Proposed agricultural building for general stock housing and grain store.

Proposed agricultural building for general stock housing and grain store.

The Central Team Leader reported the following:

§         Attention was drawn to the need to correct Page 19, paragraph 5.1, fifth line, so that it read ‘…is probably the last least obtrusive position...’

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mrs. Powell spoke in support of the application.

Councillor W.J.S. Thomas, the Local Ward Member, noted the extent of local support for the proposal and did not feel that the development would have a significant impact on the landscape quality of the area.

A number of Members spoke in support of the application and felt that the potential detrimental impact of the development had been overstated, particularly as existing landscaping would provide screening for the building.

The Central Team Leader drew attention to the concerns of the Conservation Manager and noted that alternative sites had been suggested but had been discounted by the applicant.  He requested that, should the Sub-Committee be minded to approve the application, officers be delegated to include appropriate conditions on the planning permission to mitigate the impact of the development. 

Councillor P.J. Edwards suggested that conditions to control the use of materials, particularly roofing, should be included to lessen the impact of the development.

RESOLVED: That

(i)              The Central Area Planning Sub-Committee is minded to approve the application subject to the following condition and any further conditions felt to be necessary by the Head of Planning Services, provided that the Head of Planning Services does not refer the application to the Planning Committee:

1.     The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

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

2.    The whole of the external cladding of the building shall be permanently coloured in accordance with a scheme to be submitted to and agreed in writing by the local planning authority before development commences.  The cladding shall be coloured in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To minimise the visual impact of the development.

3.    No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved by the local planning authority a scheme of landscaping enhancement and maintenance which shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows along the boundaries of Field No. 4400, details of any to be retained together with measures for their long term protection and management.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme.

Reason: In order to protect the visual amenity of the site and surrounding countryside.

4.      Prior to the commencement of development, a detailed plan, showing the levels of the existing site, the proposed slab levels of the building approved and a datum point outside of the site, shall be submitted to and approved by the local planning authority.  Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: In order to define the permission and ensure that the development is of a scale and height appropriate to the site.

5.    The development hereby permitted shall not be brought into use until the access, turning area and parking facilities shown on the approved plan have been properly consolidated, surfaced, drained and otherwise constructed in accordance with details to be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority and these areas shall thereafter be retained and kept available for those uses at all times.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety and to ensure the free flow of traffic using the adjoining highway.

Informatives:

1.    For the avoidance of any doubt the plans for the development hereby approved are as follows:-

Site plan received on 2nd November 2006 and drawing no. 5199.

2.   The decision to grant planning permission has been taken having regard to the policies and proposals in the Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan 2007 set out below, and to all relevant material considerations including Supplementary Planning Guidance:

DR1 -        Design

DR2 -        Land Use and Activity

E13 -        Agricultural and Forestry Development

LA2 -        Landscape Character and Areas of Least Resilient to Change

This informative is only intended as a summary of the reasons for grant of planning permission.  For further detail on the decision please see the application report by contacting The Hereford Centre, Garrick House, Widemarsh Street, Hereford (Tel: 01432-261563).

(ii)     If the Head of Planning Services does not refer the application to the Planning Committee, Officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be instructed to approve the application, subject to such conditions referred to above.

[Note: Following the vote on this application, the Development Control Manager advised that, although the resolution was contrary to the officers’ recommendation, he was not minded to refer the matter to the Head of Planning Services.]