Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillors Mrs L M Broadley, D M Carter, J Kaufman and Mrs L Kaufman.

Members are reminded that any declaration of interest should be made having regard to the Members’ Code of Conduct. In particular, Members must make clear the nature of the interest and whether it is 'pecuniary' or ‘non-pecuniary'.

None.

To read, confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting in accordance with Rule 17 of Part 4 of the Constitution.

By affirmation of the meeting, it was

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 28 June 2018 be taken as read, confirmed and signed.

To receive any Petitions and, or, Deputations in accordance with Rule 24 of Part 4 of the Constitution.

None.

In accordance with Rule 14.1 of Part 4 of the Constitution, a motion needs to be proposed and seconded before the Committee can debate a planning application. This is an administrative process designed to assist the Chair to manage the meeting effectively and efficiently. This is not an indication of how the proposer and seconder intend to cast their votes at the conclusion of the debate. Members can only make a decision once they have considered the content of the debate and all of the information in front of them.

Mr T Coleman spoke upon the application as an objector. A copy of the objector’s representations is filed together with these minutes at Annex A.

The Committee gave consideration to the report (at pages 5 - 12) as delivered and summarised by the Planning Control Team Leader which should be read together with these minutes as a composite document. It was reported that an updated petition objecting to the application had been received with additional signatories.

A debate thereon was had whereby Members acknowledged that the application was open to a subjective interpretation in terms of its perceived appearance within the existing street-scene by virtue of the fact that the existing dwelling occupied a corner plot on both sides of Whiteoaks Road and Glenway. Whilst most Members considered that the existing dwelling was defined by its address at Whiteoaks Road, and therefore ought to be seen as part of that street scene context, comprising of one-story dwelling, it was accepted that, in the absence of any specific planning policy restricting the conversion of bungalows, any refusal on the grounds of it being “out of character” alone would not be sufficiently robust to challenge on any appeal.

In reaching its decision, the Committee was advised that given the duality of the two street scene contexts and the unique corner plot siting, if Members were minded to grant permission, a precedent in favour of bungalow conversions along Whiteoaks Road would not be established. In view of other concerns having been raised by Members, the Committee was also advised that, in order to soften the visual bulk of the proposed development, an additional landscaping condition could be attached.

It was moved by Councillor Mrs H E Loydall, seconded by Councillor R E R Morris and

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

An additional condition be attached requiring a detailed scheme of landscaping and measures for the protection of trees to be retained during the course of development  to be submitted to and approved prior to the commencement of development.

It was moved by the Chair, seconded by Councillor R E R Morris and

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be GRANTED planning permission in accordance with the submitted documents and plans and subject to the prescribed conditions (as amended).

Votes For                  6

Votes Against          1

Abstentions             1

Mr N Hardy, spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, spoke upon the application on behalf of the applicant. A copy of the spokesperson’s representations is filed together with these minutes at Annex B.

Mr M Chenery spoke upon the application on behalf of those residents living in the immediate private-estate adjacent to the application site as an objector. A copy of the objector’s representations is filed together with these minutes at Annex C.

The Committee gave consideration to the report (at pages 13 - 25) as delivered and summarised by the Planning Control Team Leader which should be read together with these minutes as a composite document. It was reported that two additional letters of representation objecting to the application had been received citing similar concerns as those already summarised within the body of the report (as page 17).

A debate thereon was had whereby Members emphasised that their primary duty was to safeguard the amenity and wellbeing of those affected residents as far as it was within their power to do so. In particular, the Committee stated that the treatment along the site’s eastern boundary required: a wall of suitable design and material to effectively and securely separate the application and neighbouring sites; the internal planting of mature trees to provide an immediate visual-acoustic barrier; and arrangements in place for the ongoing maintenance of other soft landscaping features. In relation to the site’s external lighting and CCTV arrangements, it requested that Ward Members be consulted on the same prior to their approval.

In reaching its decision, the Committee was assured that conditions 6 and 7 of the original outline permission would be properly discharged by Officers, with the benefit of their professional-technical aptitude, to ensure that the interests of the site’s security and the residential and visual amenity of the area would be fully met and protected. Members were advised that any proposed CCTV coverage onto private-residential property would not be complaint with the recently-implemented General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In respect of the various requests made by the objector, the Committee was advised that the majority of the matters referred to were not capable of being conditioned or acted upon insofar as they either fell outside the scope of the defined application site or the Council’s general remit of responsibility.

It was moved by the Chair, seconded by the Councillor D A Gamble and

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

(i)       The conditions (as set out in the report) be discharged; and

(ii)     The additional condition and informatives (as set out in the report) be attached.