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

30.

Apologies

31.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning Committee pdf icon PDF 173 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 18 August circulated with the agenda)

     

    Resolved that the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 18 August be confirmed as a correct record.

     

    Proposed by Councillor Habgood, seconded by Councillor Lithgow

     

    The Motion was carried.

32.

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

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr M Blaker

    14/21/0047 HYB.

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Lithgow

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Tully

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr B Weston

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr K Wheatley

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Whetlor

    Watchet. Ward Member for 3/39/22/006

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

     

    All Councillors that they had declared they had received correspondence for application 14/21/0047 HYB

33.

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

    Ian Jewson

    Planning Consultant

    In favour

    25/21/0038

    Mr T Catherall

     

     

    Mr S Hughes

    Norton Fitzwarren PC

    SWT Officer

    In favour

     

     

    In favour

    C/32/22/001

    Mr A Goodchild

    EDF Energy

    In favour

    3/39/22/006

    Mr Teare (via zoom)

    Property Consultant

    In favour

     

34.

Tree Preservation Order SWT54 40 Newlands Road, Ruishton pdf icon PDF 127 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comment from Members included;

     

    ·       Concerns with the impact on the tree if crowned;

    ·       Concerns with damage to the drains due to the tree roots;

     

    Councillor Habgood proposed and Councillor Lithgow seconded a motion for

    Permission to be GRANTED as per Officer recommendation.

     

    The motion was carried.

35.

14/21/0047/HYB Application for a Hybrid Planning application for Outline planning permission wit all matters reserved, except for access related to the A38, for the second phase of the Monkton Healthfield 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 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public include;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       The NPPF required local planning authorities to approach decisions in a positive and creative way and work proactively with applicants, Strategic allocations required long-term planning, collaborative working, willing landowners and investment from a prospective developer and a common aim from all involved to achieve success;

    ·       The applicant engaged in four years of pre-application discussions before submitting the application which comprised a vast library of supporting material;

    ·       The applicants worked with the local Parish Councils on this project;

    ·       The applicant had undergone three design review panels and engaged with the Council’s Masterplan process for the site which has now being abandoned;

    ·       Concerns that the Council could not deal with complex development proposals;

    ·       The applicant encouraged elected Members of the Council to oversee future discussions as this would help build trust again and maintain transparency for all involved;

     

     

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       The proposed proposal was not as it could be. Deferral of this application would be the correct way to go to see significant improvement that met all parties concerns to delivery an exemplary scheme that we can all be proud of and not one that was clearly not acceptable at the moment;

    ·       Concerns with the claims regarding the planning process and how our planners had responded in terms of timings;

    ·       Concerns with the previous MH1 development and the lack of the promised relief road which was 5 years late along with the school which was 3 years late. All the information Officers required for this application should have been available. This was a Garden Town, and we need to get this site correct;

    ·       Concerns that the phosphate mitigation measures had not been addressed along with the absence of Social Housing allocation;

    ·       Concerns that consultees concerns had not being answered by the developers;

     

    Councillor Habgood proposed, and Councillor Whetlor seconded a motion for the application to be DEFERRED

     

    Reasons

     

    i)          That the application be deferred to allow opportunity for significant revisions to address the recommended reasons for refusal and in accordance with a timeline agreed through a Planning Performance Agreement and informed by the use of the Quality Review Panel.

    ii)         That had the application proceeded to determination at this stage, Planning Committee would have been minded to refuse permission in accordance with the recommended reasons for refusal. If sufficient progress is not made within 6 months towards a revised scheme officers in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair have delegated authority to refuse the application;

     

    The motion was carried.

36.

25/21/0038 Change of use of land with additional works to playing fields, Stembridge Way, Norton Fitzwarren pdf icon PDF 460 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       The application was fully supported by the Parish Council and residents of Norton Fitzwarren; 

    ·       Work on this project needed to be started to allow the pitch to be ready for the 2022/23 football season;

    ·       The application was much needed in Norton Fitzwarren and would enable the use of a disused field to enable residents to play football, play tennis and enjoy an informal use kick about on the multi-use games area;

    ·       Extensive ecological survey has not indicated any issues on the site;

    ·       Maintenance of the site would revert to the Parish Council after 1 year to ensure ongoing maintenance of the site;

     

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       Pleased with this multi-use facility;

    ·       Concerns with the accessibility to the venue. We needed to make sure that people in wheelchairs can access the supporter’s area and that the disabled parking spaces were co-located with an accessible entrance;

    ·       We need to make sure that these facilities were fully DBA compliant;

    ·       Concerns that residents were promised this facility in a recent political campaign which was inappropriate. Planning Committee was where these matters were decided not in a political pamphlet;  

     

    Councillor Lithgow proposed and Councillor Hassall seconded a motion for permission to be GRANTED subject to Conditions.

     

    The motion was carried.

     

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

     

37.

C/32/22/001 Modification of Schedule 17 of S106 Agreement dated 27 January 2012 in relation to planning permission 3/32/10/037. Hinkley Point C, Stogursey, Bridgwater pdf icon PDF 498 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       The Bond no longer served a useful purpose;

    ·       The project was now 50% complete and employed 3,000 local people;

    ·       The project would begin to generate electricity from unit 1, June 2027 and unit 2 a year later;

    ·       The increased budget for the project has been reviewed and agreed;

    ·       The need to complete the project has never been stronger with the circumstances going on in the world at present;

     

    Comments from Members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       11.1 in the Agenda report summarised this recommendation.  “Council is extremely unlikely to exercise its 'step-in rights' without the financial security the bonds offer, but equally, it is considered extremely unlikely that the Council would exercise its 'step-in rights' even if the financial security of the bonds was to continue”;

    ·       Concerns for the motivation to change this modification;

     

    Councillor Griffiths proposed and Councillor Weston seconded a motion for APPROVAL as per officer recommendation –

     

    That the application under Section 106A(3)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for modifications to the planning obligations contained in Schedule 17 of the s106 Agreement dated 27th January 2012 accompanying approval 3/32/10/037 (the 'Site Preparation Works permission'), should be approved;

     

    The motion was carried.

     

    At this point in the meeting Cllr Blaker left.

38.

3/39/22/006 Conversion of buildings of part of former print works into a mixed use development. North Street pdf icon PDF 431 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Comments from members of the public included;

    (summarised)

     

    Due to poor connection issues only a small part of the comments was recorded these included;

     

    ·       We have looked at objections and reviewed concerns over boundary agreements;

    ·       We would ensure that clear communication takes place with neighbours to satisfy neighbours’ concerns;

    ·       The Planning Officer was thanked for his assistance in the planning process;

     

    Comments from Members included;

    (summarised)

     

    ·       Concerns with the size of the parking bays;

    ·       Concerns with the size of the living space;

    ·       Williton does not need more housing, it needed more businesses and office space;

    ·       Concerns with the narrow road to and from the development;

    ·       Concerns with the proposed siting of the crossing;

    ·       Concerns that the area looked cramped with residents concerned with their boundaries;

     

    Councillor Habgood proposed, and Councillor Lithgow seconded a motion for Permission to be GRANTED subject to Conditions as per Officer recommendation.

     

    The motion was carried.

39.

Latest appeals received pdf icon PDF 1 MB