Agenda and draft minutes

SWT Planning Committee
Thursday, 30th March, 2023 1.00 pm

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

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

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

137.

Apologies

138.

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

    Minute No.

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr I Aldridge

    Item 8, correspondence received from the public. Judgement not fettered.

    Williton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC, Taunton Charter Trustee & Shadow Taunton Town

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Griffiths

    Item 7

    The pub was used as a campaign and voting centre

    Personal

    Spoke and voted

    Cllr R Habgood

    Item 8, correspondence received. Discretion not fettered

    Personal emails received

    Personal

    Spoke and voted

    Cllr Mrs Hill

    Item 8. Correspondence received. Discretion not fettered.

    Taunton Charter Trustee & Shadow Taunton Town

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Lithgow

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Palmer

    Item 8. Attended Minehead Planning committee meetings regarding 3/21/23/014. Did not speak or vote on the application. Correspondences also received. Discretion not fettered.

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Tully

    Item 5, Ward Member. Also a member of Monkton Heathfield PC. Meetings have been had with the developer. Discretion not fettered.

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr B Weston

    Item 8, correspondence from members of the public, discretion not fettered.

    Taunton Charter Trustee & Shadow Taunton Town

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr K Wheatley

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Whetlor

    Items 7 & 8

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr G Wren

    Item 8, peripheral involvement with issues surrounding the Blenheim Gardens café. Attended zoom meetings on the matter. Scrutiny Chair going forward.

    SCC & Clerk to Milverton PC

    Personal

    Withdraw from the meeting when this application is presented.

     

139.

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 submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

     

    We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, but you can also access them on the Somerset West and Taunton webcasting website.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Application No.

    Name

    Position

    Stance

    14/21/0047/HYB

    I Jewson

    Agent

    In favour

    3/21/23/014

    C Bolton

    S Martyn

    K Woolgar

    Cllr Lawton

    Cllr Hodson

    A Seckleman

    Local Resident

    Local Resident

    Local Resident

    Minehead TC

    Minehead TC

    Local Resident

    Opposed

    Opposed

    Opposed

    Opposed

    Opposed

    Opposed

    37/22/0008

    K Middleton-Smith

    N Beddoe

    Cllr Wakefield

    Applicant

     

    Agent

    Ward Member

    In favour

     

    In favour

    In favour

     

140.

14/21/0047/HYB - Application for a Hybrid Planning application for Outline planning permission with all matters reserved, except for access related to the A38, for the second phase of the Monkton Heathfield development comprising of a residential and mixed use Garden Neighbourhood including up to 1210 No. dwellings, up to 4.83 hectares of land for strategic employment uses, 8 hectares of land for a through school, mixed use district centre, community facilities, green infrastructure, drainage works, land for a 600 No. space 'Bus and Ride' facility, relief road (EER2) and associated works and for Full planning permission for the erection of 240 No. dwellings with access, including temporary access arrangements, and associated infrastructure works on land east of the A38, south of Walford Cross, Monkton Heathfield Land East of the A38, south of Walford Cross, Monkton Heathfield pdf icon PDF 140 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         This was a large complex site and over the last 6 months meaningful discussions had been had with officers and consultees to get this site right;

    ·         Engagement with the quality review panel had been had to discuss the proposals along with workshops and these had been very fruitful;

    ·         Regular meetings have been had with the Parish Council and we were making great strides towards a successful outcome on this application;

    ·         The Planning performance Agreement has been extended to provide further resources to officers to enable the discussions to go on and we are looking forward to presenting a revised proposals to the council as soon as possible in the coming months;

     

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         Pleased with the progress that had been made on this site;

    ·         An integrated village was planned, this has not happened. Now we are left with the village divided into 3 sections, splitting up the village;

    ·         Concerns with the lack of a Community Centre in the village;

    ·         Concerned that this development had been built ‘piece meal’ and not as one development;

    ·         Lack of two further bus gates to calm the traffic in the village;

    ·         Concerns with the Doctors surgeries being oversubscribed;

     

    Councillor Hill proposed, and Councillor Tully seconded a motion for Officers to seek agreement from the Planning Committee to not enact part ii) of the previous resolution to refuse the application because in the view of Officers significant progress has been made but it is requested Members further

    resolve to give a further 6 months for the LPA and applicant to continue

    working towards an agreed masterplan and revised submission with

    Environment Statement addendum, but maintaining the option to delegate a

    refusal in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Somerset West

    Planning Committee of Somerset Council should progress not continue in the

    way required by the LPA.

     

    The motion was carried.

