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 approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday 1 November 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday 1 November 2023 were confirmed as a correct record by those who were in attendance.

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

The committee noted the Schedule of Appeals lodged and decided between 15 October 2023 and 15 November 2023. The Chair invited any Member requiring any further details or clarification on the appeal to contact the relevant case officer.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration gave a verbal update in relation to the enforcement case at 12 Gloucester Avenue.

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 siting of 6 chalets for holiday use and one managers accommodation cabin, hard surfacing for vehicle turning area and associated hard landscaping.

The application was brought before members for consideration at the request of Councillor Ibison due to concerns over the site's sustainability and the scale and nature of the development being inappropriate in a sensitive location. Concerns also related to the site access.

An update sheet was published on the council’s website, the information only having become available after the original agenda was published. The committee considered the update sheet, which contained a development plan update and additional consultee responses which were acknowledged by officers.

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the report. The application was for the change of use of land for siting of 6 chalets for holiday use and one managers accommodation cabin, hard surfacing for vehicle turning area and associated hard landscaping. She highlighted that the land was bound on all sides by established trees and woodland which was designated as Green Infrastructure in the Adopted Wyre Local Plan (2011-2031). She explained that the River Calder ran directly through the site and a large part of the subject land fell within Flood Zone 2 and 3.

The Planning Development Manager displayed a video of the site that he had taken to enable members to understand the site context beyond the plans submitted.

Members raised concerns over:

·       flooding;

·       disabled access;

·       access road;

·       location; and

·       practicality

Following discussion and a proposal by Councillor Lady Atkins, seconded by Councillor Belshaw, it was resolved to refuse the application as per the Officers recommendation for the following reasons:

1.      Insufficient evidence had been provided with the application to demonstrate that the new buildings and supporting infrastructure were necessary, and that the proposed new holiday accommodation would be viable in the long term. There were flaws and inconsistencies between the business plan and the other documents submitted with the application. Therefore the application failed to satisfy parts B and C of Policy EP9. In turn, the proposal did not amount to an appropriate form of development in the countryside and was considered unacceptable in principle, contrary to the NPPF and Policies SP4 and EP9 of the Wyre Local Plan (2011-31).

2.      The application site was located in an isolated position within the countryside area. The development would involve the creation of new holiday accommodation in a poorly accessible location detached from any nearby settlement. There were no public amenities and very limited bus services in this location. As a consequence users of the proposed development would be heavily reliant on the use of a private motor vehicle to access services and attractions of nearby settlements, with very limited opportunity to access the site via alternative sustainable travel modes. No statement outlining why the proposal should be considered to be sustainably located and how it would reduce the need to travel by car had been submitted. Therefore, the development was considered to be sited in an unsustainable and inaccessible location which would increase vehicular movements. The proposal was therefore contrary to the provisions of the NPPF and Policies SP2 and CDMP6 of the Wyre  ...  view the full minutes text for item PA.46