Change of use of building to storage (Use Class B8) (retrospective).

Application approved in accordance with the case officer’s recommendation and a change to conditions.

Councillor Dave Davis acted as the local ward member for the application below

The senior planning officer provided a presentation on the application and the updates/representations received following the publication of the agenda.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking Mr Whurr, local resident, spoke in objection to the application.

In accordance with the council's constitution the local ward member spoke on the application. In summary, he explained that the application site was located in a sensitive landscape. Concerns had been raised over the change of use for an old stable block. An initial application had been rejected 30 years previously; images of the site from 2009 and 2012 showed collapsed buildings and significant undergrowth and greenery. More recent pictures of the site, from 2024, show work that had been undertaken to the buildings and clearance of vegetation on the site. The application site was located in the river Wye SAC and was not felt to be suitable as a location for storage of building goods and materials. No tyre marks were discernible on the access to the site which brought into question its use as a storage site for building materials. There were concerns within the local community of the impact of noise generated from the site and the use of the toilet in the stables discharging effluence during times of heavy rainfall. There was concern that this application was a precursor to building a house and a holiday let on the land. The application did not enhance biodiversity or geodiversity as required by the core strategy. There were more suitable locations for builders storage within Hereford.

The committee debated the application. There was sympathy with local residents regarding the potential uses of the site in the future however the committee acknowledged it was constrained in considering the application before it which was for a change of use of building to storage (class B8). It was noted that any proposal to build a domestic dwelling on the site would be subject to a further planning application and permission. There was concern regarding the steep access to the site and the potential requirement for hard standing to facilitate the access of lorries and trade vehicles to the storage building. It was considered that in the event of a hard standing access to the site a condition would be required to protect the root system of trees on the site.

The Development Manager and the Highways Advisor provided the following clarification:

• an additional condition could be added to the permission for any changes to the access to be submitted and agreed in writing. Account could then be taken at that stage of the protection of the root system for nearby trees;
• it was confirmed that a section 184 licence would be required if there were changes to the access to the site. The requirement for this licence could be added to the permission as an informative.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate.

Councillor Bruce  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64