Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 15th October 2012.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 15th October 2012 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Ms C Kerr, Development Management Officer and Mr N Armour, Conservation Officer were welcomed to their first meeting of the Panel.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary or other interests in relation to any Agenda Item – see Notes below.

Councillor P D Reeve declared a non-pecuniary interest in Minute No. 40 (a) by virtue of his membership of Ramsey Town Council.

To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy.

Copies of the Boundary Review and Character Assessment documents are appended to Members’ copies only.  Hyperlinks to each document are as follows –

http://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/HDCCMS/Documents/Planning%20Documents/Conservation%20Areas/Houghton%20and%20Wyton%20Conservation%20Area%20Boundary%20Review.pdf

http://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/HDCCMS/Documents/Planning%20Documents/Conservation%20Areas/Houghton%20and%20Wyton%20Character%20Assessment.pdf

(Councillor A H Williams, Ward Councillor addressed the Panel on the matter.)

As part of the consultation process, the views of the Panel were requested on the content of draft documents on the proposed Boundary Review and Character Assessment for the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area (copies of a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy and the Consultation Documents are appended in the Minute Book).

By way of further explanation, the Executive Councillor for Planning and Housing Strategy, Councillor N J Guyatt added that the document had been prepared to fulfill an undertaking given in 2011 to Houghton and Wyton Parish Council following concerns expressed by that Council as to the ability of the adopted Core Strategy to protect the Parish area from inappropriate development.  The exercise also would be repeated over time elsewhere in the District to similarly protect other towns and villages from development.

The Panel noted that consultation on the Character Statement and Boundary Review proposals had been extended for eight weeks and had generated 26 responses which had been reviewed and assessed against the criteria for inclusion in a Conservation Area.  Appendix 3 to the report included a summary of the issues which had been raised and any amendments proposed to the documents.

As Ward Councillor, Councillor A H Williams was invited to address the Panel.  Whilst largely in agreement with the content of the documents, Councillor Williams drew attention to the objections raised by Houghton and Wyton and Hemingford Abbots Parish Councils to the status of Area 2 – the field to the East of Houghton Grange (BBSRC Field).  He pointed out the historic link between the field and Houghton and Wyton village, its contribution to the setting of the Conservation Area and the preliminary conclusions drawn in respect of the area during the 2007 Boundary Review.  In conclusion, Councillor Williams urged the Panel to include Area 2 within the boundary of the Conservation Area.  The Panel’s attention was drawn to paragraphs 5.6 – 5.8 of the report in response to the points raised by the speaker.  Members also were apprised of the outcome of debate on the matter at the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being). 

In drawing their conclusions, the Panel was mindful to ensure that inclusion of Area 2 would not undermine the soundness of the Conservation Area Documents.  Whilst it was essential to protect Houghton and Wyton Parish as a whole, the Panel was reminded that any applications for the site to the east of Houghton Grange would be subject to the planning process, at which stage, design and green space issues would be addressed. 

Having commended the quality of the documents and concluded that it was essential to be able to robustly meet any future legal challenge to the Conservation Area, the Panel

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Cabinet be recommended to adopt the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review documents as Council Policy; and

  (b)  that consideration be given to the inclusion of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

To consider a report by the Planning Service Manager (Development Management).

The Planning Service Manager (Development Management) submitted reports (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book) on applications for development to be determined by the Panel and advised Members of further representations (details of which also are appended in the Minute Book) which had been received in connection therewith since the reports had been prepared.  Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  Change of Use from derelict land to staff car park for Ramsey Spinning Infants School, land rear of 3 – 11 School Lane, Ramsey – 12/01214/FUL

  (See Item No. 38 for Members’ Interests.)

  (Councillor I Curtis, Ramsey Town Council addressed the Panel on the application.)

  that the application be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy to include the placing of a restriction on use of the car park for school staff parking only and the submission of both a method statement for excavations within the root areas of the trees and a scheme for the artificial lighting of the car park.

  (b)  Erection of 2, two bedroomed semi-detached dwellings, land at and including 2 Mandeville Road, Brampton – 12/01416/OUT

  (Mr M Forsdick, objector and Mrs J Jiang-Haines, applicant addressed the Panel on the application.)

  that the application be refused for the following reasons:-

¨  the layout and development of this corner plot has insufficient regard to the established pattern of development in the locality which is characterised by semi-detached and terraced dwellings set back from the highway with the existing grass verges, small green open spaces and undeveloped amenity spaces around the junctions contributing to the character of this residential area.  The proposal fails to deliver a high quality form of development.  The proposal would result in a street scene dominated by hardstanding and parked cars.  The eastern elevation of proposed dwelling “2b” would be dominated by a large expanse of brickwork providing little relief to this elevation and the proposal would result in an incongruous form of development;

¨  the applicant has also failed to demonstrate, having regard to the existing boundary treatment and location of the amenity space associated with proposed dwelling “2b” that the proposed development would provide unacceptable private and enclosed amenity space.  Future pressure to enclose this space would further erode this undeveloped space and would harm the character and appearance of this residential area;

¨  the proposed development is considered to be contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework, policy ENV7 of the East of England Plan, policies H31, H32 and En25 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan, policy HL5 of the Local Plan Alteration, policy CS1 of the adopted Core Strategy, policies E1 and H7 of the Development Management DPD submission, policies DM13 and DM14 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 Draft Development Management Policies, 2012 and the Huntingdonshire Design Guide 2007. 

  (c)  Erection of dwelling, land at 5 Hall Close, Little Paxton – 12/01455/FUL

  (Councillor K J Churchill, Ward Councillor, Messrs J Gould and K Appleby, objectors and Mr D Mead,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

The Planning Service Manager (Development Management) reported on the outcome of two appeals against refusal of planning permission by the District Council (a copy of the report and a summary of the cases with wider implications for the planning process are appended in the Minute Book).

To consider a report by the Planning Service Manager (Development Management).

LATE REPRESENTATIONS

To be published on the website – www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk on 16th November 2012.

A report by the Planning Service Manager (Development Management) was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) regarding the performance of the Development Management Service over the period 1st July – 30th September 2012 in comparison with the previous quarter and the corresponding period in 2011.

The Panel was particularly pleased to note that all major applications received had been determined within the 13 week time period and that fee income was notably above that generated in the previous quarter and in the same period in 2011.