Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 February 2022

DM.58/21             

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16th February 2022 were confirmed as a correct record by the Committee, save to alter the record of voting on agenda item 6(c):  Cllr Kemp was missed from the list of those Councillors who voted yes, and Cllr Pannell was erroneous listed as both voting yes and abstaining: in actuality, Cllr Pannell had abstained from the vote on this application. 

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Members are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests and Non-Registerable Interests including the nature and extent of such interests they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting;

DM.59/21             

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

Cllr B Taylor declared an Other Registerable Interest in applications 0591/21/FUL; 2876/21/FUL; 4024/21/FUL (Minutes DM.60/21 (a), (c), and (d) below refer), as he was a Member of the South Devon AONB Partnership Committee.  The Member remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote thereon;

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

DM.60/21           

The Chairman noted the list of members of the public, Town and Parish Council representatives, and Ward Members who had registered their wish to speak at the meeting.

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.61/21             

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:

6a)      0591/21/FUL            Pool Farm, Frogmore

                   Parish:  Frogmore & Sherford Parish Council

Development:   Erection of a single storey rural worker’s dwelling

Case Officer Update:                                        

Following a question at the site visit, the Case Officer clarified that the permitted path, which crossed the field to the pontoon, was not a right of way but was a permitted path granted by the landowner, who had it within their power to move the footpath should they so wish.  It was confirmed that the site was within the Undeveloped Coast area, the South Hams AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). The Case Officer outlined that it was also deemed a countryside location with no agricultural, forestry, nor occupational need; exceptions to Planning Policy TV26 were allowed on the edge of a settlement, but there needed to be affordable dwellings, which this one was not. 

The Case Officer updated the Committee on the material planning history on the site: previous approval had been granted for one of the barns to have change of use to boat storage, then approval was given for an occupational dwelling linked to the boat store.  Footings for this dwelling had been put in which meant the approval was extant. At the site visit, questions had been asked about the chalet and mobile home on site, and the Case Officer confirmed that a certificate of lawfulness had been received by the Council in 2013, and confirmed that planning permission was not required. The Case Officer outlined the other recommended reason for refusal in that it was a highly sensitive landscape and part of a green finger of land within the undeveloped part of estuary coastline and was an important contribution to the river landscape, therefore the dwelling and domestication would have a negative impact on the AONB landscape which would not enhance, conserve, nor protect as was required by Policies DEV24 and DEV25 of the Joint Local Plan.

The Ward Member stated that the proposed dwelling was heavily supported locally and, whilst he concurred with the case officer regarding the location, the family were four generations in the village and could no longer afford to buy to remain.  The Ward Member also clarified that the only location for the building was on the green area as the area where the current mobile home was had been forbidden to them.  It was stated that the previous extant planning approval could not be built out as the applicant was unable to get a mortgage on the plot, due to conditions placed on the previous application.

During the debate many Members stated that this was a very finely balanced decision as they had a duty to protect the integrity of  ...  view the full minutes text for item DM.61/21

DM.62/21             

Members noted the list of appeals as outlined in the presented agenda report.  Design and particularly weather-boarding require policies within joint local plan to be developed to cover these.

DM.63/21             

Due to the absence of the Head of Planning it was proposed, seconded, and when put to the vote, agreed to defer this agenda item until the next meeting. 

DM.64/21             

The list of undetermined major applications was noted. The Ward Member requested that the undetermined major from Dartington Parish Council be now closed.  Members reiterated their wish to arrange a tour of various previous decisions to see what has been built out:  the Clerk to email out for suggestions from all Members and then to put together a sequence, in consultation with the Chair and Head of Planning.