Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 19th June 2023.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19th June 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary, other registerable and non-registerable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below.

Councillor I D Gardener declared a Non Statutory Disclosable Interest in Minute No 16 (a) by virtue of the fact that the application related to the area he represented as a Member of Cambridgeshire County Council.

Councillor S R McAdam declared an Other Registerable Interest in Minute No 16 (b) by virtue of the fact that he was a Member of Huntingdon Town Council but had taken no part in the Town Council’s deliberations on the application.

Councillor T D Sanderson declared an Other Registerable Interest in Minute No 16 (b) by virtue of the fact that he was a Member of Huntingdon Town Council but had taken no part in the Town Council’s deliberations on the application.

Councillor S Wakeford declared an Other Registerable Interest in Minute No 16 (b) by virtue of the fact that he was a Ward Member on the District Council for Huntingdon but the application site was not in his Ward.

To consider reports 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 Committee. Members were advised of further representations, which had been received since the reports had been prepared. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

Erection of grain store, associated hard standing and new vehicle access - Agricultural Buildings, Manor Farm, Bull Lane, Broughton, PE28 3AP.

(Councillor M O’Donovan, Broughton Parish Council, Councillor C Lowe, Ward Member, Dr S Badger, objector, A Middleditch, agent, and L Charnock, applicant, addressed the Committee on the application).

that the application be deferred to enable further information to be obtained on highways safety and flood risk / drainage.

At 8.27 pm the meeting was adjourned.

At 8.40 pm the meeting resumed.

Erection of dwelling and alteration of access - Land Rear of Former Vicarage, Church Lane, Hartford.

(A Wright, objector, and Dr R Wickham, agent, addressed the Committee on the application).

See Minute No 15 for Members’ interests.

that the application be refused for the following reasons:

a)  The proposed dwelling fails to respond positively to its surrounding context by virtue of its design, form and scale, resulting in visual prominence along Church Lane and harming the character and appearance of the area. It is considered that the proposals fail to comply with part 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021), parts C1, C2, I1, I2 and B2 of the National Design Guide (2019), policies LP2, LP11 and LP12 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan together with the place making principles set out within chapter 3 of the HDC Design Guide SPD 2017 and Policy BE2 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan.

b)  The development of this site would harm and detract from the significance of the character and appearance of the Hartford Conservation Area. The site is the former land and garden of The Vicarage of Hartford and contributes to the Conservation Area not only for its aesthetic value as an open green space, but also because of its evidential and historic values. The proposed dwelling is not considered to sustain the morphology of the Conservation Area. The proposals also harm the settings of nearby Listed Buildings (All Saints Church and 4-6 Church Lane) and the way they are experienced within the contest of Church Lane. The harm to the designated heritage asset would be less than substantial (as set out in the NPPF and therefore the harm has to be weighed against the public benefits) but the limited public benefit of the development such as one market dwelling and the employment associated with its construction, would not outweigh the harm caused. The proposal is considered to be contrary to the requirements of the Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and Sections 12 and 16 of the NPPF which aim to preserve and enhance the conservation area. The proposal is also considered to be contrary to policies LP2 and LP34 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036 (2019) and Policy BE3 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan.

c)  The majority of the proposed external amenity area would be overshadowed by the existing trees and the proposed dwelling on the site. The proposal therefore fails to demonstrate that high quality future residential external amenity standards for residents will be provided contrary to policies LP12 and LP14 criterion (a) of Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036.

d)  Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed dwelling would have acceptable levels of daylight and sunlight due to the proximity of existing trees. The proposal therefore fails to demonstrate that high quality future residential internal amenity standards for residents will be provided contrary to policies LP12 and LP14 criterion (a) of Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036.

e)  The proximity of the proposed dwelling to the existing trees on the site and the impact upon  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16b

Erection of a dwelling - White Horse Cottage, Loop Road, Keyston, Huntingdon, PE28 0RE.

(Councillor C Spink, Bythorn and Keyston Parish Council, Councillor J Gray, Ward Member, and A Ford, applicant, addressed the Committee on the application).

See Minute No 15 for Members’ interests.

that the application be refused for the following reasons:

a)  The proposal by virtue of its poor design, scale and inappropriate siting would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Keyston Conservation Area. Whilst the identified harm is considered to be less than substantial there would be no public benefits derived from the provision of a single market dwelling to outweigh this harm. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policies LP11, LP12 and LP34 of the adopted Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Sections 12 and 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework). The proposal would therefore have an unacceptable effect on the character of the immediate locality and the settlement as whole, contrary to criterion (c) of Policy LP9 the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036. Subsequently, the principle of development is unacceptable.

b)  The Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed dwelling would provide high quality future residential internal amenity standards for residents contrary to Policies LP12 and LP14 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036.

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

The Committee received and noted a report by the Planning Service Manager (Development Management), which contained details of six recent decisions by the Planning Inspectorate. A copy of the report is appended in the Minute Book.

RESOLVED

that the contents of the report be noted.