Agenda, decisions and minutes

Prior to commencement of the meeting, the Chairman :

1.            reminded Members that South Cambridgeshire District Council had become the first Council in England to receive an Inspector's report finding the Core Strategy of its Local Development Framework to be sound.  The Chairman, supported by the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder and members of the Committee paid tribute to the effort made by planning policy officers in achieving this milestone.

2.            congratulated those officers involved in securing the successful clearance of unlawful Traveller plots 1-17 at Pine View, Smithy Fen, Cottenham.

3.            updated the Committee on the likely timetable for finalising mandatory planning training for Members, courtesy of the Planning Advisory Service.

4.            announced a new procedure, in those cases where Members wished to overturn an officer’s recommendation, for identifying and clarifying Members’ reasons for doing so, and for voting to approve such reasons.

5.            indicated that, in future, reports would highlight why they were being brought to Committee.

6.         invited Members to consider whether or not site visits and the meeting should take place on the same day (should the agenda be short enough) in the interests  of cutting costs.

7.         drew Members’ attention to a more structured method of declaring personal and personal and prejudicial interests, the aim being to clarify the nature of such declarations for members of the Press and public present, and the precise wording for the purposes of the Minutes.

Councillor SGM Kindersley declared a personal interest as a Cambridgeshire County Councillor with regard to all those items on the agenda involving input from that Authority. 

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 October 2006 as a correct record.  The Minutes can be viewed on the Council’s website.

The Committee authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 4^th October 2006.

Refused contrary to report on the grounds of height, proximity to the boundary with no. 7 The Grange, overbearing nature and adverse effect on the neighbours’ amenities.

Prior to considering this item, Members attended a site visit on 30^th October 2006.  The Committee REFUSED the application, contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Head of Planning Services. Members agreed the grounds for refusal as being

·                      the height of the garages

·                      their proximity to the boundary with no. 7 The Grange

·                      absence of space for screening along the boundary with no. 7 The Grange

·                      the garages’ overbearing nature

·                      the adverse effect on the neighbours’ amenities

Councillor Mrs DP Roberts declared a personal and prejudicial interest as Housing Portfolio Holder, withdrew from the Chamber, took no part in the debate and did not vote.

Councillor R Hall did not vote.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the application for the reasons set out in the report from the Head of Planning Services, subject to the Conditions referred to therein.

Councillor  Dr S van de Ven (the local Member but not a member of the Committee) declared a personal and prejudicial interest because of her friendship with a resident of Angle Lane, Shepreth (though not a direct neighbour of the applicants), withdrew from the Chamber, took no part in the debate and did not vote.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the application, as amended in writing on 18^th October 2006, for the reasons set out in the report from the Head of Planning Services, subject to the Conditions referred to therein.

Approved as report. 

The Committee APPROVED the application for the reasons set out in the report from the Head of Planning Services, subject to the Conditions referred to therein, and to an additional Condition that the occupation of the extension remains at all times ancillary to the existing dwelling.

Councillor Mrs DP Roberts declared a personal interest as a member of Fowlmere Parish Council, but was now considering the application afresh.

Refused contrary to report on the grounds of height, proximity to neighbouring properties, overbearing nature and reduction in light to the neighbours.  Enforcement agreed with a compliance period of one month.

Prior to considering this item, Members attended a site visit on 30^th October 2006.  The Committee REFUSED the amendment, contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Head of Planning Services.  Members agreed the grounds for refusal as being

·                      the depth of the extension and its proximity to neighbouring properties

·                      the additional eaves height resulting in an unduly overbearing extension and a significant loss of light to the occupiers of numbers 10 and 14 Priams Way. 

Accordingly, the proposal did not accord with Policy HG12 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2004.

The Committee APPROVED the issue and service of an Enforcement Notice, with a one month compliance period.

Members requested that Building Control officers assess the drains that had been installed and the damp proof course level in relation to site levels.

In the interests of sustainability, Appendix 2 is available on the Council’s website only. 

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the application for the reasons set out in the report from the Head of Planning Services, subject to the Conditions referred to in the report.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the application for a temporary period of three years, subject to safeguarding Conditions.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the application for a temporary period of three years, subject to safeguarding Conditions.

Refused contrary to report on the grounds that the application is not in accordance with the Masterplan and Design Guide policies.  Enforcement agreed with the extent of the compliance period being delegated to officers.

The Committee REFUSED the application, contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Head of Planning Services.  Members agreed the grounds for refusal as being that the proposal was not in accordance with the Masterplan and Design Guide policies of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2004.

The Committee APPROVED the issue and service of an Enforcement Notice with the extent of the compliance period being delegated to the Head of Planning Services.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED Masterplan Revision 30.

Approved as report.

The Committee APPROVED the Upper Cambourne Allotments and Village Green Car Park Briefing Plan as part of the Cambourne Design Guide.

Approved as report. 

The Committee APPROVED the application for the reasons set out in the report from the Head of Planning Services, subject to the Conditions referred to therein. 

In the interests of sustainability, Appendices 1 to 7 are available on the Council’s website as part of the electronic version of the agenda. 

Noted for onward reporting to Cabinet.

The Committee ENDORSED the conclusions set out in paragraph 11 of the report from the Head of Planning Services, and RECOMMENDED that Cabinet adopt them as an Action Plan in response to the findings of the Audit Commission’s Environment Inspection in July 2006 and the investigation carried out by the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister).

As Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal Services was anxious to see clear target dates for the achievement of each part of the Action Plan and to ensure that the Committee received regular performance management reports.

Councillor Mrs DSK Spink paid tribute to the manner in which officers had addressed the concerns raised by the Audit Commission and DCLG.

Summaries of Decisions of interest – none this month.

Contact officers:

Gareth Jones, Head of Planning  – Tel: 01954 713155

John Koch, Appeals Manager (Special Projects) – Tel: 01954 713268

The Committee noted a report on Appeals against planning applications and enforcement action.

Contact officers:

Gareth Jones, Head of Planning  – Tel: 01954 713155

John Koch, Appeals Manager (Special Projects) – Tel: 01954 713268

The Committee noted that an information report and set of graphs on Appeal statistics had been published on the Council's website.

The Head of Planning Services highlighted the Council’s performance as being better than the national average.

Contact Officer:          

David Rush - Development Control Quality Manager - Tel: (01954) 713153

The Committee noted that an information report on performance criteria had been published on the Council's website.

The Development Control Quality Manager highlighted one aspect of the report, namely that, in  the year ending June 2004, South Cambridgeshire District Council had determined 32% of major applications within 13 weeks.  This figure had increased to 40% in the year ending June 2005.  In the year ending June 2006, 72% of major applications were determined in fewer than 13 weeks.  The Council had therefore achieved its Best Value Performance Indicator.

The Committee noted that the Minutes of the Planning Sub-Committee meetings held on 4^th August 2006 and 8^th September 2006 had been published on the Council’s website, and received them for information.