To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors PGH Cutter, KS Guthrie, JW Hope and PJ Watts.

To receive details any details of Members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a Member of the Committee.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda.

GUIDANCE ON DECLARING PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AT MEETINGS

The Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct requires Councillors to declare against an Agenda item(s) the nature of an interest and whether the interest is personal or prejudicial.  Councillors have to decide first whether or not they have a personal interest in the matter under discussion.  They will then have to decide whether that personal interest is also prejudicial.

A personal interest is an interest that affects the Councillor more than most other people in the area.  People in the area include those who live, work or have property in the area of the Council.  Councillors will also have a personal interest if their partner, relative or a close friend, or an organisation that they or the member works for, is affected more than other people in the area.  If they do have a personal interest, they must declare it but can stay and take part and vote in the meeting. 

Whether an interest is prejudicial is a matter of judgement for each Councillor.  What Councillors have to do is ask themselves whether a member of the public – if he or she knew all the facts – would think that the Councillor’s interest was so important that their decision would be affected by it.  If a Councillor has a prejudicial interest then they must declare what that interest is and leave the meeting room.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2008.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 23rd May, 2008 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman

Reeves Hill Wind Turbine

The Council has received a planning application accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement for the erection of  4 wind turbines. It is likely that the application will be submitted to the meeting on 15 August and suggested that a site visit is undertaken prior to the meeting.

The following matters were reported:-

VISIT BY WYCHAVON DISTRICT COUNCIL

On 23 June the Council was visited by Wychavon District Council to be appraised of the planning policies the Council has in place for dealing with soft fruit production, polytunnels and migrant workers. 

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SITE VISIT

On 1^st July the Committee carried out a review of the following development undertaken following the granting of planning permission

Harewood Park – re-use and refurbishments of rural buildings, including listed buildings, for a mixture of residential, office and live/work units;

Leadon Bank Ledbury– the decision of Planning Committee in 2005 to grant permission for a substantial new building at Leadon Bank. This development was the subject of a referendum at the time by Ledbury Town Council in opposition to the scheme which affected the setting of nearby listed buildings and the outlook from nearby houses;

Hop Pocket, Bishops Frome– re-use of former farm buildings for a variety of rural enterprise schemes, employing around 80 people;

High Close, Bishop’s Frome – replacement dwelling in open countryside built to minimise the carbon footprint mainly though heat conservation and management measures;

Ridlers Place, Upper Sapey – to see a former derelict industrial site redeveloped for a high standard of residential development;

Chapel Lane, Bodenham – to see examples of modern development in a main village and assess its quality in the village street scene;

Carfax House (site of) Aylestone Hill, Hereford – outcome of an appeal decision whereby permission was granted for a very modern design of flats in a Conservation Area.

The sites visited were a mixture of residential and commercial, and a mixture of Committee and delegated decisions.  The possibility of a further round of visits will be considered, especially in the Central Area to consider examples of urban development and residential layouts in the light of the possible expansion of Hereford which is anticipated by the Regional Spatial Strategy.

REEVES HILL WIND TURBINE

The Council has received a planning application accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement for the erection of 4 wind turbines at Reeves Hill in the northwest of the County.  The application is in the midst of public consultation with a view to it being submitted to a forthcoming meeting of the Planning Committee.  A site visit will be undertaken prior to the meeting and existing turbines nearby in Powys will be viewed to note their impact on a rural setting.

SECONDMENT OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL MANAGER

The Development Control Manager has been seconded as Planning Policy Manager for a two-year period to head the Forward Planning Section.  The Committee expressed its appreciation for all his help regarding development control matters and looked forward to seeing him in his new role.

To receive the attached report of the Northern Area Planning Sub-Committee meeting held on 4 June 2008.

RESOLVED: That the report of the meeting held on 4 June 2008 be received and noted.

To receive the attached report of the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee meeting held on 11 June 2008.

RESOLVED: That the report of the meeting held on 11 June 2008 be received and noted.

To receive the attached report of the Southern Area Planning Sub-Committee meeting held on 28 May and 25 June 2008.

RESOLVED: That the report of the meetings held on 28 May and 25 June 2008 be received and noted.

For:      Mr. James Smith & Mr. Jimmy Smith, The Birches Stables, Burghill, Hereford, HR4 7RU       

The application has been referred to the Committee because the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was minded to refuse permission contrary to recommendation.

