Agenda item

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

Planning Committee, at its meeting on 7^th September 2021, had been minded to defer consideration of the application to a future meeting to enable a site inspection to be held.

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

·         The proposal is not a very good business plan and would not be viable with sheep alone.

·         The holding is detached from the existing farmhouse and is a stand-alone planning application.

·         The applicant owns 40 acres and has a 10-year lease for 94 acres.

·         There are two large sheds on the site via permitted development rights. The local Member expressed concern regarding this decision.

·         There have been issues regarding noise and there is still agricultural equipment and machinery located on the site.

·         The local Member questioned the legality of the application when there is a retrospective planning application for the hardstanding area on which a portion of the application will stand.

·         If approved, the site will house three very large sheds creating an industrial area within the countryside.

·         Llanbadoc Community Council does not support approval of the application.

·         Sheep do not require long periods indoors. They tend to be brought indoors only when lambing.

The Development Services Manager stated that the application is for an agricultural building to expand the flock of sheep.  Consideration of what it might be used for in the future might become an enforcement matter or the applicant might need to submit a planning application for change of use of the building.

It was noted that there is sporadic development alongside the A472, putting the application in the landscape context of where it sits.

The large hardstanding has received planning permission.  However, there is an area immediately in front of the building which is subject to a separate planning application but is not before the Committee for consideration today.

Having considered the report of the application and the views expressed, the following points were noted:

·         Some Members expressed the view that the application should be approved in line with the officer’s recommendation as it was considered that an additional building would not be detrimental to the surrounding area.  The applicant requires the additional building as outlined in his business plan with a view to growing the business.

·         Other Members expressed the view that we should be minded to refuse the application as it was considered that an additional building of this size was not required as sheep are only required to be indoors for a limited period of time during lambing. Not all ewes lamb at the same time resulting in only a limited number of sheep likely to be in the building at any given time.

·         A management plan has been agreed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW). A Habitats Regulation Assessment has been undertaken by Monmouthshire County Council’s Ecologist in terms of phosphate issues which has been agreed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

The local Member summed up by expressing concern that the building is too large and the whole development is considered to be inappropriate on this site.

It was proposed by County Councillor P. Murphy and seconded by County Councillor M. Feakins that application DM/2020/00636 be approved subject to the eight conditions outlined in the report.

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

For approval             -           8

Against approval      -           5

Abstentions               -           0

The proposition was carried.

We resolved that application DM/2020/00636 be approved subject to the eight conditions outlined in the report.