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Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Council Chamber, County Hall, The Rhadyr, Usk, NP15 1GA

Contact: Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

County Councillor J. Becker declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of application DC/2017/01116, as he is a member of Chepstow Town Council which currently leases the Drill Hall from Monmouthshire County Council.

 

County Councillor D. Dovey declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of application DC/2017/01116, as he is a member of Chepstow Town Council which currently leases the Drill Hall from Monmouthshire County Council.

 

 

2.

Confirmation of Minutes pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 9th January 2018 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

3.

APPLICATION DC/2008/00723 - CONVERSION OF PRE-1700 BUILDING INTO 19 APARTMENTS, DEMOLITION OF POST 1900 STRUCTURES AND BUILDING OF 31 NEW APARTMENTS AND GATEHOUSE. TROY HOUSE, MITCHELL TROY, MONMOUTH, NP25 4HX pdf icon PDF 341 KB

Minutes:

We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

The local Member for Mitchel Troy attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         Troy House has great historical importance to the surrounding area and has sympathy with the desire to save the house.

 

·         However, a number of concerns have been raised by local residents and town and community councillors expressing concern regarding a range of issues.

 

·         This application, if approved, will affect an organic dairy farm and the agricultural industry in Monmouthshire could suffer.

 

·         There are environmental concerns, flood risk issues and also concerns about the integrity and heritage of the building.

 

·         Access to the property - There is a history of traffic using the junction.  However, over the past 30 years, traffic volumes have increased considerably in the Monmouth area.

 

·         Concern was expressed regarding the volume of traffic using the road with traffic exiting the Troy Farm junction, as it is located on a blind bend.

 

·         Whilst there have not been many reported road traffic accidents, the chevron signs indicate that there have been road traffic accidents at this location.

 

·         This junction is currently not being heavily used.  However, approval of the application will generate a considerable increase in traffic using this junction and the lane, mixing with cattle movements which occur twice a day along the lane.  There is a risk of damage to vehicles.

 

·         If luxury apartments are being created, the access route, in its current location, is inadequate. A better, more appropriate access route should be considered.

 

·         The local Member would like the Committee to consider refusing the application to allow an amended planning application to be put forward with a new access route that is safe for all road users.

 

·         The local Member expressed disappointment that there is no Section 106 Agreement with the application.

 

·         There is a strength of local feeling that whilst there is sympathy and recognition that there is a need to save Troy House and its character be protected, there are a considerable number of objections to the application that have been received.  Local knowledge is important.

 

Mr. B. Thomas, representing objectors to the application, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         The application was made in December 2008 and has been subject to significant delay.

 

·         The application is akin to a mini village in the open countryside within an area of outstanding natural beauty. The development cannot be considered in keeping with that setting.

 

·         The application is a departure from the Local Development Plan (LDP), as it proposes a new build development in the open countryside and is contrary to local and national planning policies.

 

·         The overriding concern is the preservation of the historic asset, namely, the building itself.  Preservation at all cost and contrary to many other material considerations is not fundamental to heritage preservation.

 

·         Detailed discussions have failed to acknowledge or remedy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

APPLICATION DC/2017/01336 - PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF 2 no. FOUR BEDROOM DETACHED HOUSES WITH ONE GARDEN STUDIO. PEN-Y-BRYN, OAKFIELD ROAD, MONMOUTH NP25 3JJ pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Minutes:

We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

Mr. N. Tait, representing objectors to the application, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         All of the surrounding properties and the Town Council object to the application on the grounds of loss of privacy and the development being overbearing.

 

·         Local residents have been frustrated with regard to how the process has been undertaken without consideration of the existing substantial screening in the form of hedges and trees being cut down without consultation, as well as not being allowed to view the plans of the development before submission.

 

·         Privacy and amenity – The outline planning permission did not have windows facing existing properties.  Whilst the Planning Department has conditioned opaque glass on the eastern side bathrooms on the first floor, the bathroom windows on the west elevation overlooking Mr. Tait’s property look directly into children’s bedrooms and have not been recommended to receive opaque glass.

 

·         The hedgerow on the western boundary with the Falstaff property is very sparse, which will affect the privacy for this property.  There is an established hedge on the eastern boundary with the White Gable property that has been removed.

 

·         Fencing should be erected, or extended to provide the White Gables and Falstaff properties with some reasonable privacy.

 

·         Flood risk – The area is prone to flash flooding, as the geology of the area is unsuitable to provide soakaways.  Any soakaways should be subject to independent testing and be connected to mains drains.

 

·         The Summer House – At 3.3 metres in height, it will be 1.5 metres above the fence line and with the fall of the land it will be overbearing on Mr. Tait’s property.