Ward: Burghill, Holmer & Lyde

The Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was mindful to refuse permission contrary to recommendation and the Council’s planning policies.  The Sub-Committee had noted the concerns of the objections from local residents and the Parish Council, was concerned at the perceived risk to the Scout Hut next door from antisocial behaviour, and mention was made as to the loss of trees. The Sub-Committee was of the opinion that there would be an unacceptable impact on the amenity of the locality and the countryside. Concerns were also expressed about the traffic on the road and the need to have an adequate access.

The Central Team Leader said that a further letter has been received from Herefordshire Travellers Support, which included a 30-signature petition in support of the application.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Miss Reynolds spoke on behalf of Burghill Parish Council, Mr. Swancott spoke in objection to the application and Mr. Baines spoke in support of the application.

Councillor SJ Robertson, the Local Ward Member, made a number of comments on the application, including:

·          the need for appropriate small sites was recognised, particularly in view of ODPM Circular 01/2006 – Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites, but the impact on the local community had to be considered also;

·          the need for fairness and consistency was noted and attention was drawn to the fact that an application to vary condition no. 2 of planning consent DCCW2006/3153/F to allow sale of the property (if necessary) to another travelling family had been refused in December 2007 [DCCW2007/2057/F refers];

·          local residents had expressed concerns about conditions on previous planning permissions not being complied with, felt that the development was visually obtrusive and that the land should revert to agricultural use; and

·          based on the representations received and local knowledge, Councillor Robertson moved that planning permission be refused as it would have a detrimental impact on the amenities, settings and surroundings of the locality, particularly given the close proximity to the Scout Hut.  She also considered that it would have a detrimental impact on highway safety, especially if the site was used for mixed residential and business uses which could increase vehicle movements on a stretch of road that already had problems with speeding traffic.

The Committee discussed the issues involved and the points that had been made in favour and against the application.  Councillor GFM Dawe commented on the need for objectivity, noted that none of the trees that had been removed were protected, and reminded the Committee that the applicants were not responsible for any of the issues arising from the previous occupation of the site.  He said that the application needed to be viewed purely on its own merits and that it complied fully with Government guidelines and planning policies.  Councillor RI Matthews said that Burghill Parish Council had supported travellers elsewhere in the parish but felt that this site was too close to the Scout Hut and residential properties.  He also felt that activities on the site could have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

For:            Quickskip Recycling per Mr. A. Last, MCIAT,  Brookside Cottage, Knapton Green, Herefordshire,  HR4 8ER

The application has been referred to the Committee because the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was minded to refuse permission contrary to recommendation.

Ward: Hollington

The Central Team Leader said that the application had been referred to the Committee because the Central Area Planning Sub-Committee was minded to refuse  permission contrary to the Council’s planning policies and officer advice.  The Sub-Committee was concerned that there was inadequate justification to have the bunds on the site and that lane which gave access to it would be adversely affected by the heavy vehicles travelling to and from it.  He said that the application would involve only six vehicle movements a day for an eighteen-month temporary period.  This would not generate any significant increase in heavy vehicles to the site which already had some commercial vehicle use.  Any damage to the highway during the construction period which was attributable to the development could be dealt with under the Council’s highway powers at the applicant’s expense.  A lorry routing agreement had also been prepared to prevent heavy vehicles travelling through Callow Village and along part of Haywood Lane.

Councillor GFM Dawe, the Local Ward Member, drew attention to the views of local residents to the proposals and noted that, whilst a number of issues could be addressed through the recommended conditions, there remained substantial concerns about the impact of the proposal on the local highway network and about the future use of the site.  He also felt that the unnatural landforms created by the bunds were not in keeping with the local landscape.  He was not convinced about the environmental benefits and limited impact of the proposal and had expressed concerns at the Sub-Committee meeting about the need for more rigorous waste management plans for new developments in order to reduce the need to dispose of construction related materials.  The Central Team Leader advised that any further activities at the site would require another planning application and any such application would need to be considered on its own merits at that time. 

Having considered all the aspects of the application, the Committee was of the view that there would be adequate conditions in place to address the concerns and did not feel that there were sufficient grounds to support the Sub-Committee in refusal.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

Start and Finish of Project

1.      A01 (Time limit for commencement (full permission)) (requirement for notification in writing to the local planning authority within seven days of start).

         Reason: Required to be imposed by Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

2.      Unless otherwise agreed in writing in advance the development hereby permitted, including final landscaping, shall be completed on the expiration of 18 months after the starting date as notified under condition 1 above, and no further material shall be imported after that date.

         Reason: To ensure satisfactory and timely completion of the development as applied for, to ensure no further material is imported, and to comply with Policies S10 and W8 of the Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan 2007.

3.      B01 (Development in accordance with the approved plans).

         Reason. To ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

15 August 2008

15 August 2008