Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: The John Meikle Room - The Deane House. View directions

Contact: Tracey Meadows Email: t.meadows@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk 

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Items
No. Item

10.

Apologies

11.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning Committee pdf icon PDF 137 KB

    To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    (Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 20 May 2021 circulated with the agenda)

     

    Resolved that the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 20 May 2021 be confirmed as a correct record.

     

    Proposed by Councillor Hill seconded by Councillor Lithgow

     

    The Motion was carried.

12.

Declarations of Interest or Lobbying

    To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests or lobbying in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

     

    (The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.)

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-

     

    Name

    Agenda item

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr M Blaker

    6

    Ward Member

    Personal

    Spoke on the item and took part in the debate but did not vote

    Cllr C Palmer

    7

    Ward Member

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Whetlor

    5

    Ward Member statement.

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

     

    Statement from Cllr Whetlor, Ward Member for Watchet, Williton and Sampford Brett.

     

    I am declaring a personal interest as I live in Liddymore Road. I made a statement, which is of public record on the website, back in 2017 before I was a District Councillor on the Somerset West and Taunton Planning Committee. This was the meeting at which the outline planning application was approved.

     

    Today, I will be listening to the debate regarding Reserved Matters with an open mind and have not made any public statement in this regard.

     

    I also declare that I have been in contact with the Planning Officer dealing with this application regarding access arrangement to the site during construction. The Planning Officer has picked up my question re the Travel Plan with the developer.

     

    I am aware that comments are being made by Watchet Town Council of which I am also a member.

     

    I have discussed the matter with the Monitoring Officer to establish my position.

13.

Public Participation

    The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

     

    For those members of the public who have requested to speak, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

     

    Temporary measures during the Coronavirus Pandemic

    Due to the temporary legislation (within the Coronavirus Act 2020, which allowed for use of virtual meetings) coming to an end on 6 May 2021, the council’s committee meetings will now take place in the office buildings within the John Meikle Meeting Room at the Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton. Unfortunately due to capacity requirements, the Chamber at West Somerset House is not able to be used at this current moment.  

     

    Following the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), the council meeting rooms will have very limited capacity.  With this in mind, we will only be allowing those members of the public who have registered to speak to attend the meetings in person in the office buildings, if they wish (we will still be offering to those members of the public that are not comfortable in attending, for their statements to be read out by a Governance and Democracy Case Manager).  Please can we urge all members of the public who are only interested in listening to the debate to view our live webcasts from the safety of their own home to help prevent the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Application No

    Name

    Position

    Stance

    3/37/20/006

    Mrs R Woods

    Mr C Mitchell

    Mrs L Bulpin

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Cllr J Irven

     

     

    Mr S Collier

    Local resident

    Local Resident

    Chair of Governers, Knights Templar Community Church School

     

    Watchet Town Council

     

    Agent

    Objecting

    Objecting

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In favour

    3/30/20/004

    Mr Barber

    Mr Dewar

    Mr Martin

    Cllr Mansell

    Cllr Blaker

    Applicant

    Agent

    Skilgate PC

    Ward Member

    Ward Member

    In favour

    In favour

    In favour

    In favour

    In favour

    3/21/21/015

    Ms W Lewis

    Development Manager for the scheme

    In favour

     

14.

3/37/20/006 pdf icon PDF 293 KB

    Application for approval of reserved matters following Outline Application 3/37/17/020 for access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale with additional information on drainage strategy and levels for a residential development of up to 250 No. dwellings at Liddymore Farm, Liddymore Lane, Williton, Watchet, TA23 0UA

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Application for approval of Reserved Matters following Outline Application 3/37/17/020 for access, appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale with additional information on drainage strategy and levels for a residential development of up to 250 No. Dwellings at Liddymore Farm, Liddymore Lane, Williton, Watchet.

     

    Comments from members of the public included;

     

    ·       Concerns with traffic when dropping off and collecting children from school;

    ·       Concerns with the impact on existing residents;

    ·       No new homes assessment was made to see if these homes were needed in Watchet;

    ·       The application did not meet the needs of the community;

    ·       Concerns with the lack of infrastructure;

    ·       Concerns that this development would double the size of Watchet;

    ·       Concerns with the lack of a risk assessment so close to the school;

    ·       An amendment, condition or note should be added to the Decision Notice to secure S106 monies for pupils in the catchment area;

    ·       There were no outstanding concerns from Consultees regarding the application;

    ·       This development was unaffected by current phosphate issues;

    ·       This application was fully supported by the Design Panel;

    ·       The applicants have continued to work collaboratively with Officers, statutory consultees and the school;

    ·       The scheme would provide a new staff parking area for the school;

    ·       No construction vehicles would leave the site via Liddymore Road during the school drop off and pick up periods;

    ·       This site provides one of the 5 year housing land supply as it is also one of only a very few sites in West Somerset with a developer on board;

