Agenda and minutes

*DM&L 01      

Apologies were received from Cllrs R E Baldwin, W G Cann OBE and Cllr D E Moyse.

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.

[If Councillors have any questions relating to predetermination, bias or interests in items on this Agenda, then please contact the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting]    

*DM&L 02      

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

Cllr T G Pearce declared a personal interest in all applications, by virtue of being a Member of the Devon Building Control Partnership.  He remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and vote on each item.

Meeting held on 24 April 2017

*DM&L 03      

The Minutes of the Planning and Licensing Committee Meeting held on 24^th April 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

*DM&L 04      

The COP Lead Development Management presented the latest set of Performance Indicators and outlined the key information for Members consideration.  In response to comments regarding reduction in income, he asked Members to note that alongside this was an increase in the number of applications received.  Members were updated with the latest information in respect of enforcement cases and confirmed that they wanted to continue to see a distinction between the ‘backlog’ cases and the cases registered since March 2016.

To see Letters of Representation and further supplementary information relating to any of the planning applications on the agenda, please select the following link and enter the relevant Reference number: http://westdevon.gov.uk/searchlanding

*DM&L 05      

The Committee considered the applications prepared by the Development Management Specialists and considered also the comments of Town and Parish Councils together with other representations received, which were listed within the presented agenda reports and summarised below, and RESOLVED:

(a)     Application No:  4005/16/FUL Ward: Buckland Monachorum

Site Address:     Land adjacent to Yelverton Business Park, Crapstone

Three business units, 960sqm Use B1(c) light industrial/ Use B2 general industrial/ Use B8 Storage and Distribution, together with associated access, parking and landscaping

Speakers included:     Objector - Mr Michael Wood: Supporter – Mr Phil Greeno:  Ward Member – Cllr Cheadle

RECOMMENDATION:           Conditional Approval

The Case Officer responded to a number of questions of clarity following his presentation.  Members discussed the Joint Local Plan and the Neighbourhood Plan, and the weight that should be given to these emerging documents.  During discussion, Members considered the balance between the provision of employment land and the landscape impact.  The officer recommendation of Conditional Approval was PROPOSED, SECONDED and on being put to the vote, unanimously declared LOST.  An alternative proposal of Refusal of the application was then PROPOSED, SECONDED and on being put to the vote, unanimously declared CARRIED.

COMMITTEE DECISION:  Refusal

Reasons:

The proposal would result in the development of new buildings, associated parking and access on an unallocated greenfield site, outside the settlement boundary in a sensitive rural environment within the Tamar Valley AONB on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.  The location and scale of the development would be detrimental to the natural beauty and quiet enjoyment of the AONB and the Dartmoor National Park contrary to Policies SP5 and SP17 of the adopted West Devon Core Strategy; Policy NE10 of the West Devon development Policies DPD; Policies DEV24 and DVE 27 of the emerging Joint Local Plan; the policies within the emerging Buckland Monachorum Neighbourhood Plan and paragraph 115 of the NPPF.

(b)     Application No:  4006/16/FUL Ward: Buckland Monachorum

Site Address:     Land adjacent to Yelverton Business Park, Crapstone

Meeting hall (for Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) and associated access parking and landscaping

Speakers included:     Objector – Mr Michael Wood:  Supporter – Mr John Shephard: Ward Member – Cllr Cheadle

RECOMMENDATION:           Conditional Approval

In introducing the application, the case officer advised that following representations received, the wording of Condition 11 should be amended as follows:

The proposed building shall only be used as a place of worship  and religious instruction (including limited equipment  storage for the Rapid Relief Team and for no other purpose including  any other purpose  in Class D1 of the Schedule of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, or in any provision  equivalent to that class in any statutory instrument revoking or  re-enacting that Order with or without modification.

During discussion, Members raised similar concerns to those expressed during the discussion of the previous application, 4005/2016.  Members queried whether the application should include a storage use classification.  Members appreciated the work of the Rapid Relief Team but had to balance this against  ...  view the full minutes text for item *DM&L.5

*DM&L 06      

The Committee received and noted the updated list of Planning Appeals including enforcement appeals.