141.

42/22/0076 - Application for approval of reserved matters following outline approval 42/14/0069 for the appearance, layout and scale for the erection of a bat house and associated works at Orchard Grove Urban Extension at Comeytrowe. Orchard Grove, Land at Comeytrowe/Trull, Taunton pdf icon PDF 854 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         Concerns who will be responsible for the Bat house once it is built and how they will be attracted to the new structure;

    ·         Pleased that we are supporting the local wildlife;

    ·         Queries over the ongoing maintenance plan due to the structure being made of wood;

    ·          Happy that due to the layout of the development this would allow the bats to avoid the built-up area and shield it from security lights on houses;

     

     

    Councillor Hill proposed, and Councillor seconded a motion that planning permission be GRANTED subject to Conditions.

     

    The motion was carried.

142.

3/26/22/010 - Construction of coastal erosion risk management scheme to protect the B3191 comprising of the construction of rock armour revetment, cliff-face re-enforcement, re-profiling of the upper cliff face and other associated works to include stockpiling areas and construction compounds. Land adjacent to Blue Anchor Pub and section of the Blue Anchor foreshore and cliff at Blue Anchor pdf icon PDF 547 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         The construction needs to be completed urgently to protect the road;

    ·         Traffic concerns during construction;

    ·         Concerns whether anyone has been monitoring the erosion at the tail end with the land stability. Long term planning was needed;

    ·         Concerns for the future longevity of this road structure;

    ·         If this work is not carried out, the future of the repair of the B3191 (Cleeve Hill) will not be carried out;

     

    Councillor Hill proposed, and Councillor Whetlor seconded a motion that permission be GRANTED subject to Conditions.

     

    The motion was carried.

     

    At this point in the meeting a 10 minute break was proposed.

143.

3/21/23/014 - Refurbishment and alterations to single storey cafe building to include raised flat roof level, additional replacement windows and doors, construction of ramp and raised deck to entrance and installation of a mobile catering unit, cafe, Blenheim Gardens, Blenheim Road, Minehead TA24 5PY pdf icon PDF 546 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments by members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         As part of the six acre site, the café is an integral part of the gardens bequeathed to the people of Minehead, for the enjoyment of the peace and tranquillity it provides;

    ·         Concerns with the lack of disabled access to the front of the café;

    ·         Concerns with crossing the busy carpark to get to access the rear of the café;

    ·         Concerns with the operating hours of the café;

    ·         Concerns with the lack of facilities for the disabled in the café;

     

    Comments by Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         Concerns with the lack of disabled access to the front of the café offering access to the wider gardens;

    ·         Concerns with the disabled access from the rear car park;

    ·         Concerns that the building is of poor design;

    ·         Concerns with the lack of facilities in the café for the disabled;

    ·         The café needs to align with the opening hours of the gardens in the interests of protecting residential amenity;

    ·         The replacement trees need to be replaced to reflect the character and appearance of the area;

    ·          

     

    Councillor Hill proposed, and Councillor Stock-Williams seconded a motion that delegated authority be granted to Officers in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the new Planning West committee to grant planning permission, subject to the applicant submitting revised alternative plans for a disabled ramp at the front of the building to be submitted within 15 working days. Removed trees to be replaced after consultation with our tree officer for the most appropriate trees for the location and maintained for 5 years by the applicant. Opening hours to be no earlier than 8am and to close no later than 8pm.

     

     

    The motion was carried.

     

    At this point in the meeting a further 30-minute extension was proposed.

     

    Cllr Hill left the meeting.

     

     

     

144.

37/22/0008 - Change of use of land from agricultural to residential curtilage with earth bund to boundary, erection of extension to garage block including games room and garden store and construction of tennis court with associated fencing at Haydon Farm Barn, Haydon Farm Lane, Stoke St Mary. pdf icon PDF 413 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         The development would screen the site from the Nexus 25 development;

    ·         The Parish Council and neighbours supported the application;

    ·         The application would be a dedicated home office space in the home;

    ·         The style of the development gave the impression of an agricultural out building;

    ·         No harm to the listed building or its rural setting;

    ·         The development would protect the environment by reduced travel;

     

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·         Over development of the site concerns;

    ·         Concerns with the harm to the listed building in its rural setting;

    ·          Concerns over the size of the footprint of the proposal for an office and recreation room;

     

    Councillor Coles proposed, and Councillor Wheatley seconded a motion for permission to be REFUSED as per recommendation as the development would be detrimental to the setting of the Grade ll listed barn.

     

    The motion was carried.