Change of use of land to plant hire business and erection of a pole barn associated with this use, and erection of an additional building for a mixed use of plant hire business and domestic use. (Retrospective)

Application approved in accordance with the case officer’s recommendation.

The Senior Planning Officer provided a presentation on the application.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking Mr Arundale, local resident , spoke in objection to the application and Mr Green, applicant’s agent, spoke in support.

In accordance with the Council’s constitution the local ward member spoke on the application. In summary, he explained that the application concerned a local enterprise that could be considered consistent with paragraph 88 of the national planning policy framework and core strategy policy RA6. The application had been considered by the local parish council which was in favour but with the imposition of appropriate conditions to limit the hours of operation and safeguard road users. There were however concerns from local residents to the site who had raised objections to the application concerning: the unsuitability of the local highway network and the absence of passing places leading to the site; the potential for the future expansion of the site; the noise, lighting and working hours of the site causing a detrimental impact on residential amenity; the discharge of water from the site onto the local highway and the risk of flooding and surface damage; and the impact on the landscape. It was important that the committee consider reasonable and appropriate conditions to protect residential amenity during its deliberations on the application.

The committee debated the application. There was division among the members of the committee regarding the acceptability of the application. The following principal points were raised during the debate:

·       The conditioning of improvements to the highway and the provision of passing places;

·       It was noted that the reasons for refusal to an earlier application, concerning the site, had been overcome by the conditions in the current application;

·       Concern was expressed that further growth of the enterprise might render the current location unsuitable;

·       The extent of the local objections suggested that the business was too big for its current location and situated in the wrong place; and

·       The impact of traffic on rural lanes and the enforcement of limits on vans accessing the site.

The Development Management Service Manager and the Highways Adviser provided the following clarification:

·       The condition of the local highway surface could not be resolved through conditions on the application:

·       The impact of the development on the local highway had not been considered sufficiently severe to required the provision of passing places;

·       The applicant had agreed to the conditions proposed with the current application; and

·       The condition relating to the access of three vans could be extended to include a requirement for the applicant to keep a schedule of all vehicles accessing the site.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate. He explained that if the committee was minded to accept the officer recommendation and approve the application a number of conditions should be considered including: limits on the number of people allowed on site; limits on the number of trips generated by the site; mitigation of noise emanating from the site; and control of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47