Agenda and minutes

Members will disclose any pecuniary and any other significant interests they may have in relation to the matters under consideration.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 02 June 2021 (already circulated by email).

The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 2 June 2021 was approved as a correct record.

The Schedule of Appeals lodged and decided between 15 May 2021 – 15 June 2021, is attached.

The committee noted the Schedule of Appeals lodged and decided between 15 May 2021 – 15 June 2021, as set out on pages 3-34 of the agenda pack. The Head of Planning Services, David Thow, emphasised to the committee that the second appeal, application number 20/00196/FENCE, was an enforcement appeal, and that the Enforcement notice had been upheld, although the Inspector had varied the notice to extend the period within which the work had to be carried out. Any member requiring any further details or clarification on any appeal should contact the relevant Case Officer.

Background Papers:

In preparing the reports on this agenda the following documents have been used:

1.            The Wyre Borough Local Plan (2011-2031)

2.            Draft Revised Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan

3.            Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan

4.            Statements of Government Policy/guidance (NPPF, NPPG, Ministerial Statements etc.)

5.            Supplementary Planning Guidance and evidence base documents specifically referred to in the reports

6.            The application file (as per the number at the head of each report)

7.            The forms, plans, committee reports and decisions as appropriate for the historic applications specifically referred to in the reports

8.            Any additional information specifically referred to in each report.

These background documents are available on line, or for inspection by a written request to Planning Services, Civic Centre, Breck Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 7PU.

Reports of the Head of Planning Services on planning applications to be determined at this meeting:

Hybrid planning application for two 80 bed care homes with landscaping and associated works (full application), and up to 50 dwellings with access (outline application)

The application was brought to the committee for determination for a second time, having been deferred at the Planning Committee meeting on 7 April 2021. The application before the committee at this meeting contained revised plans based on concerns raised by members on the scale and massing of Care Home Block A at the previous meeting.

A site visit occurred on the 7 April 2021 when the application first came to committee.

An update sheet with additional information was published on the council’s website, this information only having become available after the original agenda was published. The committee considered the update sheet, which contained further consultation responses as well as additional objections received. The Planning Development Manager, Lyndsey Hayes, noted to the committee that the update sheet stated that two further objections had been received, when this was in fact six.

Peter Swarbrick, Vice-Chair of the Stalmine with Staynall Residents Association spoke in objection to the application.

Councillor Alan Morton, on behalf of Stalmine Parish Council, spoke in objection to this application.

Councillor Julie Robinson, Wyre Borough Ward Councillor for Hambleton and Stalmine Division, spoke in objection to the application.

Councillor John Shedwick, Lancashire County Councillor for Thornton and Hambleton Division, spoke in objection to the application.

Paul Sedgwick spoke on behalf of the applicant in support of the application.

Members expressed disappointment over the lack of material changes to the application, noting the changes to Block A and Block B made no change and were merely a swap. Concerns were also expressed about a lack of parking, outdoor space, public transport and a possibility of overspill into an already busy and dangerous road. It was also highlighted that the application was not in keeping with the character of the area.

Following from further comments made by the Head of Planning Services, the officer recommendations to grant planning permission was put to a vote and lost.

 It was then proposed by Councillor Le Marinel, seconded by Councillor Orme, and a decision was taken that the application be refused contrary to the recommendation for the following reason: the proposal, by reason of the scale and massing and height of the buildings, would be out of keeping with the street scene character of this rural village location, resulting in an unacceptable impact on visual amenity. This would be contrary to policies SP2, CDMP3 and SA1/7 of the Wyre Local Plan (2011-31) and the NPPF.

 The committee also asked that it be noted that they were unhappy about the impact on road safety, and that this issue had been brought up at the previous meeting on the 7 April 2021.

Outline application for the erection of a three storey 35 bedroom nursing home (Use Class C2) following the demolition of existing dwellings with access, layout and scale applied for (all other matters reserved (re-submission of 19/00902/OUTMAJ

The application was brought to the committee as a resubmission of a previous application for determination at the request of Councillor Fail.

A site visit took place to enable councillors to understand the proposal beyond the plans submitted and the photos taken by the Case Officer.

John Barrett, on behalf of a local resident, spoke in objection to the application.

Councillor Fail, Wyre Borough Ward Councillor for Jubilee Division, spoke in objection to the application.

Members raised concerns over the existing care home next to the proposed application, as well as the robustness of condition 16 as drafted. Members also presented concerns over issues of parking, lack of outdoor space, catering for the facility and the amenity impact, some of which had been brought up in previous meetings.

The Head of Planning Services addressed the objections made by John Barrett and the members on the amenity impact, stating that right to light is a legal right, but that this was not the same as loss of light as amenity as considered through planning. He also confirmed to the committee that this application was mutually linked to the existing Movern Care Home, 11-13 South Promenade, with protections put in place to ensure that if this application were approved and implemented, then the two care facilities would not be able to be established as separate enterprises.

Following discussion, the officer recommendation to grant planning permission was put to a vote and lost.

 It was then proposed by Councillor Le Marinel, seconded by Councillor Orme, that the application be refused contrary to the recommendation for the following reason: the proposal, by reason of the scale and massing and height of the building, would be out of keeping with the street scene character, resulting in an unacceptable impact on visual amenity. This would be contrary to policies SP2 and CDMP3 of the Wyre Local Plan (2011-31) and the NPPF.

Change of use from retail shop (A1) to hot food takeaway (sui generis) and installation of extract flue

The application was brought before the Planning Committee for the deliberation at the request of Councillor Gerrard. Councillors commented that Councillor Gerrard’s presence at the meeting would have been useful to understand his opinion on the application.

A site visit took place to enable councillors to understand the proposal beyond the plans submitted and the photos taken by the Case Officer.

Members noted the fact that with the pandemic, it was good to see small business opening in spaces which were unoccupied. Some members did note the fact that the addition of a third takeaway on a small high-street in an area of high levels of obesity amongst children under the age of 10 went against Lancashire County Council’s guidance. Some members mentioned the fact that the area already had a high number of takeaways, with the issue of litter around the area.

The Head of Planning Services addressed the concerns of some members in relation to health of residents. The Lancashire County Council Hot Food Takeaways and Spatial Planning Public Health Advisory Note was a material consideration, but that it was not policy. The application does not contradict specific policies in Wyre Council’s Local Plan, and that the policy considerations outweighed other material considerations.

Following discussions, it was proposed by Councillor Ballard, seconded by Councillor I Amos, and a decision was taken that the application be approved.