Agenda and minutes

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

Councillor Higgs declared a Non-Registrable Interest on Item 1 (23/00520/FUL) in that a neighbouring objector to the application was a personal friend and accordingly he considered that his participation in Item 1 may give rise to the perception that he had conflict of interest and/or that his view of the application was affected and raise issues of bias and/or predetermination. Therefore he left the room before the item was being discussed and had no involvement in the decision making on that item.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday 4 October 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday 4 October 2023 were confirmed as a correct record by those who were in attendance.

The Schedule of Appeals lodged and decided between 15 September 2023 – 15 October 2023, is attached.

The committee noted the Schedule of Appeals lodged and decided between 15 September 2023 and 15 October 2023. The Chair invited any Member requiring any further details or clarification on the appeal to 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) (incorporating partial update of 2022)

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:

Change of use of land for the siting of 5 holiday caravans.

Councillor Higgs left the room.

The application was brought before members for consideration at the request of Councillor Lady Atkins due to the applications potential impacts upon neighbouring residential amenity in particular from noise and disruption.

A site visit occurred to enable members to understand the site context beyond the plans submitted and site photographs taken by the case officer.

The Planning Development Manager introduced the report. The application was for the change of use of the existing land to accommodate the siting of 5 holiday caravans. He highlighted that the application site was an existing residential park which provided residential accommodation but did include one dwelling house. He clarified that the site was located within a defined area of countryside with a few commercial businesses and a caravan park located to the west.

Members raised concerns over the disruption to existing residents and steepness of the access road.

The Planning Development Manager confirmed that due to the nature and scale of the proposal it was considered that granting permission as recommended would be acceptable in terms of amenity impacts on the existing development. He highlighted that condition 11 required that no development should take place until full details of both hard and soft landscaping works had been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Councillor Catterall proposed the recommendation to approve the application to the committee, and Councillor Amos seconded the proposal. It was resolved to approve the application as per the Officers recommendation subject to the conditions set out below.

Conditions: -

1.        The development must be begun before the expiration of three years beginning with the date of this permission.

Reason: This condition is required to be imposed pursuant to Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by Section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2.        The development shall be carried out, except where modified by the conditions to this permission, in accordance with the Planning Application received by the Local Planning Authority on 24.05.2023 including the following plans/documents:

-           Access Plan. Drawing Number Ga3521-ap-01. (Received 13.07.2023)

-           Proposed Site Plan. Drawing Number Ga3521-psp-001a. (Received 03.07.2023).

            -           Site location plan.

-           Proposed plans and elevations. Drawing Number Ga351-ppe- 002 (Received 14.06.2023).

            -           Kelso proposed floor plan. (Received 16.06.2023).

-           Proposed elevations and floor plan - 40ft x 12ft. Drawing Number Gga3521-ppe-001 (Received 16.06.2023).

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and so that the Local Planning Authority shall be satisfied as to the details.

3.        No caravan shall be installed until details of the external surfaces of that caravan (including the external walls, roof, and windows) have first been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out using the approved materials.

Reason: To safeguard the visual amenities of the locality and in accordance with Policy CDMP3 of the Wyre Local Plan (2011-31).

4.        The caravans shall be used for the purposes of holiday accommodation only and not  ...  view the full minutes text for item PA.40

Proposed change of use of existing ancillary residential accommodation (storage use and a gym) to ancillary residential accommodation and commercial dog kennels to house up to 8 dogs (resubmission of application 23/00295/FUL).

Councillor Higgs returned to the room.

The application was brought before members for consideration at the request of Councillor Robinson who was in support of the proposal citing that the rural location would be more sustainable and have less impacts upon neighbouring amenity and the proposal would have no greater impacts upon the open countryside.

A site visit occurred to enable members to understand the site context beyond the plans submitted and site photographs taken by the case officer.

The Planning Development Manager introduced the report. The application sought planning permission for a change of use from existing outbuilding (Building B) from ancillary residential accommodation (storage and a gym) to ancillary residential accommodation and commercial dog kennels to house up to 8 dogs. He highlighted that there were no changes to external elevations and all of the works would be internal. He clarified that the site was located outside of the rural settlement of Stalmine in a Countryside Area as designated in the adopted Wyre Local Plan (WLP 31).

Wyre Borough Councillor for Hambleton & Stalmine ward, Julie Robinson, spoke against the officer recommendation.

Darren Curtis, acting as the applicant, spoke in favour of the application.

Councillors Lady Atkins, Catterall, Rimmer and Belshaw asked questions of the speaker.

The Chair ended the public speaking portion of the meeting and opened up the members’ debate.

Some members indicated that they considered that the application site was situated in an ideal location for the proposed use, proposed suitable car parking arrangements and that, if approved, would provide some employment which was an economic and social benefit.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration confirmed that if members were minded to disagree with the officer recommendation, they should identify their reasons and they are to be subsequently recorded in the minutes.

Councillor Higginson proposed the recommendation, and Councillor Fielding seconded the proposal. A vote was carried out and the motion was lost.

Councillor Higginson raised a point of order about the Chair being able to vote. The Chair responded that as a member of the Committee and Chair he was entitled to a first vote on any matter, not only to the exercise of a casting vote.

Following discussion, it was proposed by Councillor Raynor, to grant full planning permission in principle for the change of use, subject to appropriate conditions addressing time (standard condition), plans, use, parking and linking the use to the dwelling and that the Head of Planning & Regeneration be authorised (i) in consultation with the Chair, to agree the details of those conditions, and (ii) to issue the planning permission subject to those detailed conditions. The reasons for the proposal were that, contrary to the officer recommendation, it was considered that:

·         The applicant had made a reasonable effort in the particular circumstances of the case to meet the requirements of Policy SP6 & SP4; and

·         The proposal complied with Local Plan Policies SP2, SP4 and SP6 and Section 2 of the NPPF.

The proposal was seconded by Councillor Amos and  ...  view the full minutes text for item PA.41