conditionally grant planning permission, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement.

However, in the event that the Section 106 legal agreement remains unsigned six months after this resolution, that the application is reviewed by the COP Lead Development Management, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, and if no progress is being made delegated authority is given to the COP Lead to refuse the application

In discussion on the planning merits of this application, some Members expressed the following concerns:

-        There was felt to be no justification for the  two access points into the development site that would, in effect, segregate the open market housing from the affordable housing;

-        The proposals would have an adverse effect on the street scene and the AONB;

-        Regardless of the views of the County Highways Authority, road safety was a cause for concern;

-        There was felt to be no demonstrable housing need evidence for the development of such additional age restricted housing;

-        The proposals were contradictory to the content of the emerging local Neighbourhood Plan.

Such were the concerns over the access points, that it was PROPOSED and SECONDED that:

‘The application be deferred to ask the developer to consider addressing the on-site access concerns.’

When put to the vote, it was (by virtue of a Chairman’s Casting Vote) declared LOST.

It was then (by virtue of a Chairman’s Casting Vote) declared CARRIED that:

Committee Decision:            Delegate to COP lead Development Management, in conjunction with Chairman to conditionally grant planning permission, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement.

However, in the event that the Section 106 legal Agreement remains unsigned six months after this resolution, that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item DM.16/17

DM.17/17       

Members noted the list of appeals as outlined in the presented agenda report and felt the Green House, Newton Ferrers appeal decision was particularly interesting.

DM.18/17       

The Planning Senior Specialist introduced the latest set of performance indicators related to the Development Management service.

In making reference to the recent Planning Enforcement Service Review by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Minute O&S.31/17 refers), some Members expressed their disappointment at the upward trend in enforcement cases.  Some Members reiterated the concerns expressed by the Panel that resources were currently not sufficient to address the case backlog.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That the latest set of performance indicators be noted.