    ·       The site would provide much needed Affordable Housing in West Somerset;

     

    Comments from Members included;

     

    ·       Concerns with the heights, orientation and designs of the proposed houses;

    ·       This was an excellent much needed scheme;

    ·       Concerns with the school entrance and access to the site;

    ·       Concerns that there was no transport plan in place;

    ·       Concerns that the elderly residents on neighbouring roads were not taken into consideration in the construction of the site;

    ·       Concerns that emergency services would not be able to access the site once it was built;

    ·       Concerns with child safety;

    ·       Traffic calming measures were needed to stop speeding vehicles speeding down these narrow lanes;

    ·       Concerns with the adoption of the new road once the site was completed;

    ·       Concerns with climate emergency and the heating of the homes;

    ·       The green spaces would enhance the estate;

    ·       Concerns with shared parking spaces and on street charging points;

    ·       Concerns that there were no public transport links to the site;

    ·       Screening for the car park was needed;

    ·       Pleased with the 35% Social Housing allocation on the site;

    ·       Concerns with the size and density of the development within the area;

     

     

    Councillor Hill proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for the application to be APPROVED and for the Conditions to be agreed by the Chair (or vice-Chair) in consultation with the Council’s lawyer. 

     

    The motion was carried.

     

     

15.

3/30/20/004 pdf icon PDF 185 KB

    Erection of 2 No. luxury canvas holiday lodges (resubmission of 3/30/20/002) Little Haddon Farm, Skilgate to Little Haddon Farm, Skilgate, TA4 2DE

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Erection of 2 No. luxury canvas holiday lodges (resubmission of 3/30/20/002) Little Haddon Farm, Skilgate to Little Haddon Farm, Skilgate.

     

    Comments by members of the public included;

     

    ·       The property was previously near derelict and structurally unsafe with the land unkempt and overgrown;

    ·       A Woodland Creation grant was secured to plant over a thousand native broadleaf trees which supported the latest government plans to combat climate change;

    ·       A local service was provided to the local community by selling hay and meat boxes but unfortunately this wass not enough to make this a viable business so we must look at diversification;

    ·       The proposal would provide a unique tourist accommodation that fully supported the needs of individuals with disabilities which was only available to able bodied people in the UK;

    ·       The application was Policy compliant with the Policies stated in the reason for refusal;

    ·       The proposal was similar to others in West Somerset but was more inclusive as it catered for disabled visitors;

    ·       No objections, only strong support from members of the public and the Parish Council;

    ·       No objections from consultees;

    ·       The economic impact of this application was important for the community as it was the first example of framing diversification in the Parish;

    ·       The site was obscured by a significant band and hedge with noise, disturbance and smells insubstantial as there were no near neighbours;

    ·       There would be no impact on the trees of other listed buildings in the area;

    ·       The scale of the project was modest so no traffic congestion would ensue;

    ·       The facility would modestly provide supplementary benefit to the local community;

    ·       Concerns that people with disabilities were excluded from leisure activities that able bodied people take for granted;

     

    At this point in the meeting a 30 minute extension was proposed and seconded.

     

    ·       This application did not accord with our Policies;

    ·       Concerns that application would set a precedent if approved;

    ·       The local people and the Parish Council supported this application;

    ·       Concerns with the lack of disabled facilities in the West Country;

    ·       This application made good use of the land and should be supported;

    ·       This application was clearly diversification;

    ·       The application would bring life and vitality to the area;

    ·       There would be no detrimental impact to the surrounding area;

    ·       There would not be any increased vehicle movement to the area;

    ·       This application would bring tourism to the local community so should be supported;

     

    At this point in the meeting a 30 minute extension was proposed and seconded.

     

    Councillor Habgood proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for the application to be DEFERRED to seek further information and clarification on the applicant’s Business Plan and to access whether the Business Plan could be considered to justify an exception to the relevant policies of the adopted West Somerset Local Plan;

     

     

    The motion was carried

     

     

     

     

     

16.

3/21/21/015 pdf icon PDF 327 KB

    Erection of 54 No. low-carbon affordable homes with associated works at Land at Seaward Way, Minehead

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Erection of 54 No. low-carbon affordable homes with associated works at Land at Seaward Way, Minehead

     

    Comments by Members included;

     

    ·       This was an exciting development as there was a desperate need of social housing;

    ·       A budget for a safety net was required to ensure that cricket balls from the Cricket Club did not go into the gardens of the new homes;

     

    The Chair further extended the meeting to conclude business.

     

    ·       Buses needed to be encouraged to use this route;

    ·       Right to Buy issues. This needs to be extended to 15 years;

    ·       Great to see affordable houses coming to Minehead;

     

    Councillor Hill proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for Conditional Approval to be APPROVED

     

    The motion was carried

17.

Latest appeals and decisions received pdf icon PDF 167 KB