Agenda item

Councillor Palmer left the meeting before the application was presented by the Officer.

Comments from members of the public included;

(summarised)

·       The site was in a highly prominent location between the cliff edge and the B3191 with the cliff being unstable and gradually being lost to the sea;

·       Temporary Rock Armour had been used to help the situation, but it had not solved the problem;

·       Concerns with the works undertaken to site the caravans. This would add to the coastal erosion;

·       No development should be permitted between the road and the cliff edge;

·       The caravans spoil the visual amenity of the area;

·       The site should be reinstated to its previous condition;

·       The application was policy compliant;

·       Concerns with the limiting conditions for occupation of the caravans;

·       The previous site was just scrub land so now improved it looked better than it did 30 years ago;

Question raised by Cllr Wren

Cllr Wren stated that when he brought a planning application before the Committee of Taunton Deane as a Councillor, he was required to leave the room during the debate. Cllr Wren declared that the applicant who was until two days ago a member of the Executive was remaining in the room. He asked if he could he have a ruling on this from the Solicitor.

Response from Shape Legal, Martin Evans

On checking with the SWT Deputy Monitoring Officer and the rules around having a disclosable pecuniary interest and having taken no part in the decision relates to members on the committee so if you were a committee member bringing the application here then you play no part at all, however that is not the case for members who were not on the committee.

Comments from Members included;

(summarised)

·       Happy that this application was Policy compliant;

·       Concerns with land sustainability;

·       Concerns with the Landscape comments (in the update sheet);

·       Concerns that the hardstanding for this site was probably aiding percolation which may assist with the instability of the land;

·       Concerns that this application was between the road and the cliff edge;

·       Concerns that the caravans would be permanently occupied;

·       The caravans were not sustainable from a heating and Carbon Footprint opinion;

·       No public transport available to the site;

·       This application had a negative impact on the coast and landscape character and not suitable for the area;

Councillor Lithgow proposed and Councillor Hill seconded a motion that planning permission be GRANTED subject to conditions as per update sheet to read;

Amended Conditions

3. Remove the time scale from the 1^st April-31^st October so the condition would now read;

“The caravans shall be occupied as holiday accommodation only for 10 months in each calendar year.

The caravans shall not be occupied as a person’s sole or main place of residence.

The site operator or owner shall maintain an up to date register of the names of all occupiers  of individual caravans on he site and their main home addresses, and the duration of their stay and shall make this information available at all reasonable times to the Local Planning Authority.

Reason to prevent permanent occupation of residential units within the open countryside”

The motion was carried.

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