Agenda item

To further consider a Planning Application for the construction of two new buildings: building G to be used as Children’s Play in association with Building F (Class D2) and building H to have a flexible use for employment purposes in classes B1, B2 and B8 and a retrospective application for the removal of earth bunding, the formation of a hardstanding area for parking and the formation of a new surface water attenuation pond.

Applicant:  Mr J G Ranson

(Report and Site Plan attached)

Construction of two new buildings, Building G to be used as children’s play in association with Building F (Class D2) and Building H to have a flexible use for employment purposes in Classes B1 and B2.  Retrospective application for the removal of earth bunding, the formation of a hardstanding area for parking and the formation of a new surface water attenuation pond.

Applicant:  Mr J G Ranson

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

Mrs Lorraine Waring – objector

Mr Kevin Grubb – Supporter

Mr Matt Jinks – Supporter

Councillor Jane Potter – Ward Councillor

Ms Liz Nicholson – on behalf of the Applicant.

RESOLVED that

having regard to the Development Plan and to all other material considerations, Planning Permission be REFUSED for the reasons set out on pages 3 to 4 of the published Update Report, as detailed below:

1.            The site is identified in 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 proposals do not meet any of the policy criteria in Paragraph 89 of the National Planning Policy Framework and as such the proposals would amount to inappropriate development, which by definition, is harmful to the Green Belt. The development would result in significant adverse visual harm to, and would reduce the openness of the Green Belt and would fail to comply with two of the 5 key purposes of the Green Belt, as set out under Paragraph 80 of the NPPF, which are to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment and to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. 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 adopted Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3 and the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework;

2.            The proposed development, located in the green belt, partly situated on a green field site, and shown as a landscaped area on previously approved plans, would be visually conspicuous and prominent when viewed from public vantage points thus constituting visual harm to the green belt and harm to the landscape character of the area, contrary to Policy CS.8 of the adopted Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3. and the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework;

3.            Paragraph 24 of the National Planning Policy Framework requires that a sequential test be applied to planning applications for main town centre uses that are not in an existing centre. The Council considers that the Applicant’s sequential test has failed to identify that there are sequentially preferable site/s to the application site. The creation of a D2 use in a location outside the town centre in an area poorly served by public transport would be likely to generate a significant quantity of unsustainable trips in private vehicles contrary to Policy CS7 of the adopted Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3 and the provisions of the NPPF.

4.            The proposed erection of Buildings G and H represents an unacceptable intensification of commercial uses and vehicle movements in an unsustainable rural location, where such uses would be more appropriately located in the Redditch Urban Area. The application would be contrary to sustainability principles and objectives contained within Policy CS.7 of the adopted Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.3. and the National Planning Policy Framework.

(Officers provided updates in regard to additional representations that had been received, including the views of the Town Centre Co-ordinator and a request from the Applicant to amend the description of the Development to remove the reference to B8 (Storage and Distribution uses), together with Officer responses, which included the need to amend Condition 3 to reflect the fact that the Applicant had had a sequential test carried out, all as detailed in the published Update Report, copies of which were provided to Members and the Public Gallery prior to the meeting commencing.)