Agenda and minutes

There were none.

The Chairman informed the Committee that the Council was undertaking an audio recording of the meeting which subsequently failed to record.  Councillor T Smith also informed the Chairman that he was recording parts of the meeting.

AGREED           that the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2019 be approved as a                    correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought retrospective planning permission for the variation of conditions 02, 03, 04 and 05 of planning permission 16/01369/FUL to allow the new access junction to be constructed wholly within highway land or that owned by the applicant.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Agent; Highways Authority and local residents.

Councillor P Scorer representing Southwell Town Council spoke against the application in accordance with the views of Southwell Town Council as contained within the report.

The Chairman commented that there was an inaccuracy within the report and confirmed that the visibility splays were 2.3 x 43 metres.  The Director of Growth & Regeneration confirmed that the County Highways had demonstrated a splay of 2.3 x 43 metres in both directions was achievable.

The Chairman commented that conditions 4 and 5 of the report should be amended to reflect the measurement of 2.3 x 43 metres to the left and right.

Members commented that a relaxation in normal standards was of concern given the location of the access, number of properties served, and the vehicles were clearly damaging the kerbs already. It was felt that an independent disability consultant; risk assessment; and swept path analysis be undertaken.

A Member commented that the application had come back to Committee prematurely as the access issues had not been resolved. The boundary disputes and sub-station disputes had not been resolved and as a reasonable authority we should intervene.  

Minute Nos. 46 & 47 – Springfield Bungalow, Nottingham Road, Southwell (19/00689/FUL) and (19/00779/FULM)

It was noted that during the verbal presentation of the reports for the above applications an error had occurred with how Condition 11 had been referred to but that all information contained within the written reports had been correct.  It was noted that the condition should have been referred to as a “pre-commencement condition”.  The Chairman advised that a note would be added to the signed minutes of the meeting to clarify the matter.

A vote was taken for approval and lost with 2 votes For and 11 votes Against.

AGREED                       (unanimously) that contrary to Officer recommendation                                            planning permission be refused on the grounds of access,                                          traffic and safety.

In accordance with paragraph 12.5 of the Planning Protocol, as the motion was against officer recommendation, a recorded vote was taken.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for variation of condition 11 of planning permission 15/01295/FULM to allow the new access junction to be constructed wholly within highway land or that owned by the applicant.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Highways Authority and local residents.

AGREED                       (unanimously) that contrary to Officer recommendation                                         planning permission be refused on the grounds of access,                                          traffic and safety.

In accordance with paragraph 12.5 of the Planning Protocol, as the motion was against officer recommendation, a recorded vote was taken.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for the installation of 5 x 4000 litre underground tanks with associated Secondary Regulator Housing Cabinet and amendments to the already approved equipped play area.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Applicant.

Members considered the application acceptable providing that a more prominent warning notice be displayed and included within the conditions.

AGREED      (unanimously) that full planning permission be approved subject to the conditions contained within the report and the amendment to include the warning signage and the signing and sealing of a Deed of Variation to the S106 attached to 14/00161/FULM (for the erection of 50 dwellings) to require an off-site commuted sum towards open space provision and an additional item of play equipment.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for application for the variation of Conditions 9 (hard and soft landscaping), 17 (external materials), 19 (boundary treatment) and 25 (approved plans) attached to planning permission 14/00161/FULM (the erection of 50 dwellings with associated infrastructure, landscaping and public open space and surgery car park extension providing 11 car park spaces). The variation includes the addition of a substation and fibre box cabinet plus amendments to the landscaping, open space, play area, boundary treatments and materials

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Applicant.

Members considered the application and suggested that mature hedging and boxing be planted in order to maximise the chance of survival of the planting scheme as a result of the variation. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that full planning permission be approved subject to the conditions contained within the report with the amendment to include mature hedging and boxing and the signing and sealing of a Deed of Variation to the S106 attached to 14/00161/FULM ( for the erection of 50 dwellings) to link it to this permission.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for the erection of 4 houses consisting of 2 No. 3 Bed semi-detached houses and 2 No. 2 Bed semi-detached bungalows (Re-submission of application 18/00792/FUL).

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from Nottinghamshire County Council Highways.

Nottinghamshire County Council Highways had suggested an amendment to the conditions as follows:

·         Condition 5 shown within the Officer report should be replaced with Nottinghamshire County Council Highways Condition 1, as contained in the Schedule of Communication;

·         Condition 7 shown within the Officers report should be replaced with Nottinghamshire County Council Highways Conditions 2 & 3 as shown in the Schedule of Communication.

Members considered the application and some Members felt that whilst they would like to see this waste site developed, they felt that the land could have been better used and the proposed development was not in keeping with the surrounding area as the site was surrounded by bungalows.  Other Members felt that the proposed development would bring the site back to life and provided much needed homes.

