Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 15th December 2008.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 15th December 2008 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to personal and/or prejudicial interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any Agenda Item.  Please see Notes 1 and 2 below.

Councillor W T Clough declared a personal interest in Minute No. 58 (e) by virtue of his appointment as a prison visitor to Littlehey Prison.

 Councillor J J Dutton declared a personal interest in Minute No. 58 (g) by virtue of his membership of Godmanchester Town Council. 

To consider a report by the Development Control Manager.

By way of a report by the Development Control Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel considered the present arrangements for notifying neighbours when planning applications had been submitted.

It was explained that the practice of neighbour notification had been introduced in July 1992 and had since evolved through the benefit of practical experience.  Members noted that the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 (As Amended) provided for all applications for planning permission to be subject to mandatory notification and/or advertising which was satisfied by an advertisement in a local newspaper, by a site notice visible to the general public or by neighbour notification to owners and/or occupiers of adjoining properties by post.  However, the Council currently exceeded the legislative requirements by also consulting neighbours on receipt of any application for planning permission, reserved matters, listed building consent, demolition in a Conservation Area and where objections or representations had been raised to an earlier related application.

Members reaffirmed their support for the continuation of the practice whereby neighbours would be consulted on those developments to the front and side of opposite properties as well as those involved in a proposed change of use.  Similarly, the Panel commended the discretion that would be shown by the Case Officer in notifying neighbours where a development might have an effect on their properties despite it being some distance away.

Having noted that the changes proposed to the notification process were minor in nature, the Panel

RESOLVED

  that the present arrangements for notifying neighbours be endorsed and the proposed changes to the process as described in paragraphs 3.5 to 3.9 of the report now submitted be approved.

(Councillors I C Bates and L W McGuire addressed the Panel on the item).

(During the course of his address and following advice from the Monitoring Officer, Councillor L W McGuire declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the business being considered as the owner of a boat at Hartford Marina and having had a close association with a number of people affected by the enforcement action).

Further to Minute No. 69 of the meeting of the Panel held on 25th February 2008, the Development Control Manager introduced a report (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) regarding the action taken by Officers in the interim to address the breaches of planning control relating to the alleged unauthorised residential occupation of various lodges, houseboats, narrowboats, boats and flats at Hartford Marina, Wyton, Huntingdon

Following the representations made at the meeting and whilst recognising the importance of bringing the issues to some conclusion, the Panel expressed concern that such a complex matter was being discussed without detailed information of the circumstances of the individuals/cases concerned in the absence of existing Council policies or guidance on marinas and without recognition of the wider issues that might have repercussions for other areas of the Council's service.  Therefore, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that a Member Working Group comprising Councillors J D Ablewhite, P A Swales, G S E Thorpe and R J West be established to consider existing Council policies and the preparation of supplementary planning guidance on marinas, a way forward for the enforcement process having regard to further detailed information on the specific cases/individuals concerned and the implications of enforcement action for other Council services; and

  (b)  that the Working Party be requested to report to the Panel after six months on the outcome of its investigation and no enforcement action be pursued at Hartford Marina during this interim period.

By way of a report by the Development Control Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) Members were advised of the extent of enforcement activity undertaken by the Enforcement Team in the Planning Division during 2008 and the proposed objectives for the service in 2009. 

In particular, the Panel was advised that the appointment of two additional Members of staff had significantly enhanced performance, that there had been a 25% increase in live cases and that notably the Team had achieved the removal of an unauthorised extension to a dwelling in Huntingdon following a successful prosecution.

In terms of the objectives for 2009 and mindful of the resource implications arising from the Hartford Marina investigation, the Panel requested that priority be given to the Hartford Marina cases and to preparation of an advisory leaflet on enforcement issues for town and parish councils.

Having thanked the Team for their efforts during 2008, the Panel

RESOLVED

  that the content of the report now submitted be noted and the key objectives identified for the service in 2009 endorsed.

The Development Control Manager 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)  Retention of use of land for amenity space and occasional/overflow car parking for village hall, land rear of  Eastern/Western cottages, High Street, Hemingford Abbots - 08/02995/FUL

  (Councillor I C Bates, Ward Councillor, Councillor J Peters, Hemingford Abbots Parish Council and Mr D Perrott, applicant, addressed the Panel on the application).

  that the Head of Planning Services be authorised to approve the application subject to further discussions with the applicant to achieve a revised layout for the car park which would seek to preserve and enhance the Conservation Area and conditions to include landscaping, widening of the footway and access road to improve visibility and surfacing of the access road to minimise noise disturbance.

  (b)  Extension to dwelling, Holmeswood, Main Street, Old Weston - 08/03175/FUL

  that the application be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Planning Services to include those listed in paragraph 8 of the report now submitted;

  (c)  Residential development, St. Ives Caravans, Old Ramsey Road, St. Ives - 08/02417/OUT

  (Mr A Campbell, agent, addressed the Panel on the application).

  that the application be refused for the following reasons -

¨  the site is in open countryside beyond the built-up area of St. Ives where new residential development is restricted to that which has a requirement to be in a rural area.  No such justification exists in this case and the development would be detrimental to the open character of the countryside and unsustainable.  The proposal is contrary to policies H23 and En17 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan 1995, HL2 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan Alteration, 2002 and CS2 and CS3 of the Submission Core Strategy, 2008;

¨  the site is in the open countryside and its development for housing in the urban manner proposed would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside and would result in unacceptable loss of trees.  The proposal is contrary to policies ENV7 of the East of England Plan, 2008, En18 and En25 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan, 1995, HL5 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan Alteration, 2002 and B1, G2 and G3 of the Huntingdonshire Interim Planning Policy Statement; and

¨  in the absence of a planning obligation securing a contribution to the St. Ives Market Town Transport Strategy, the development would be contrary to policies OB1 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan Alteration, 2002 and CS10 of the Submission Core Strategy. 

  (d)  Retention of six metre high posts and safety netting, recreation ground, Daimler Avenue, Yaxley - 08/03212/FUL

  (Councillor D Youles, Yaxley Parish Council and Messrs A Bartle, C Bolton and G Mold, objectors addressed the Panel on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

To consider a report by the Development Control Manager.

The Panel received and noted a report by the Development Control Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) in respect of seven appeals against refusal of planning permission by the District Council.