Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - South Cambs Hall. View directions

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 4pm on Friday 3 September. A public speaking protocol applies.

Note: Unfortunately this meeting Planning Committee had to be suspended due to technical problems. We will be posting details about the re-arranged date as soon as we can. 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Chair's announcements

Minutes:

Councillor Henry Batchelor introduced himself as Vice-Chair of the Committee but explained that he would be chairing this meeting in the absence of the Committee Chair, Councillor Pippa Heylings. By affirmation, the Committee appointed Councillor Peter Fane as Vice-Chair of the meeting. Councillor Batchelor would absent himself from the Chamber due to a pecuniary interest in minute 6 (S/1963/15/CONDG - Linton (Land North and South of Bartlow Road)) and minute 7 (21/00629/S73 - Linton (Land to the North and South of Bartlow Road)). For those two items, Councillor Fane would take the Chair and, by affirmation, the Committee appointed Councillor Eileen Wilson as his Vice-Chair.

 

The Chair made several brief housekeeping announcements. 

 

2.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence from committee members. 

Minutes:

Councillors Pippa Heylings and Heather Williams sent Apologies for Absence. Their respective substitutes were Councillors Dr. Claire Daunton and Sue Ellington.

3.

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 Henry Batchelor declared a pecuniary interest in minute 6 (S/1963/15/CONDG - Linton (Land North and South of Bartlow Road)) and minute 7 (21/00629/S73 - Linton (Land to the North and South of Bartlow Road)) because his employer had an ongoing business relationship with the applicant. Councillor Henry Batchelor would withdraw from the Chamber for the duration of those two items, take no part in the debate, and would not vote.

4.

Minutes of a Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 152 KB

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 July 2021 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Committee authorised the Chair to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 27 July 2021, subject as follows:

 

Minute 4(a) – Minutes of a previous meeting

14 August 2021 should be 14 July 2021

 

Minute 4(c) - Access to documents and information

This should be Minute 4(b) and Minute 4(b) as printed, without any further text, should be deleted.

5.

20/05101/FUL - Longstanton (Land at The Retreat, Fews Lane) pdf icon PDF 334 KB

 

Erection of a chalet bungalow with garage and associated infrastructure

 

The section called ‘Appendices’ consists of appendices 1-6, 8 and 9. Appendix 7 is a separate document and large computer file (over 17 Mb).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The case officer reminded Members that, following an appeal against non-determination, the jurisdiction for determining this application lay now with a planning inspector rather than with South Cambridgeshire District Council. However, the Council was required to submit a Statement of Case and so the Planning Committee needed to agree on what decision it would have made given the opportunity. He referred Members to the update report and to various representations received subsequently which were in the public domain. He also referred orally to submissions that had been received on the morning of the committee meeting in relation to hedgerow and tree loss pertaining to visibility splays. The Local Highway Authority had responded to a Highways Report commissioned by Fews Lane Consortium by saying it could not identify any reason for refusing the application on highways grounds.

 

In response to an intervention by Councillor Deborah Roberts, the Senior Planning Lawyer said that, as the Council no longer had jurisdiction to determine the application, it was his view that it was not necessary or appropriate to advise on any external advice in relation to the application.  

 

The Chair invited Daniel Fulton (Fews Lane Consortium) to address the meeting. Mr. Fulton asked to speak after Dr. Jon Finney (Local Highways Authority) had spoken. Officers stated that Dr. Finney was present only to answer Members’ questions and advised the Chair to follow the Committee’s established process. Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins endorsed this advice but Councillor Dr. Richard Williams, seconded by Councillor Deborah Roberts, proposed that, given the circumstances of the matter before the Committee, a more flexible approach be adopted. Upon an electronic vote being taken, and by seven votes to three, the motion was defeated. Councillors Ellington, Roberts and Williams voted in favour of the motion and Councillor Cahn did not vote.

 

Mr. Fulton then started to address the meeting as objector.

 

Shortly afterwards, a technical problem with the audio aspect of the webcast led to a lengthy adjournment while engineers tried to resolve the problem. Once it was clear that audio could not be restored, the meeting was abandoned.

 

Agenda items 5 (Longstanton), 6, 7 and 8 (Linton), 9 (Bourn Airfield), 10 (Waterbeach), 11 (Tree Preservation Order in West Wickham, 12 (Enforcement) and 13 (Appeals) would be considered at a Planning Committee meeting on a date to be arranged.