Proposed dwelling.

The application was approved contrary to the Case Officer’s recommendation.

(Proposed dwelling.)

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, as appended to these Minutes.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr F Lowden, of Acton Beauchamp Parish Council, spoke in support of the Scheme.  Mr R Oliver, the applicant, also spoke in support.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the local ward member, Councillor PM Morgan spoke on the application.

She made the following principal comments:

·         The application was for a modest house and could be considered as an infill development.

·         A previous application for development on the site had been approved by Malvern Hills District Council.

·         There were no objections and a considerable number of letters of support given the size of the village.

·         The proposal represented sustainable development and was an example of people seeking self-reliantly to provide for themselves in older age.

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

·         It was to be regretted that a policy had not been included in the Core Strategy that took account of the growing need in the County for accommodation for older people that enabled relatives to provide support.

·         The application was contrary to policies RA3 and H2 and represented development in the open countryside.

·         The proposal did represent sustainable development.

·         There had been no discussions about whether the house could be preserved as an affordable dwelling or whether an extension to the existing house was a better way of achieving the same objective.

·         Whatever sympathy there may be for the application the Committee was obliged to apply the Council’s adopted policies, with which the application did not comply.

The Lead Development Manager commented that there were no material planning grounds on which to support the application.  The development was an open market property in the open countryside contrary to policy.  However, it was open to the Committee to take a view that it represented sustainable development.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.  She reiterated that it was a modest infill development which met a social need.

RESOLVED: That officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to officers be authorised to grant planning permission subject to any conditions considered necessary.