Agenda and minutes

Declarations of interest are noted under the relevant minute item.

The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 8^th September 2015 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

We received the Monmouthshire Local Development Plan Annual Monitoring Report which outlined the purpose, key findings and conclusions of the Local Development Plan (LDP) first Annual Monitoring Report (AMR).

In response to a request from Councillor Frances Taylor, it was agreed that Local Transport Plan (LTP) priorities including the Magor and Undy Walkway Rail Station would be monitored in future AMRs.  Reference will be added to the current AMR to this effect.

We resolved to agree the recommendation within the report:

To note the contents of the LDP first AMR for submission to the Welsh Government by 31 October 2015.

Planning applications considered at the meeting were dealt with in the order outlined in the agenda.

            We received the report presented by the Head of Planning and the Development Services Manager and resolved that the following applications be approved subject to the conditions outlined in the report:

Application DC/2014/01519†* - PROPOSED CONVERSION OF REDUNDANT AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS 2, 3 AND 4 INTO RESIDENTIAL USE – TWO DWELLINGS FIVE LANES FARM, CAERWENT

Application DC/2015/00405†* - DEMOLITION OF EXISTING GARAGE/OUTBUILDING AND PROPOSED NEW DETACHED DWELLING INCLUDING PARKING ON PLOT AND SERVICES LAND BETWEEN 11 & 12 THE COURTYARD, PLAS DERWEN VIEW, ABERGAVENNY

Officers confirmed that a condition would be added relating to the construction management plan.          

Application DC/2015/00833†* - PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL 6M HIGH LIGHT COLUMNS AROUND THE SITE CHEPSTOW COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL, WELSH STREET, CHEPSTOW NP16 5LR

County Councillor D. Dovey declared a personal and prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, as school governor.

            Notes

†          Denotes that objections were made to these applications.

*           Denotes that late correspondence was received in respect of these applications.

We resolved that the following application be refused:

Application DC/2013/00456†* - CHANGE OF USE TO THE STORAGE AND REPAIR OF LIGHT MOTOR VEHICLES; STORAGE AND REPAIR OF UP TO TWO HGV MOTOR VEHICLES AND A TRAILER; RETENTION OF VEHICLE WASHING AREA AND ANCILLARY PARKING LAND INCLUDING NEW BARN WORKSHOPS, TINTERN ROAD, ST ARVANS

RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE

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

            Mr. P. Kelly, Director of the applicant company owning the site, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chairman and outlined the following points:

·         The application was considered as sustainable, as it was on brownfield site and close to the town centre.

·         Conveniently located to walk to work/shops and public transport hub is behind the site. 

·         The on-site archaeological dig had unearthed items, which had been donated to museum by the applicant.

·         National Resources Wales had confirmed that the brook does not run under the site.

·         There was nothing to add to the case officer report and recommendations were endorsed. 

A member of the committee presented a letter sent by 6 residents, which suggested that there was not sufficient information for the application to be considered and that it should be deferred.  Officers confirmed that an assessment had been undertaken regarding the impact of the conservation area and expert heritage officers had offered no objections subject to the conditions in the late representations paper.

Having considered the report and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor P. Murphy and seconded by County Councillor M. Powell that application DC/2010/00670 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

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

            For approval                -           9

            Against Approval         -           0

Abstentions                  -           3

We resolved that application DC/2010/00670 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

RECOMMENDATION:  APPROVE

We considered the report of the application which was recommended for approval,

subject to conditions as outlined in the report.

            Mr Spencer, objecting to the application, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chairman and outlined the following points:

·         Concerns were expressed regarding Health and Safety, vehicle access, bus route and that the area was a busy thoroughfare, particularly during the school run.

·         The new dwellings will take up half of the area with potential for further development and loss of privacy to adjacent dwellings. 

·         If the committee were minded to approve, could conditions be added which prevent development on the remainder of the site.

Mr. P. Thomas, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chairman and outlined the following points:

·         The objective was to renovate neglected bungalow and build mirror image.  When the original land was sold it was two building plots but only one had been built. 

·         This was not an application where a property was being shoe horned into a garden.

Having considered the report and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor M. Powell and seconded by County Councillor P. Murphy that application DC/2015/00210 be approved subject to the 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

We resolved that application DC/2015/00210 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE

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

Mr A. Thomas, objecting to the application, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chairman and outlined the following points:

·         Community council concerned as proposed development is out of character and not fitting rural area of AONB. 

·         Development contributed in no way to protection and enhancement of AONB. 

·         Current proposal falls short of enhancement, feels it would not have neutral effect but negative one. 

Mr Powell, attended the meeting by invitation of the Chairman and outlined the following points:

·         The Head of Planning had made a balanced judgement which was supported by National Resources Wales, Highways, Welsh Water and officers.

·         The report did not refer to extensive pre-application discussion, which is a welcome discussion for officers to provide advice and helpful for the applicant.

·         Proposed dwelling is not of the mass house building.  AONB was considered.  Planning system should take account to conclusions reached by pre-app discussion.  Comments made seem to be unsustainable. 

It was proposed by Councillor F. Taylor and duly seconded, that the application should be deferred and views should be obtained from the AONB. 

Having considered the report and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor P. Murphy and seconded by County Councillor M. Powell that application DC/2015/00854 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

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

            For approval                                                    -           6

            For request to AONB further comment          -           5

Abstentions                                                      -           0

We resolved that application DC/2015/00854 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE

We considered the report of the application which was recommended for approval subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.  We noted that applications DC/2015/00404 and DC/2015/00921 would also be considered by the Planning Committee, these related to the formal discharge of planning conditions of outline permission DC/2013/00368.

The committee discussed the provision of affordable housing within the site and some concerns were expressed that this was 30% and not the recommended 35%.  In response, Officers advised that they were satisfied with 30% and the figure was justified, the LDP allowed for each site to be considered on an individual basis.

Concerns were expressed regarding the apparent lack of infrastructure surrounding the proposed site, e.g. parking, town facilities. 

Officers reminded the committee that sites were allocated within the LDP and this was agreed by full Council. Issues surrounding infrastructure would have been addressed early in the process and outline planning permission had already been granted.  The appropriate and proper sequence of events had been adhered to.

We were informed that officers had further discussed design and detail of the properties within the site and these had been significantly improved through negotiation, which complemented the surrounding area.

The committee thanked the team for the work and negotiations that had taken place, which ensured that the site would be developed in accordance with Monmouthshire requirements and detail had been included as a condition within the application.  Further sites in the area would be developed in accordance with this. 

Members recognised the significant improvement of those properties initially proposed, compared to the updated current properties included within the application.

Having considered the report and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor P. Murphy and seconded by County Councillor M. Powell that applications DC/2015/00390, DC/2015/00392, DC/2015/00404, DC/2015/00921 and DC/2013/00368 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.

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

            For approval                                                    -           7

            Against approval                                             -           2

Abstentions                                                      -           0

We resolved that applications DC/2015/00390, DC/2015/00392, DC/2015/00404, DC/2015/00921 and DC/2013/00368 be approved subject to the conditions, as outlined in the report.