Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Fisher and Councillor Freer was appointed as his substitute.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2022

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2022 were confirmed as a true record.

Members to declare any interest as appropriate in respect of items to be considered at this meeting.

Councillor Posnett held a standing personal interest in any matters relating to the Leicestershire County Council due to her role as a County Councillor.

St Mary’s Hospital, Thorpe Road, Melton Mowbray

The Planning Officer (GE) addressed the Committee and provided a summary of the application and advised the application was recommended for approval subject to conditions.

There were no public speakers.

During discussion the following points were noted:

·     Members felt the report was well-written and comprehensive and reflected previous discussions on this application

Councillor Browne proposed that the application be approved. Councillor Illingworth seconded the motion.

RESOLVED

That the application be APPROVED subject to conditions set out in Appendix A

(10 in favour, 1 abstention)

REASONS

The reasons behind the Committee’s resolution to defer the application on 3rd March are considered to have been addressed. The officer’s recommendation remains unchanged and the overall position is set out in the report.

The principle of development has been established through the granting of outline planning permission which identified the site as occupying a sustainable location close to the town centre and allocated for residential development in the Local Plan.

The design and appearance of the proposed dwellings are considered to respect the character of the surrounding area in terms of scale, density and finish. The proposed landscaping is appropriate in terms of size and nature to the site’s location close to the town centre.

There has been no identified impact on residential amenity and with the inclusion of suitable conditions, the proposed development is not considered to result in any material adverse impact on highway safety.

The recommended conditions are contained with Appendix A.

Crossroads Farm, Scalford Road, Eastwell

The Planning Officer (HW) addressed the Committee and provided a summary of the application and advised the application was recommended for approval subject to conditions.

Pursuant to Chapter 2, Part 9, Paragraphs 2.8-2.28 of the Council’s Constitution in relation to public speaking at Planning Committee, the Chair allowed the following to give a 3 minute presentation:

·       Mark Abell, Agent

During discussion the following points were noted:

·       The applicant was an elected member, Councillor Hewson, and the Constitution therefore required the application be determined by the Planning Committee

·       It was considered the proposals would improve the appearance of the existing site and create opportunities and jobs

·       It was felt that traditional farm buildings were no longer fit for purpose in modern-day farming and this was an excellent redevelopment which reused existing materials

·       Members complemented the officers on the fullness and quality of the report which covered all aspects of the application

Councillor Illingworth proposed that the application be approved. Councillor Holmes seconded the motion.

RESOLVED

That the application be APPROVED subject to conditions set out in Appendix C.

(Unanimous)

REASONS

The site already has prior approval via Class Q for the conversion of two modern agricultural buildings into three C3 dwelling houses. Other than the proposed joinery workshop the existing uses proposed are already housed in existing buildings within the wider site. The proposed joinery workshop is considered to represent farm diversification and so is considered acceptable in principle in accordance with Local Plan Policy EC2.

It is considered that the current FULL application does not unacceptably exceed the limitations for the conversion of agricultural buildings to dwellinghouses allowed under the provisions of class Q of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, in terms of the number of units created and their size. However, rather than the conversion of the existing agricultural buildings within the site, which are of no historic or architectural merit, the proposal takes a comprehensive approach to the redevelopment of the site creating a cohesive development. It is considered that the proposed redesign, architectural detailing and layout would be to the betterment of its rural location, enhancing the setting of the adjacent listed buildings, Cross Road Farm House and Barn, to the north east of the site, providing a high quality mixed use development.

Amendments have been made to the scheme to protect the residential amenity of future occupiers without compromising the operational development of the agricultural and commercial uses within the site.

The proposal would result in a development that would be acceptable in principle and would be sympathetic to the character of the area. There would be no adverse impact on protected species.

Furthermore, the proposal would not be considered to have an adverse impact upon  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL24

Wagoners Lodge, 16 Main Street, Harby

The Planning Officer (SH) addressed the Committee and provided a summary of the application and advised the application was recommended for approval subject to conditions.

There were no public speakers.

During discussion the following points were noted:

·       The applicant was an employee of the Council and the Constitution therefore required the application be determined by the Planning Committee

·       The garage could not be converted to a separate dwelling as requested by the Parish Council and there was a condition to ensure this was the case

Councillor Holmes proposed that the application be approved. Councillor Browne seconded the motion.

RESOLVED

That the application be APPROVED subject to conditions set out in Appendix B.

(Unanimous)

REASONS

The proposal, by reason of siting and design, would result in a development that would be sympathetic to the character of the area, thus having no detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the site and the street scene.

The proposed development would not have a detrimental impact on neighbour amenity and the proposed materials would ensure the development does not appear out of keeping in form and respects the wider character of the area.

The proposed development would therefore accord to Policy D1 and SS1 of the Melton Local Plan, Policy H7 of the Clawson, Hose and Harby Neighbourhood Plan and the overall aims of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021.

To consider any other business that the Chair considers urgent

There was no urgent business.