Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring disclosable interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is pecuniary or non-pecuniary.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Members declared the following interests:

Councillors R Boam, J Cotterill and M Specht declared a non pecuniary interest in in items A3, application number 15/00499/FULM and A4, application number 15/00500/FULM as appointed Members by North West Leicestershire District Council of the Thringstone House Community Centre Executive Committee; therefore they would leave the meeting during the consideration and voting thereon.

Councillor J G Coxon declared a non pecuniary interest in items A1, application number 15/00306/OUTM, A3, application number 15/00499/FULM, A4, application number 15/00500/FULM and A7, application number 15/00710/FUL as a Member of Ashby de la Zouch Town Council and in A3, application number 15/00499/FULM and A4, application number 15/00500/FULM as an appointed Member by Leicestershire County Council of the Thringstone House Community Centre Executive Committee, but he had not taken part in any discussions.

Councillor R Johnson declared a non pecuniary interest in item A2, application number 15/00032/FULM as a Member of Hugglescote and Donington le Heath Parish Council.

Councillor G Jones declared a non pecuniary interest in items A1, application number 15/00306/OUTM and A7, application number 15/00710/FUL as a Member of Ashby de la Zouch Town Council.

Councillor J Legrys declared a non pecuniary interest in items A3, application number 15/00499/FULM and A4, application number 15/00500/FULM as an acquaintance of one of the speakers; therefore he would leave the meeting during the consideration and voting thereon.

Councillor N Smith declared a non pecuniary interest it items A3, application number 15/00499/FULM and A4, application number 15/00500/FULM as he had been approached by the local school in relation to increased educational involvement but he took no part in the negotiations; he would however leave the meeting during the consideration and voting thereon.

Councillor D J Stevenson declared a non pecuniary interest in item A2, application number 15/00032/FULM as a friend of the applicant; therefore he would leave the meeting during the consideration and voting thereon.

Members declared that they had been lobbied without influence in respect of various applications below:

Item A1, application number 15/00306/OUTM

Councillor J Hoult.

Item A3, application number 15/00499/FULM

Councillors R Adams, R Canny, J Cotterill, J Hoult, R Johnson, G Jones and M Specht.

Item A4, application number 15/00500/FULM

Councillors R Adams, R Canny, J Cotterill, J Hoult, R Johnson, G Jones and M Specht.

Item A5, application number 15/00510/FUL

Councillor R Adams.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 4 August 2015.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 4 August 2015.

Councillor R Johnson requested that a sentence under minute number 37 be amended to read ‘The Senior Planning Officer assured Members that the noise assessment was undertaken at the facility and the recordings were assessed in a desk exercise.

RESOLVED THAT:

Subject to the above amendment, the minutes of the meeting held on 4 August 2015 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration, as amended by the update sheet circulated at the meeting.

Land North Of Butt Lane And East Of Hepworth Road Woodville/Blackfordby Swadlincote

The Planning and Development Team Manager presented the report to Members and read out a letter of objection from Andrew Bridgen MP:

Councillor S McKendrick, Ward Member, addressed the Committee. She informed Members that the village was a rural location and had a strong identity. She highlighted that the site was outside the Limits to Development and that the Greenfield space should be maintained to avoid urban sprawl. She raised concerns that there was no agreement to strengthen the infrastructure adding that the school would be oversubscribed and there was no capacity in any of the schools in Derbyshire therefore making the development unsustainable. She stated that the application was inappropriate and urged Members to refuse.

Mr M Ball, Town Councillor, addressed the Committee. He reminded Members that it was only three months since the last application was considered and it appeared that there were the same shortcomings, and stated that the village had no wish to be part of the South Derbyshire urban sprawl. He highlighted that:

-        the site was outside the Limits to Development,

-        the Council had its five year housing land supply,

-        91 dwellings would increase the size of the village by 25%,

-        The school was at full capacity

-        Residents of the development would be reliant on their cars, leading to an increase in traffic on a highway that was not fit for purpose,

-        The proposed access was inappropriate,

-        the sewers would not cope with the additional properties.

He urged the Committee to refuse the application.

Mr R Nettleton, objector, addressed the Committee. He expressed concerns that the location was unsustainable and over the impact that the development would have on the current drain and sewage system. He stated that the old system was over capacity and an additional hundred homes would add to the issue. He advised the Committee that the area had suffered from severe flooding seven or eight times a year and that the resident’s fears of raw sewage in their houses and gardens should be a material consideration for refusal.

Mr R Woolston, agent, addressed the Committee. He advised the Members that the officer conclusion that the site was sustainable was fair and that the development would include walking and cycling links to both villages. He highlighted that there was already development on 3 sides of the site therefore this would be infill. He stated that the land was low quality farm land and the housing land supply was minimal therefore the development was considered acceptable in principle. He added that there were no technical objections or material reasons for refusal and urged Members to support the application.

A motion to refuse the application on the grounds that the development would be outside the Limits to Development and unsustainable was moved by Councillor J G Coxon and seconded by Councillor J Legrys.

Councillor J G Coxon stated that he was concerned that the development would ruin the separation and that space was needed between the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

Land Off Forest Road Hugglescote Leicestershire

Having declared a non-pecuniary interest, Councillor D J Stevenson left the chair and the meeting and took no part in the consideration or voting thereon.

Councillor J Bridges took the chair for the consideration of the item.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

Mr K Lawrence, agent, addressed the Committee. He stated that the application had varied during the process following discussions and all comments had been taken into account. He highlighted to Members that:

-        There would be pedestrian links to proposed sites

-        The sub-station would be relocated, but the location had not been agreed yet,

-        A surface water proposal would be adopted by Severn Trent Water and

-        A speed survey had been undertaken.

