Erection of a freestanding restaurant with drive-thru facility, car parking, landscaping and associated works, including customer order displays (COD), goal post height restrictor, play frame and pumping station.

Application refused contrary to the case officer’s recommendation.

Councillor Chris Bartram left the committee to act as the local Ward member for the application below.

The Principal Planning Officer gave a presentation on the application and the updates/representations received following the publication of the agenda, as provided in the update sheet and appended to these minutes.

In accordance the criteria for public speaking Ms Foreman spoke on behalf of Ross-on-Wye Town Council, Ms Hall, local resident, spoke in objection to the application and Mr Watt, the applicant, 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 site was at a sensitive location close to a large roundabout on significant and busy highway infrastructure. There were health objections to the application and its impact on childhood obesity particularly given the proximity to John Kyrle High School. The application if approved would be contrary to statutory requirements for the council to improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Herefordshire. The application was also contrary to paragraph 92 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and planning policy guidance relating to the health and wellbeing of local residents. The application site was close to the Wye Valley Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) and located on an important gateway into the AONB. It was considered that the application would have a detrimental impact upon the AONB and would alter the views, setting and character of the AONB. In terms of its impact upon the AONB, the application was contrary to Core Strategy policies LD1 and SD1. The economic impact of the application upon Ross-on-Wye town centre was queried. The assessments of the impact of the application upon the town centre were inadequate and it had not been demonstrated that there would be no negative impact as required by the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). It was also queried why the town centre would not have been an acceptable location for the type of restaurant contained in the application. The traffic surveys accompanying the application were queried. The surveys dated from 2019 from the Department for Transport indicated that traffic flows has increased markedly since this time. A locally commissioned traffic survey in September 2022 had shown the traffic volumes were up to 30% higher than those quoted in the 2019 survey. The impact of the proposed development upon the local highway network and traffic volumes was unacceptable and was contrary to Core Strategy policies SS4 and MT1.

The committee debated the application. During consideration of the application the committee raised the following concerns:

- the increase in the number of car movements arising from the application and the impact upon local residents’ amenity and living conditions. There would be a detrimental impact upon air quality in the area. The impact of a significant increase in car movements upon local residential amenity, for those residents living adjacent to the proposed site, was unacceptable. The noise, emissions and headlight glare from cars accessing the application site would be unacceptable upon residential amenity. The increase in the number of car journeys and the impact upon highways safety was unacceptable. There was particular concern that pupils from the local high school would access the fast food restaurant across busy local roads. The unacceptable impact upon residential amenity posed by the increase in traffic volumes was the contrary to Core Strategy policies SS6 and SD1. The unacceptable impact upon highway safety was contrary to Core Strategy policy MT1.

- the detrimental impact of a fast food restaurant upon the health and well-being of local residents and inconsistency with the council's public health objectives to reduce childhood obesity and statutory duty to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the local population. The application was contrary to paragraphs 8 and 92 of the NPPF.

- the location of the application and the drive-through facilities proposed would encourage an increase in car journeys. This was contrary to Core Strategy policy MT1 to reduce car journeys and also contrary to core strategy policy SS7 to address climate change.

- the economic impact of the proposed development upon the sustainability and vitality of the town centre was unacceptable and contrary to policy E2 of the Ross-on-Wye NDP.

The local ward member was given the opportunity to close the debate. He thanked the committee for their consideration of the application.

A motion that the application be refused due to: unacceptable impact on residential amenity and highway safety (contrary to core strategy policies SS6, SD1 and MT1); unacceptable impact upon the health and well-being of the local population posed by a fast food restaurant (contrary to paragraphs 8 and 92 of the NPPF); unacceptable impact on highways network resulting in an increase in car journeys and the detrimental impact upon climate change (contrary to Core Strategy policies MT1 and SS7); and unacceptable economic impact upon Ross-on-Wye town centre (contrary to policy E2 of the Ross-on-Wye NDP): was proposed by Councillor Toni Fagan and seconded by Councillor Stef Simmons. The motion was put to the vote and was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED – that:

The application is refused due to: unacceptable impact on residential amenity and highway safety (contrary to core strategy policies SS6, SD1 and MT1); unacceptable impact upon the health and well-being of the local population posed by a fast food restaurant (contrary to paragraphs 8 and 92 of the NPPF); unacceptable impact on highways network resulting in an increase in car journeys and the detrimental impact upon climate change (contrary to Core Strategy policies MT1 and SS7); and unacceptable economic impact upon Ross-on-Wye town centre (contrary to policy E2 of the Ross-on-Wye NDP).

There was an adjournment at 11.12; the meeting reconvened at 11.26.