Planning Committee – 27 February 2008
Chair: Councillor Collinson
Venue: Council Chamber, Pittwood House, Scunthorpe
Time: 2 pm
AGENDA
1. Substitutions.
2. Declarations of Personal and Personal and Prejudicial Interests, significant contact with applicants, objectors or third parties (Lobbying) and Whipping Arrangements (if any).
3. To take the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2008 as a correct record and authorise the chair to sign.
PLANNING MATTERS
4. Application deferred from previous meeting for site visit.
5. Planning and other applications for determination by the committee.
6. Enforcement Update.
7. Statistics of Planning Applications January – December 2007
8. Any other items, which the chair decides are urgent, by reasons of special circumstances which must be specified.
Note: All reports are by the Head of Planning unless otherwise stated.
Minutes
PRESENT: – Councillor Whiteley (Vice-Chair in the chair).
Councillors Armitage, Barker, B Briggs, Bunyan, Carlile, Cawsey, Eckhardt, England, Grant, C Sherwood, Mrs Simpson, and Wardle.
The committee met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.
1007 DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS, SIGNIFICANT CONTACT WITH APPLICANTS OR THIRD PARTIES (LOBBYING) AND WHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS (IF ANY)
The following members declared personal and prejudicial interests: –
|
Members
|
Minute
|
Applications
|
Nature of Interest
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor B Briggs | 1011 (iv) | 07/1970 | Member of Epworth Town Council and Isle of Axhome Internal Drainage Board and had objected publicly to previous application |
| Councillor B Briggs | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 | Employee of Sandtoft Roof Tiles Ltd |
| Councillor C Sherwood | 1011 (vii) | 07/2048 | Knew the applicant |
The following member, attending the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 37 (b), declared personal and prejudicial interests:-
|
Member
|
Minute
|
Application
|
Nature of Interest
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor Mrs Redfern | 1011 (v) | 07//2017 | Member of Epworth Town Council who were objecting to the application |
The following members declared personal interests: –
|
Members
|
Minute
|
Applications
|
Nature of Interest
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor B Briggs | 1010 (ii) | 07/1833 | Member of Epworth Town Council and Isle of Axholme Internal Drainage Board |
| Councillor B Briggs | 1011 (ii) | 07/1940 | Member of Epworth Town Council |
| Councillor Wardle | 1010 (i) | 07/1882 | Knew applicant |
The following members, attending the meeting in accordance with the provisions of procedure Rule 36 (b) declared a personal interest.
|
Members
|
Minute
|
Applications
|
Nature of Interest
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor Glover | 1011 (vii) | 07/2048 | Member of Broughton Town Council |
| Councillor Poole | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 | Member of Federation of Small Businesses |
The following members declared that they had been lobbied: –
|
Members
|
Minute
|
Application
|
|---|---|---|
| Councillor B Briggs | 1010 (ii) | 07/1833 |
| Councillor Bunyan | 1011 (ii) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Bunyan | 1011 (vii) | 07/2048 |
| Councillor Grant | 1010 (iii) | 07/1657 |
| Councillor Grant | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor England | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Carlile | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Wardle | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Whiteley | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Sherwood | 1011 (v) | 07/2017 |
| Councillor Whiteley | 1010 (iii) | 07/1657 |
The following member, attending the meeting in accordance with the provisions of procedure Rule 36 (b) declared that he had been lobbied.
|
Member
|
Minute
|
Application
|
|---|---|---|
| Councillor Poole | 1011 (vii) | 07/2048 |
1008 COUNCILLOR COLLINSON – The acting chair informed members that the chair, Councillor Collinson had recently suffered a heart attack. He was now home from hospital and resting.
Resolved – That the committees best wishes be conveyed to Councillor Collinson.
1009 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting held on 30 January, 2008 having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chair.
1010 (72) APPLICATIONS DEFERRED FROM PREVIOUS MEETING – In accordance with the decisions at the previous meeting, members had undertaken site visits on the morning of the meeting. The Service Director Highways and Planning submitted reports and updated them orally.
(i) 07/1882 by Mr G Simon for outline permission for the erection of a dwelling with associated garage, including demolition of existing garage (layout, design and access not reserved for subsequent approval) at 16 Main Street, Horkstow.
Members considered that, whilst the site was classed as “open countryside” in the local plan, the proposal would improve the street scene and was a brownfield site.
Resolved – That permission be granted subject to standard outline conditions, highways conditions and conditions relating to land contamination and archaeology.
(ii) 07/1833 by Mr M Taylor for the erection of an extension to an existing bungalow to form a two-storey dwelling and an extension to the side to form an attached garage with accommodation above at 10 Mowbray Street, Epworth.
Prior to consideration of this application an objector addressed the committee. She stated that the pertinent issues were the possible precedent and interpretation of the Local Plan. She said that the reasons for refusal of a previous application had not been addressed in the present one. The extension would be over twenty per cent of the size of the existing dwelling. Extensions into the open countryside should only be permitted where they were essential to the efficient operation of agriculture or forestry.