He reminded Members that there were no technical objections and urged them to approve the application.

The Senior Planning Officer advised Members that an additional note to the applicant, should the application be permitted, had been included in the update sheet.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor M Specht and seconded by Councillor G Jones.

Councillor R Johnson highlighted that the report stated that there were no previous planning applications on the site and advised that an application in 1997 for a bungalow was refused. He felt that all previous planning applications were relevant for Members to consider.

Councillor N Smith stated that he could not see how the application could be refused as there were no technical objections to it.

Councillor J G Coxon queried if the sub-station move would be funded by the developer.

Councillor M B Wyatt expressed concern over the volume of traffic along Forest Road and stated that the additional cars would have an adverse effect. He added that the application should be refused.

Councillor R Johnson advised the Committee that he had called in the application and that the reason for doing so was threefold. Firstly he felt that the application was premature and prejudicial in the bigger picture of the development of south east Coalville. He stated that the second was that there was no area of separation, highlighting that the Masterplan clearly showed that the paddock of land was intended to be kept as a green buffer area from the Forest Road residents to the Davidsons first phase of 81 homes and the second phase of 190 homes application that he expected to come to Committee in the not too distant future, which were the first of many as permitted by the Committee in the previous December. He added that there was to be 625 homes built between the old railway bridge on Grange Road up to Newbridge Academy, therefore Hugglescote would be taking 39% of all development envisaged in the new proposed Local Plan. He expressed his third reason was the most important and that was the proposed access onto an already dangerous road, stating that no matter how technical someone looked at it, it was very dangerous. Councillor R Johnson advised that a speed watch campaign  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

Land To The East Side B4116 Ashby De La Zouch And North Of Measham Road

Having declared non-pecuniary interests in both items A3 & A4, Councillors R Boam, J Cotterill, J Legrys, N Smith and M Specht left the meeting and took no part in the consideration and voting thereon.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the reports for A3 and A4 to Members.

The Planning and Development Team Manager read out a letter received from Andrew Bridgen MP:

Ms A Wilmot, objector, addressed the Committee. She advised Members that she had concerns over the substandard access to the site and that residents along the road already found it difficult to join from the right. She highlighted that badgers lived in the fields and this would affect their setts and that there were already four solar panel farms near Packington and that no thought had been given to the residents. She reminded Members that the local MP had stated that there was no longer pressure to approve the applications. She went on to advise the Committee that the applicant had made no contact with the residents of Park Farm and had not kept in touch and expressed concerns over who would dismantle and clear the land at the end of the 25 years.

Ms S Rickers, objector, addressed the Committee. She advised the Members that when she had attended a consultation on the application the main objection was the proposed HS2 line. She advised that the land owner had put in the application, however until any decision had been made on the line the application should remain in limbo. She added that a decision on HS2 was not expected until December at the earliest therefore the application should not be considered.

Ms S Bangert, agent, addressed the Committee. She advised the Members that both applications were sustainable and that the second application could not go ahead if the first was refused.  She stated that the site was 1.6% of the farmholding and that sheep would still be able to graze in the area. She highlighted to Members that:

-       the solar farm would be there for 25 years only,

-       there were more supporters than objectors,

-       It was one of many schemes nationally that was helping to meet the targets of reducing carbon emissions,

-       Members of the public had the opportunity to own shares in the site

She concluded by urging Members to support the application.

Mr B Dodd, on behalf of Green Fox Community Energy, addressed the Committee. He outlined to Members the role that Green Fox Community Energy played in the application and that should the applications be permitted there would be a share opportunity for local residents. He advised Members that Thringstone Community Centre had approached the company as it was seeking other ways of generating income following grant cuts and that the small solar farm would generate some of the required finance. He urged the Committee to support the applications.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor M B Wyatt and seconded by Councillor D Everitt.

Councillor M B  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

Land To The East Of B4116 Ashby De La Zouch And North Of Measham Road

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor M B Wyatt and seconded by Councillor R Adams.

Councillor V Richichi stated that he felt that the piece of land in question would benefit from tree planting and was against the recommendation.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Development.

Councillors R Boam, J Cotterill, J Legrys, N Smith and M Specht returned to the meeting.

Forest Way Area Special School Warren Hills Road Coalville

The Planning and Development Team Manager presented the report to Members.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor J Bridges and seconded by Councillor M B Wyatt.

Councillor M B Wyatt stated that he had received a couple of concerns from local residents, however he was a big supporter of wind turbines and was happy to support the recommendation.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Regeneration.

Lowlands Farm Measham Road Oakthorpe

The Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

The officer’s recommendation for no objection was moved by Councillor J Legrys and seconded by Councillor M Specht.

RESOLVED THAT:

The prior notification be granted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Regeneration.

10 Churchill Close Ashby De La Zouch Leicestershire

The Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

Mr J Wesker, objector, addressed the meeting. He highlighted his objections that he had previously submitted, advising Members that:

-        the extension would come right up to the boundary,

-        the dormer windows would overlook his property, causing loss of privacy,

-        the amended plans show a lower ridge, but only by 4%

-        the report stated that it was typical of semi-detached properties, but advised the Committee that these were detached properties.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor J Legrys and seconded by Councillor J Cotterill.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the Head of Planning and Regeneration.

Breedon Hall Main Street Breedon On The Hill

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor J Bridges and seconded by Councillor R Johnson.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Regeneration.

Breedon Hall Main Street Breedon On The Hill

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report to Members.

The officer’s recommendation to permit was moved by Councillor R Johnson and seconded by Councillor J Legrys.

RESOLVED THAT:

The application be permitted in accordance with the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Regeneration.