Proposed dwelling at land adjacent to Sunnybank Cottage, Little Birch, Herefordshire.

The application was refused in accordance with the case officer’s recommendation.

The senior planning officer gave a presentation on the application, and updates/additional representations received following the publication of the agenda were provided in the update sheet attached to these minutes.

In accordance with the procedure for public speaking, Mr M Morley, Little Birch Parish Council, spoke in support of the application and Mr Jones, the applicant spoke in support of the application.

In accordance with the Council’s constitution, the local ward member, Councillor DG Harlow, spoke on the application.

He made the following principal points:

·           There was a high level of support locally for the application. 21 letters in support had been received and the parish council had also expressed its support;

·           The lack of a five year housing supply and the requirement for the committee to exercise balance and judgement in determination of the application. The application would enable the applicant to construct a house suitable for the elderly and allow him to remain in the village he had always lived in, into his old age.

·           There was not a neighbourhood development plan for Little Birch in place but this was currently in process and was being produced.

·           The sustainability assessment in the report was questioned as the lay out of the village of Little Birch was sprawling in nature and there was not a natural centre to the village. 

In the Committee’s discussion of the application the following principal points were made:

·           Consideration of the need for additional retirement homes in the county.

·           The absence of a neighbourhood development plan and the position of the proposed site within the curtilage of the village.

·           Sympathy was expressed for the applicant but it was feared that the approval of the application would establish a precedent which would result in additional developments in the open countryside in the village.

·           The application was felt to be premature, pre-empting the finalisation of the neighbourhood development plan. The site could be included in the neighbourhood development plan but the committee should not override the existing planning policy framework to grant permission. Consistency of decision making, in accordance with policy, was necessary.

The lead development manager commented that the neighbourhood development plan for the area was currently at the regulation 14 stage. No weight could be given to the plan until it reached a more advanced stage.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate and commented that he would encourage the finalisation of the neighbourhood development plan.

Councillor JLV Kenyon proposed and Councillor DW Greenow seconded a motion to approve the application. The motion was lost: 2 in favour and 11 against.

Councillor A Seldon proposed and Councillor WLS Bowen seconded a motion to refuse the application in line with the reasons outlined by the officer in the report. The motion was carried: 11 in favour, 1 against and 1 abstained.

RESOLVED: That planning permission be refused for the following reason

1.    The proposal represents unjustified unsustainable residential development in an open countryside location contrary to the Herefordshire Local Plan: Core Strategy policies SS1, SS6, RA2 and RA3 and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.29 p.m. Councillor Shaw left the meeting.