The Head of Planning stated that, whilst the site was technically in open countryside as defined in the local plan, in reality it was in a built up area and the proposal was not unreasonable in this location. The proposal was for a smaller extension than that for which permission had been refused in 2007.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
(iii) 07/1657 by Mr N Smith for outline permission for the erection of 4 link houses and 4 flats (layout, scale, access and landscaping not reserved for subsequent approval ) at rear of 294 to 300 Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe.
Prior to consideration of this application a representative of an objector addressed the committee. She stated that, whilst he had no objection in principle to the development, the communal entrance on the west side of the proposed development would be very close to his bedroom. She asked if the entrance could be relocated further to the west and the wall to the east be extended by approximately 12 metres. She also suggested that a security system should be installed.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report subject to additional conditions requiring the ground floor access to the flats to be located on the west facing side, for additional screening on the eastern and southern boundaries of the site and for no pedestrian access to be permitted to Leopold Close.
1011 (73) PLANNING APPLICATIONS – The Head of Planning submitted a report incorporating a schedule containing details of applications for determination by the committee including summaries of policy context, representations arising from consultation and publicity and assessment of the applications.
(i) 07/1732 by Lincoln and York Ltd for erection of a warehouse and factory building with office space on land at The Flarepath, Elsham.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
(ii) 07/1940 by Mr S Owen for the erection of a two–storey rear extension and a first floor extension over existing garage and utility at 3 Paddock Close, Epworth.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
(iii) 07/1944 by Mr M J Anderson for the erection of a pair of semi – detached dwellings (resubmission of previously approved application PA/2007/1367) on land adjacent to 9 Old Village Street, Gunnesss.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
(iv) 07/1970 by Allison Homes Eastern Ltd. For the erection of 40 dwellings (resubmission of PA/2006/1404) on land off Axholme Drive, Epworth.
Councillor B Briggs, having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this application, spoke on the application and then withdrew from the meeting during the consideration of this application and application 07/2017.
Resolved – (a) That the committee is mindful to grant permission for the development; (b) that the Head of Planning be authorised to grant permission subject to the completion of a formal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to secure education, affordable housing and public open space and to the conditions set out in the report, and (c) that if the obligation is not completed by 27 May 2008, the Head of Planning be authorised to refuse the application on grounds of non -compliance with the provisions of SPG8, SPG 10, PPS3 and Policy H3 of the RSS.
(v) 07/2017 by Sandtoft Roof Tiles Ltd for outline permission for an industrial estate within B2 (General Industrial) and B8 (Storage and Distribution) Use Classes on land north of Sandtoft Roof Tiles, Belton Road, Sandtoft.
Prior to consideration of this application the applicant’s agent addressed the committee. He stated that no objection had been received from any of the national bodies consulted. The proposal would create jobs. Further information had been submitted regarding the “sequential test”.
Councillor Mrs Redfern, attending the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 36 (b) and having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this application, spoke on the application and then withdrew from the meeting during the consideration thereof.
Resolved – That permission be refused in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
Councillors B Briggs and Mrs Redfern returned to the meeting at this point.
(vi) 07/2031 by C D Chapman for outline permission to erect a detached bungalow on land adjacent to The Cottages, 43 Station Road, Hibaldstow.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
(vii) 07/2048 by Ms C Richards for the change of use of an office to a cattery at The Bothy, Ermine Street, Appleby.
Prior to consideration of this application a representative of the objectors and the applicant addressed the committee.
The objector’s representative stated that the access arrangements would be inadequate, The proposal would result in an increase in traffic. The proposal would create noise and odour from the cats. Double glazing would not provide adequate sound screening. The proposal would be contrary to policy and would set a dangerous precedent.
Councillor Glover, attending the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 36 (b), spoke on this item.
Resolved – That consideration of this application be deferred until the next meeting and that members visit the site prior to that meeting.
(viii) 08/0006 by Mr R Lee for the raising of the roof and installation of dormer windows in an existing bungalow at Copthorne, Epworth Road, Haxey.
Resolved – That permission be granted in accordance with the recommendation contained in the report.
1012 (74) ENFORCEMENT UPDATE – The Head of Planning submitted a schedule giving details of progress in respect of matters on which he had taken enforcement action under delegated authority.
Resolved – That the report be noted.
1013 (75) STATISTICS OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS – JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2007 – The Head of Planning submitted a report informing members of the council’s performance in handling planning applications during 2007, together with a comparison between the annual performances of 2006 and 2007.
The main criteria used when examining performance was the length of time taken to decide planning applications. The improvement in overall performance over the last three years had been maintained during that year.
Much of the improved performance in the determination of planning applications over the last few years had been due to the appointment of additional fixed-term contract staff within the Development Control team through Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) funding. PDG was to be phased out and replaced by increases in planning fees and in order to maintain performance at current levels would require consideration to be given to funding these posts via fees income.
The council had recently received notification that its PDG settlement for 2008/9 amounted to £111,113 with £50,731 being towards the Development Control service and £31,392 for e-government initiatives.
The report provided information on appeals, fees income and performance for each category of application.
Resolved – (a) That the contents of this report be noted, and (b) that the Development Control team be congratulated and thanked for their continued improvement in overall performance level over the last year.