Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, First Floor

Contact: Ian Senior, 03450 450 500 Email: democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk  Members of the public wishing to speak at this meeting are requested to contact the Support Officer by no later than noon on Monday before the meeting. A public speaking protocol applies.

Items
No. Item

John Koch - Planning Team Leader (West)

 

The Chairman announced that John Koch would be retiring on 10 May 2019 after 20 years’ service to South Cambridgeshire District Council. The Committee joined the Chairman in giving Mr. Koch a round of applause.

 

1.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence from committee members. 

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Topping sent apologies for absence and Councillor Sue Ellington attended as his substitute.

2.

Declarations of Interest

 

1.         Disclosable pecuniary interests (“DPI”)

A  DPI is where a committee member or his/her spouse or partner has any kind of beneficial interest in the land under consideration at the meeting.

 

 2.        Non-disclosable pecuniary interests

These are interests that are pecuniary involving a  personal financial benefit or detriment but do not come within the definition of a DPI.  An example would be where a member of their family/close friend (who is not their spouse or partner) has such an interest.

 

3.         Non-pecuniary interests

Where the interest is not one which involves any personal financial benefit or detriment to the Councillor but arises out of a close connection with someone or some  body /association.  An example would be membership of a sports committee/ membership of another council which is involved in the matter under consideration.

Minutes:

Councillor John Batchelor declared a Non-disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Minute 5 (S/2487/18/RM - Linton (Land to the North and South of Bartlow Road)). Councillor Batchelor’s son, Councillor Henry Batchelor, had a business relationship with the developer. In view of the legal advice he had received, Councillor John Batchelor would withdraw to the public gallery, take no part in the debate, and would not vote. However, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Monitoring Officer had granted Councillor John Batchelor a dispensation allowing him to address the Committee as a local Member.

3.

Recorded voting

Minutes:

Upon the proposal of Councillor Brian Milnes, seconded by Councillor Judith Rippeth, the Committee unanimously agreed that all substantive votes at the current Planning Committee meeting should be recorded by name and / or number and name

4.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 88 KB

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2019 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Committee authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2019 subject to the following:

 

Minute 8 - S/4099/17/OL – Agritech

Councillor Judith Rippeth had left the meeting prior to this item and did not vote. The final part of the Minute should therefore read as follows:

 

“…(Councillors John Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Heylings, Milnes, Topping. Heather Williams and Wright voted in favour. Councillor Bradnam abstained. Having left the meeting prior to this item, Councillor Judith Rippeth did not vote.”

 

The numbers voting should be adjusted accordingly.

 

5.

S/2487/18/RM - Linton (Land to the North and South of Bartlow Road) pdf icon PDF 347 KB

 

Approval of the matters reserved for the layout of the site, the scale and appearance of buildings and landscaping following outline planning permission S/1963/15/OL for up to 55 dwellings with landscape buffer and new vehicular access

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 9 April 2019.

 

Consideration of this application was begun, and adjourned until after Item 6 on the agenda to enable Committee members to read additional written information. Councillor Sue Ellington had left the meeting by the time consideration of this item resumed.

 

Councillor John Batchelor declared a Non-disclosable Pecuniary Interest because his son, Councillor Henry Batchelor, had a business relationship with the developer. In view of the legal advice he had received, Councillor John Batchelor withdrew to the public gallery, took no part in the debate, and did not vote. However, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Monitoring Officer had granted Councillor John Batchelor a dispensation allowing him to address the meeting as a local Member.

 

Councillor Pippa Heylings took the Chair and, by affirmation, Councillor Brian Milnes was appointed as Vice-Chairman for this item.

 

The case officer updated the report.

 

Geoffrey Pearse (objector), Christopher Moore (applicant’s agent), Councillor Enid Bald (Linton Parish Council) and Councillor John Batchelor (a local Member) addressed the meeting.

 

Committee members were disappointed that the applicant had decided not to submit the proposal to South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Design Enabling Panel. After further debate, and by six votes to one with two abstentions, the Committee refused the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development. Members agreed the reasons for refusal as being the adverse impact on character and appearance of the area, inadequate landscaping, and the failure to distribute the affordable housing units throughout the development.

 

(Councillor Fane voted to approve the application. Councillors Cahn, Milnes, Rippeth, Roberts, Heather Williams and Wright voted to refuse. Councillors Handley and Heylings abstained. Councillors John Batchelor and Ellington did not vote.)

6.

S/0277/19/FL - Longstanton (The Retreat, Fews Lane) pdf icon PDF 156 KB

 

Demolition of the existing bungalow and construction of two dwellings including car parking and landscaping

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 7 May 2019.

 

The case officer reported that the Local Highways Authority had requested a Condition relating to the surface material for Fews Lane. In paragraph 4 of the report, application S/1498/15/FL related to The Elms and the Beeches rather than The Oaks and The Beeches.

 

Daniel Fulton (objector) and Gerry Caddoo (supporter) addressed the meeting.

 

After a short debate, the Committee unanimously approved the application subject to

 

1.    the Conditions and Informatives referred to in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development;

 

2.    An additional Condition relating to the surface treatment of Fews Lane as discussed in paragraphs 47 and 48 of the said report; and

 

3.    the final wording of Conditions and Informatives being agreed by officers in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman prior to the issuing of planning permission.

7.

S/4276/18/FL - Cambourne (38 Anson Road) pdf icon PDF 111 KB

 

Single storey extensions to the front, side and rear elevations and conversion of integral garage

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 7 May 2019.

 

Mark Hoorn (objector) addressed the meeting. The case officer read out statements from Guoying Qi (objector) and Councillor Ruth Betson (a local Member). Comments from Councillor Shrobona Bhattacharya (a local Member) were read out.

 

Members identified and debated the following issues:

 

·         Overdevelopment of the site.

·         The impact on the character of the area and the street scene.

·         Detrimental effect on amenity of the neighbouring residential properties, including in respect of overbearing impacts and overshadowing of neighbouring property.

·         Adverse impact on the quality of life and amenity of the application site, through the loss of external amenity space.

·         Whether the development sets a precedent for similar development of other properties in the area .

·         The applicant’s fall-back position with regards to permitted development rights.

 

The case officer confirmed permitted development rights were intact for the property, with an exception in relation to the conversion of the garage, and advised that the assessment had taken into account the potential impacts of a single storey extension erected utilising those rights. The case officer also confirmed the Local Planning Authority was the determining body with regards to parking and loss of parking spaces, and that the Local Highway Authority had not objected, but had noted there may be impacts from the loss of parking to be considered.

 

However, the Vice-Chairman said it would be difficult to defend refusal based on adverse impact in terms of residential amenity of neighbouring property or visual impacts and the Local Highways Authority had not objected to the proposed development in terms of highway safety of the loss of parking.

However, the Vice-Chairman said it would be difficult to defend refusal based on adverse impact in terms of residential amenity of neighbouring property or visual impacts, and the Local Highways Authority had not objected to the proposed development in terms of highway safety due to the loss of parking.

 

By six votes to four, the Committee approved the application subject to the Conditions referred to in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, the final wording of which would be agreed by officers in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman prior to the issuing of planning permission.

 

(Councillors John Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Handley, Heylings and Wright voted to approve the application. Councillors Milnes, Rippeth, Roberts and Heather Williams voted for refusal. Councillor Ellington was not present and did not vote.)

8.

Enforcement Report pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted an Update on enforcement action.    

9.

Appeals against Planning Decisions and Enforcement Action pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted a report on appeals against planning decisions and enforcement action.