Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Joe Baker, Wanda King and David Thain.

Councillor Chalk expressed his apologies for not having been present at the October meeting and for not having tendered his apologies for this.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

No declarations of interest were made.

To confirm, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 14^th October 2015.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 14th October 2015 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To note Update Reports (if any) for the Planning Applications to be considered at the meeting (circulated prior to the commencement of the meeting)

It was noted that no Update Report had been published for the meeting.

To consider a Planning Application for the demolition of existing two classroom educational building and the erection of a new two-storey six classroom building.

Applicant:  Astwood Bank First School

(Report and Site Plan attached)

Demolition of existing two classroom educational building and erection of a new two storey six classroom building

Applicant: Astwood Bank First School

Ms Debbie Yarnold, Head Teacher of Astwood Bank First School, addressed the Committee under the Council’s public speaking rules.

RESOLVED that

having regard to the Development Plan and to all other material

considerations, Planning Permission be GRANTED, subject to:

1)              Conditions 1 and 2 as detailed on page 9 of the main Agenda report;

2)              Condition 3 in the main report being amended to read as follows:

Within six months of the date of the decision notice, the applicant shall have submitted in writing a travel plan that promotes sustainable forms of access to the site with the Local Planning Authority. This plan thereafter will be implemented and updated in agreement with Worcestershire County Councils Travel plan co-ordinator prior to the occupation of the new building.

Reason: To reduce vehicle movements and promote sustainable access.

3)              the following additional Condition:

No demolition, site clearance or development shall take place until all trees and hedges to be retained on the site and around the boundaries of the site have been protected in accordance with the specification set out in British Standard BS: 5837 2012: Guide for Trees in relation to Construction, and such protection measures shall remain in situ for the duration of the development and in accordance with Policies B(NE)1a and B(NE)3 of the Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3.

Reason: To ensure the protection of trees and hedgerows in the interests of visual amenity.

(Officers confirmed orally to Members that the Conservation Officer had not raised any objections in relation to the impact of the proposal on the adjacent school building. 

Having considered all of the information provided by Officers and the public speaker, Members wished to ensure that the travel plan promoting sustainable forms of access to the site had been agreed and was in place prior to the occupation of the new building, and therefore requested that the wording of Condition 3 in the main report be amended to reflect this.

Members also agreed an additional Condition to ensure the protection of the trees and hedges on the boundary of the site, as detailed in the additional Resolution 3 above.)

To consider a resubmission of Planning Application 2015/176.FUL for a proposed new dwelling.

Applicant:  Mr Ian Ray

(Report and Site Plan attached)

Resubmission of application 2015/176 for a proposed new dwelling

Applicant: Mr Ian Ray

The following people addressed the Committee under the Council’s public speaking rules:

Councillor Jane Potter – Ward Councillor

Mr Ian Ray – Applicant

RESOLVED that

having regard to the Development Plan and to all other material considerations, planning permission be REFUSED for  the following reason:

1)       The site is identified within the Development Plan for the area as falling within the Green Belt where there is a presumption against inappropriate development. In such an area, development is limited to that which is not inappropriate to a Green Belt and which would preserve its openness. The proposal does not meet any of the policy criteria in Paragraph 89 of the National Planning Policy Framework and as such the proposal would amount to inappropriate development, which by definition, is harmful to the Green Belt. The development would reduce the openness of the Green Belt and no very special circumstances exist or have been put forward to overcome the harm to the Green Belt.  As such, the proposal is considered to be contrary to Policy B(RA).1 of the Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3 and the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.

(It was noted that all Members of the Committee had received details of additional photographs and information provided by the applicant in advance of the meeting, and that these details had also been included in the Officer presentation.)