Ward: Ledbury

Retrospective application for temporary structure, children’s climbing frame in rear garden.

The Planning Officer reported the receipt of a letter from the applicant and summarised its contents.

Councillor B.F. Ashton, a Local Ward Member, noted that this proposal had received substantial coverage in the media and felt it regrettable that officers had been portrayed in a bad light.  He felt that the application was temporarily acceptable but felt that there was a need to screen the structure as much as possible.

The Development Control Manager noted that advice provided by officers was sometimes misunderstood or misinterpreted but felt that it would be a negative step if officers provided no pre-application advice.  He commented that, if the application was not retrospective, planning permission could have been granted as long as measures were taken to prevent overlooking.  He felt that a temporary permission was an acceptable compromise and sought Members’ views about the length of time allowed.

Councillor D.W. Rule M.B.E., also a Local Ward Member, noted that the applicant had a young family and suggested that the permission should be for more than a year.

Councillor Mrs. J.P. French proposed that a temporary permission for five years would be acceptable, subject to the introduction of mature planting to effectively screen the structure before the summer.  Councillor Ashton commented that leylandii should not be permitted.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to the following condition:

1 -     This permission shall expire on 22nd February, 2011.  Unless further permission is granted in writing by the local planning authority prior to the end of that period, the use hereby approved shall permanently cease.

Reason: To enable the local planning authority to give further consideration of the acceptability of the proposed use after the temporary period has expired.

2 -     Within one month of the date of this permission a detailed landscaping scheme showing the species, number and location of the proposed planting shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  Work shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details during the current planting season. 

Reason: In the interests of securing additional privacy to adjoining properties and in order to mitigate the impact of the development in the wider street scene.

3 -     All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the occupation of the buildings or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner, and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless the local planning authority gives written consent to any variation.  If any plants fail more than once they shall continue to be replaced on an annual basis until the end of the 5 year defects period.

Reason: In order to protect the visual amenities of the area.

Informative:

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