Agenda and draft minutes

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:

Webcast for 98.

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	Description of Interest	Reason	Action Taken
Cllr M Blaker	Wiveliscombe	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr S Coles	SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr r Habgood	31/21/0021/T 32/21/0022/T	Personal, know to applicant	Spoke and Voted
Cllr Mrs Hill	Taunton Charter Trustee	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr M Lithgow	Wellington	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr C Morgan	Stogursey	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr C Palmer	31/21/0021/T 32/21/0022/T	Personal, know to public speaker	Did not speak or vote on the application
Cllr R Tully	West Monkton	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr B Weston	Taunton Charter Trustee	Personal	Spoke and Voted
Cllr L Whetlor	Watchet	Personal	Spoke and Voted

99.

Public Participation

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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:

Webcast for 99.

Minutes:

Application No	Name	Position	Stance
18/21/0017	Mr I Walker Ms K Robinson-Burge Cllr G Wren	Local resident Chair of Halse PC Ward Member	Against Against
31/21/0021	Mrs R James	Applicant	Against
31/21/0022	Mr M Sawyer Mrs R James	Local resident Applicant	Against In favour

100.

38/21/0464 - Formation of vehicular access with associated works and alterations to highway at the Firepool Regeneration Site, Trenchard Way (and land to the south), Taunton PDF 305 KB

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Additional documents:

Webcast for 100.

Minutes:

The Vice-Chair, Councillor Hill sat in the chair for this meeting

Comments from Members included;

(summarised)

· Concerns with access for the disabled community and the steep incline up the hill;

· Discussions were needed with GWR to use the station lift to descend to ground level access to Station Road;

· Concerns with the shared path for pedestrians and cyclists;

· Concerns with the 30 MPH in Trenchard Way, this should be limited due to the fast road;

· Concerns with the loss of trade in Bridge Street;

· This access would be a big improvement on the junction;

· Concerns with the visual impact due to the amount of lamp posts in the area. Retroflected tape was needed the enhance the visibility for the visually impaired;

· Concerns with the crossing point;

· Concerns with getting the balance correct with traffic, pedestrians and cyclists;

· Lack of a Road Safety audit. This needed looking at before work commenced;

Councillor Habgood proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for Planning permission to be GRANTED subject to Conditions and an additional note to read;

The applicant is asked to consider the use of retroreflective tape on all posts, poles and freestanding columns to enhance the visibility of such obstacles to those with visual impairments.

The motion was carried.

101.

18/21/0017 - Variation of Condition No. 02 (approved plans) of application 18/20/0014 at Birch Cottage, Halse Road, Halse PDF 112 KB

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Additional documents:

Webcast for 101.

Minutes:

Comments from Members of the public included;

(summarised)

· Concerns with overlooking and loss of privacy;

· There was an established building line in Halse Road;

· Concerns with the character of the Halse Conservation Area;

· Concerns that this retrospective application would set a precedent in the area;

· Concerns that this application was built in the incorrect place and not built inline with other properties on the row;

· Concerns with loss of value to the other homes in the row;

· The development had not been built according to approved plans;

Comments by Members included:

· Concerns with the residential amenity;

· Concerns that the siting error had not picked up before building commenced;

· Current building not built in accordance with approved plans;

· Concerns with the street scene;

· Concerns with the effects of overlooking on the adjoining properties;

· Concerns with the effects on the Conservation area;

· The development was not built in accordance with approved plans;

Councillor Blaker proposed and Habgood seconded a motion for the application to be REFUSED

Reasons – Impact on the residential amenity of the development and the effect on the Conservation Area;

The motion was carried.

102.

31/21/0021 - Application to carry out management works to one Oak tree included in Taunton Deane Borough (Ruishton No.1) Tree Preservation Order 2008 to the rear of 40 Newlands Road, Taunton (TD1051) PDF 99 KB

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Additional documents:

Webcast for 102.

Minutes:

This application had one presentation and was voted on separately

Comments from members of the public included:

(summarised)

· The crown reduction of this tree would not be sufficient to reduce the sail area of the tree and the end weight of the branches;

· Concerns that the tree was spread across six other properties in Newland Road and Coronation Close;

· Concerns that this tree can no longer be managed due to ‘summer branch drop’;

Comments by Members include:

(summarised)

· The tree needed to be felled and replaced with a younger tree in a suitable area;

· Concerns with the impact of the pruning;

· Concerns that the trunk would continue to expand and block access to the properties;

· Concerns with climate change and the effect on the tree;

· Neighbour concerns with the tree;

· Crown reduction would significantly reduce the risk for branch drop;

· Regular inspections were needed to check for disease on the tree;

Councillor Lithgow proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for Conditional approval to be APPROVED as per officer recommendation.

The motion was carried.

103.

31/21/0022 - Application to fell one Oak tree included in Taunton Deane Borough (Ruishton No.1) Tree Preservation Order 2008 at 40 Newlands Road, Ruishton (TD1051) PDF 114 KB

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Additional documents:

Webcast for 103.

Minutes:

Councillor Lithgow proposed and Councillor Wakefield seconded a motion for the application to fell one Oak tree be REFUSED as per officer recommendation.

The motion was carried.

104.

42/21/0081 - Demolition of garage and erection of a single Storey extension to the side of Trendle, 49 Church Road, Trull PDF 89 KB