 

·         The Welsh Government’s planning guidelines for home owners indicates that any flat roof building on land around a main house must be a maximum of 2.5 metres in height. Mr. Tait asked that a condition be added to the application that the Summer House is two metres from the boundary and no more than 2.5 metres in height.

 

The applicant, Mrs. R. Sully, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chair and outlined the following points:

 

·         Having liaised with Monmouthshire County Council’s Tree Officer, work has only been carried out on vegetation that was overgrown with the approval of the Tree Officer.

 

·         The applicant has worked to retain the trees that were valued by the Tree Officer and has agreed to supplement the area with more trees.

 

·         The applicant has tried to address all of the objections raised at the outline planning permission stage, positioning the properties as far away as possible to the southern and western boundaries lining them up with blank elevations of neighbouring properties and garages where possible.

 

·         The properties are significantly further away than the houses shown on the approved site plan approved under the outline planning application.

 

·         The applicant did consult with neighbours and invited  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

APPLICATION DC/2015/00936 - WIDENING OF EXISTING TRACK FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. LAND AT CARROW HILL FARM, CARROW HILL, NP26 3AU pdf icon PDF 95 KB

Minutes:

We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the two conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

This is a retrospective planning application for an agricultural track on land at Carrow Hill Farm, Caerwent. Carrow Hill Farm is an existing, well established farm. The track is for agricultural use only and will facilitate the movement of farm machinery to land at the southern end of the farm without the need to travel along a section of narrow, steep public road.

 

The local member for Caerwent, also a Planning Committee Member, informed the Committee that it was necessary to create this internal access.  However, regrettably, some trees were felled and some flora displaced during the process.

 

Having considered the report of the application and the views expressed by the local Member, it was proposed by County Councillor R.J. Higginson and seconded by County Councillor A. Webb that application DC/2015/00936 be approved subject to the two conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the following votes were recorded:

 

For approval              -           12

Against approval      -           0

Abstentions               -           0

 

The proposition was carried.

 

We resolved that application DC/2015/00936 be approved subject to the two conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.

APPLICATION DC/2017/01116 - EXTENSION AND ALTERATIONS TO HALL WITH ASSOCIATED WORKS. CHEPSTOW DRILL HALL, LOWER CHURCH STREET, CHEPSTOW, NP16 5HJ pdf icon PDF 178 KB

Minutes:

We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the ten conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

The local Member for St. Mary’s, Chepstow, also a Planning Committee Member, informed the Committee that some issues regarding parking provision and access on the eastern edge of the plan have been raised by local residents.  The front of the Drill Hall is currently inefficient and requires alteration.  Lower Chepstow has considerable car parking issues.  There is already considerable residents parking permit provision within the Drill Hall car park.

 

The Head of Planning, Housing and Place Shaping informed the Committee that car parking spaces would not be removed from the car park.

 

With regard to a question raised in respect of the bin store, it was noted that as long as this matter is managed correctly, there should be no adverse issues arising in the future.

 

Having considered the report of the application and the views expressed by the local Member, it was proposed by County Councillor J. Becker and seconded by County Councillor D. Dovey that application DC/2017/01116 be approved subject to the ten conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the following votes were recorded:

 

For approval              -           12

Against approval      -           0

Abstentions               -           0

 

The proposition was carried.

 

We resolved that application DC/2017/01116 be approved subject to the ten conditions, as outlined in the report.

 

7.

Appeal Decision - Upper Llananant Farm Penallt pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Minutes:

We received the Planning Inspectorate report which related to an appeal decision following a site visit that had been made on 3rd January 2018. Site: Upper Llananant Farm, Pentwyn Lane, Penallt.

 

We noted that the appeal had been allowed and planning permission was granted for the construction of a new garden storage building at Upper Llananant Farm, Pentwyn Lane, Penallt, NP25 4AP, in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref DC/2016/01206, dated 18 October 2016, and the plan submitted with it (as subsequently amended), subject to the following conditions:

 

1)    The development shall begin no later than five years from the date of this decision.

 

2)    The development shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plan: Drawing No. 16.761/100/01A.

 

3)    Prior to the commencement of development, details of compensatory priority habitat shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The approved details shall be implemented in accordance with a timetable approved by the local planning authority, and confirmation of completion of planting shall be notified to the local planning authority.

 

4)    Prior to the commencement of development, detailed proposals for the protection of trees (comprising an arboricultural method statement and a tree protection plan) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The proposals shall be implemented as approved.

 

5)    Notwithstanding the provisions of schedule 2, part 1, class E of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended for Wales) (or any order revoking and re-enacting that order with or without modification), no buildings shall be erected other than those expressly authorised by this permission and shown on the plan.

8.

New appeals received - 20th December 2017 to 20th January 2018 pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Minutes:

We noted the new appeals received between 20th December 2017 and 20th January 2018.