AGREED           (with 8 votes For and 5 votes Against) that planning permission be                         approved subject to the conditions contained within the report with                the amendments to Conditions 5 and 7 as detailed in the Schedule of                       Communication.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for the construction of a four bedroomed dormer bungalow with associated access arrangements and all other works.

Members considered the application and whilst some Members felt that the building was too large for the site, other Members considered the development acceptable.

AGREED           (with 10 votes For and 3 votes Against) that full planning permission be                 approved subject to the conditions contained within the report.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for a single storey 3 bed dwelling and separate garage which was a Re-submission of 19/00219/FUL.

Members considered the application acceptable.

AGREED                       (with 10 votes For, 1 vote Against and 2 Abstentions) that                                       planning permission be approved subject to the conditions                                     contained within the report.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission to change the existing pitched roof of the rear bathroom extension to a flat roof to increase internal hoisting height.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Applicant.

AGREED           (unanimously) that planning permission be approved subject to the                       conditions contained within the report.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for the erection of a single storey side extension to Rainworth Village Hall.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from Rainworth Parish Council, notifying that they were in support of the scheme.

AGREED           (unanimously) that planning permission be approved subject                                  to the conditions contained within the report.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which sought planning permission for a Neighbour Planning Application Reference PL/0055/18, for the demolition of an existing animal by products processing plant and all associated installations.  The construction of a new animal by products processing plant, composed of: raw material reception and process buildings; engineers building; boiler house; oxidiser building and flue; DAF plant; effluent treatment plant; bio filter bed; general office; weighbridge and weighbridge office; hardstanding areas for accessing the processing plant and for parking of cars, commercial vehicles and trailers used in connection with the operation. Residential development to provide three environmentally sustainable eco affordable homes and one manager's house for the processing plant. Alterations to the existing site access from Jerusalem Road. All associated development, including landscaping.

A schedule of communication was tabled at the meeting which detailed correspondence received after the agenda was published from the Planning Case Officer.

The local ward Member commented that Thorney Parish Council had objected to this development and the proposals affected three small villages that she represented.  Those three villages had problems with odour and traffic created by the processing plant.

AGREED           (unanimously) that Newark and Sherwood District Council support                        Lincoln County Council in their objection.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Growth & Regeneration, which set out the findings of an internal review of the current Scheme of Delegation (SoD) in relation to planning matters and to request that Members consider amending the SoD in line with the concluding recommendations. If the Planning Committee were minded to support the proposed changes, the matter would be advanced to the Councillors Commission and then Full Council.  The current SoD formed part of the Council’s Constitution and set out a set of criteria for committee and officer decisions.

The reason for the review was due to a number of factors.

Ø  The SoD was last updated in July 2018. It was best practice to review this from time to time and it made sense to do this early into the new Council’s administrative term.

Ø  Also of importance was to see if there was scope to reduce the size and frequency of agendas (and the length of time that these meetings last) thereby reducing Member time and officer resources.  More importantly by reducing agenda sizes it would help focus attention on the more complex and strategic applications as well as improving the (perceived) quality of decision making, particularly towards the end of long committee meetings.

Ø  Furthermore, reducing the number of planning matters that needed to be reported to the Planning Committee should assist in helping to meet the stretched internal performance targets introduced in the Newark and Sherwood District Council Community Plan (adopted 2019) which aspired that 90% of all applications should be determined within a specified target date, as opposed to current national performance targets of 60%, 65% and 80% depending on the type of application.

Ø  There was a number of application types that the SoD did not currently capture which needed to be rectified, such as the new ‘Planning in Principle’ and ‘Technical Details Consent’ application type.

The report detailed the existing committee arrangements and scheme of delegation for Newark and Sherwood District Council; the existing committee arrangements and scheme of delegation at other authorities.  The types of applications being considered by Newark and Sherwood District Council and the reasons why applications were considered were also detailed.

The report detailed six options as follows:

Option 1 - Minor Dwellings to be delegated contrary to Parish/Town Council regardless of the professional recommendation.

Option 2 - Minor Dwellings to be delegated Contrary to Parish/Town Council where officer recommendation is for refusal only

Option 3 - Member Call In/Referral Powers

Option 4 - Possible Change to Householder Call-In

Option 5 - Applications to Vary or Remove Planning Conditions not automatically determined by Committee

Option 6 - Major Applications where Parish/Town Council Support Contrary to Recommendation

The Chairman informed the Committee that the reason for the review was because the Council had approved the Community Plan and there was an aspiration that 90% of planning applications be determined in the stipulated date.

A Member commented that he disagreed with the report and that Planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

AGREED           that the report be noted.