Agenda item

We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the conditions outlined in the report with two additional conditions, as presented. Also, that a Section 106 Agreement be sought.

The application had been presented to Planning Committee at its January 2025 meeting with an officer recommendation for approval subject to two additional conditions.  However, Members had been minded to refuse the application on highway safety grounds and resolved that it be re-presented to a subsequent Planning Committee meeting.

The application was then re-presented to the February 2025 Planning Committee meeting for refusal for the reason outlined in the report. However, the proposition to refuse the application had not been carried.  It had been agreed that the application be re-presented to a future Planning Committee meeting with the original officer recommendation for approval, subject to the amended plan layout showing a turning area illustrating how a vehicle may enter and leave in a forward gear. The applicant subsequently provided an updated site plan showing the parking and turning area.

Following the deferral of the application, it was also noted that there were outstanding issues in relation to biodiversity and surface water drainage. As such, the applicant had also provided a Green Infrastructure Statement including net benefit for biodiversity and provided surface water drainage calculations and plans (Causeway Technologies). The submission of the amended details necessitated a full re-consultation.

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An electronic vote was undertaken. However, due to the closeness of the vote whereby the outcome was within two or fewer votes, paragraph 27.27.6 of Monmouthshire County Council’s Constitution was invoked:

When the outcome is 2 or fewer votes or will require the Chair to consider casting a deciding vote, a roll-call will be carried out in the same style of a recorded vote so the result is beyond question. The number of votes for each option will be noted in the minutes.

In noting the detail of the application and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor Ann Webb and seconded by County Councillor Tony Easson that application DM/2022/01525 be approved subject to the conditions outlined in the report with the following additional conditions:

·         No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of landscaping, which shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of the development.

REASON: To safeguard the landscape amenities of the area and to ensure compliance with LDP Policy GI1.

·         All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding season following the occupation of the buildings or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner, and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species.

REASON: To safeguard the landscape amenities of the area and to ensure compliance with LDP Policy GI1.

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

In favour of the proposition            -           6

Against the proposition                   -           5

Abstentions                                       -           3

The proposition was carried.

We resolved that application DM/2022/01525 be approved subject to the conditions outlined in the report with the following additional conditions:

• No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of landscaping, which shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of the development.

REASON: To safeguard the landscape amenities of the area and to ensure compliance with LDP Policy GI1.

• All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding season following the occupation of the buildings or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner, and any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species.

REASON: To safeguard the landscape amenities of the area and to ensure compliance with LDP Policy GI1.