For:      Croft with Yarpole Parochial Church Council per Mr RWJ Chitham, South Bank, Green Lane, Yarpole,  Herefordshire, HR6 0BD

Ward: Bircher

The Principal Planning Officer presented the following updates:

A letter received from M G Boulton of Long Fridays, Green Lane, summarised as follows:

·       concerned about car parking, deliveries and possible increase in litter around the church;

·       when the church is busy with funerals etc. parking in Green Lane is very congested. Any emergency vehicles such as an ambulance or fire engine have great difficulty in getting through. Farm vehicles also have problems;

·       the usage of the Church by shop customers will increase the number of cars parked in the lane. The lane is unlit (this is part of the charm of Yarpole) and late afternoons inWinter are dark. With the increased traffic using the shop this has the potential of making the area more hazardous;

·       delivery vans would have to remain in Green Lane unless access was granted to enable them to drive up to the Church entrance. This in itself may then cause problems as the vans would be passing very close to the historic Bell Tower with the potential risk for damage. It is intended to have a store at the shop so deliveries would notnecessarily be small. Modifications to the entrance off Green Lane would need to be quitesubstantial, and would also necessitate a turning circle being created near the Church door where, at present, there are grave stones; and

·       how would the shop propose to manage its affairs when there was a funeral or other major event taking place at the Church?

Councillor WLS Bowen the Local Ward Member noted the concerns that had been raised by objectors but pointed out that historically churches had been used as meeting places and for commercial activities and felt that the proposal was an imaginative one which would help to revive the vitality of the local community.

The Sub-Committee agreed to a suggestion by the Principal Planning Officer that a condition should be added requiring details of the method of deliveries of goods to the shop being approved in writing by the Council prior to the scheme commencing.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:-

1 -     A01 (Time limit for commencement (full permission) )

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

2 -     A11 (Change of use only details required of any alterations )

         Reason: To define the terms under which permission for change of use is granted.

3 -     E10 (Use restricted to that specified in application )

         Reason: To suspend the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order currently in force, in order to safeguard the amenity of local residents, highway safety and the setting of the listed buildings.

4 -     Prior to the use of the proposed shop, details of the method of deliveries of goods to the shop shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

         Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

INFORMATIVES:-

1 -     N15 - Reason(s) for the Grant of PP/LBC/CAC

2 -     Non Standard

3 -     N19 - Avoidance