Agenda, decisions and draft 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

1.

ARC Innovations Research Pavilions

 

Names of Presenters

Robin Snell; Director, Robin Snell and Partners

Rob Taylor; Project Architect, Robin Snell and Partners

 

Design Statement

The idea of providing state-of-the-art studio-based workplaces to encourage collaborative working for start-up design companies in rural Cambridgeshire is the vision of Avent founder, Edward Atkin CBE: Aiming to accommodate the needs of creative individuals and groups in the 21st Century within an inspiring landscaped setting.

Minutes:

The Committee received a PowerPoint presentation from Robin Snell, Director of Robin Snell and Partners, and Rob Taylor, Project Architect with the same Firm.

 

The presentation related to the idea of providing state-of-the-art studio-based workplaces to encourage collaborative working for start-up design companies in rural Cambridgeshire. It focussed on:

 

·        The project aims and status

·        Landscape design

·        Architectural design

 

Committee members identified the following issues as being of interest:

 

·        Relationship with Granta Park

·        Permeability

·        Noise

·        Storage

2.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence from committee members. 

Minutes:

Councillors Pippa Heylings and Judith Rippeth sent Apologies for Absence. Councillors Henry Batchelor and Anna Bradnam were their substitutes.

 

In Councillor Heylings’ absence, and with the Committee’s affirmation, Councillor Brian Milnes was appointed Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

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:

4.

Recorded voting

Minutes:

Pending the issue of recorded voting at Planning Committee being addressed by the Constitution, Councillor Deborah Roberts proposed that all substantive votes be recorded.

 

Councillor Nick Wright seconded the proposal and, upon a show of hands, the Committee agreed unanimously that all substantive votes at the current Planning Committee meeting should be recorded by name and / or number and name.

5.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 402 KB

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2018 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Committee authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2018, subject as follows:

 

Minute 2 – Declarations of Interest

Councillor Heather Williams was Deputy Chairman not Vice-Chairman of her political association.

 

Minute 6 – Local Plan Affordable Housing

In the third paragraph, correct typo to say ‘…engagement…’

 

Minute 9 – Little Gransden

·        Add to the resolution of Condition 7 that “…For two years from the date of this permission, there shall be no launching by Aerotow or Self-launching sailplanes before 08:00 hours or after 19:00 hours daily from the application site. After two years from the date of this permission, there shall be no launching by Aerotow or Self-launching sailplanes before 09:00 hours or after 18:00 hours daily from the application site, subject to consideration by the Planning Committee of any further application.

(Reason - To minimise noise disturbance for adjoining residents in accordance with Policy SC/10 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018)

·        Councillor Heather Williams refused Condition 7 rather than abstaining

6.

S/2941/18/FL - Melbourn (Land north of Melbourn Science Park) pdf icon PDF 550 KB

 

New office and technology research facilities

Additional documents:

Decision:

By ten votes to one, the Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application subject to

 

1.     The prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing those items referred to in the Heads of Terms attached as Appendix 1 to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, amended if necessary by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting;

 

2.     Call-in by the Secretary of State by virtue of the application representing a significant departure from the adopted Development Plan; and

 

3.     The Conditions and Informatives set out in the above-mentioned report, amended if necessary by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

 

(Councillor Deborah Roberts voted to refuse the application)

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 11 December 2018.

 

David Eldred (objector), Sam Hyde(supporter), Councillor John Travis (Melbourn Parish Council), Councillor Philippa Hart (a local Member) and County Councillor Susan van de Ven addressed the meeting.

 

The Planning Team Leader told Members that very special circumstances were not relevant in this instance.

 

By ten votes to one, the Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application subject to

 

1.     The prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing those items referred to in the Heads of Terms attached as Appendix 1 to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, amended if necessary by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting;

 

2.     Call-in by the Secretary of State by virtue of the application representing a significant departure from the adopted Development Plan; and

 

3.     The Conditions and Informatives set out in the above-mentioned report, amended if necessary by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

 

(Councillor Deborah Roberts voted to refuse the application)

7.

S/1699/18/FL - Sawston (junction of Dernford Lane and Stapleford Road) pdf icon PDF 378 KB

 

Retention of vehicular access (retrospective)

Additional documents:

Decision:

By ten votes to one, the Committee gave officers delegated power to approve the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, subject to

 

1.     The prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing public access, including for cyclists and pedestrians, along the unadopted access on to the A1301 (required for construction traffic in relation to the extraction of sand and gravel and construction of an agricultural reservoir); and

 

2.     Safeguarding Conditions agreed by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

 

Members agreed the reasons for approval as being the very special circumstance of the need to improve highway safety, and that highway safety outweighed any planning harm there might be.

 

(Councillor Deborah Roberts voted to refuse the application.)

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 11 December 2018.

 

Jim Chisholm (supporter), Councillor Barrie Ashurst (Great Shelford Parish Council) and Councillor Kettel (Stapleford Parish Council) addressed the meeting. A statement from Councillor Kevin Cuffley (Sawston Parish Council) was read out.

 

Committee members were keen to establish very special circumstances for approving the application. They briefly considered the possibility of approving the application for a temporary period. Members cited highway safety as the principal issue.

 

By ten votes to one, the Committee gave officers delegated power to approve the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, subject to

 

1.     The prior completion of a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 securing public access, including for cyclists and pedestrians, along the unadopted access on to the A1301; and

 

2.     Safeguarding Conditions agreed by officers in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

 

Members:

 

(a)  Agreed that the development amounted to inappropriate development in the Green Belt;

 

(b)  agreed that the development had resulted in a visual encroachment into the Green Belt but did not identify any other harm; and

 

(c)   considered that the improvements to highway safety especially for cyclists and schoolchildren using the adjacent cycle lane and the improved visibility for drivers using the access road constituted the necessary very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the harm by inappropriateness and the encroachment into the Green Belt.

 

(Councillor Deborah Roberts voted to refuse the application.)

Councillors Henry Batchelor and Deborah Roberts left the meeting.

8.

S/1911/18/OL - Bassingbourn (Land south of Clear Farm) ** Withdrawn from the agenda **

 

Outline application for residential development for up to 10 dwellings and open space provision, with matters of access, all other matters reserved.

Decision:

Members noted that this application had been withdrawn.

Minutes:

Members noted that this application had been withdrawn.

9.

S/2454/18/FL - Teversham (Nos. 1 and 3 Pembroke Way) pdf icon PDF 523 KB

 

Demolition of Nos. 1 and 3 Pembroke Way and replacement with two houses, two flats and one bungalow with associated car parking amenity space and landscaping

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Committee unanimously approved the application subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development but without the requirement for a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 11 December 2018.

 

Councillor John Williams (a local Member) addressed the meeting on behalf of himself and Councillor Dr. Claire Daunton, another local Member. A statement from Councillor Graham Cone (the third local Member) was read out.

 

It was established that, unless the development was conveyed to a third party, the Right to Buy, would be available.

 

The Committee unanimously approved the application subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development but without the requirement for a Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

10.

S/2281/18/RM - Cottenham (Land off Oakington Road) pdf icon PDF 635 KB

 

Approval of reserved matters for access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale following outline planning permission S/1606/16/OL for the erection of up to 121 dwellings, formation of a new vehicular and pedestrian access onto Oakington Road and associated infrastructure and works

Additional documents:

Decision:

This application was deferred.

Minutes:

Members visited the site on 11 December 2018.

 

The case officer reported that Conditions (c) and (d) set out in the reported had been deleted.

 

Brian Smith (objector), Anne Dew (applicant), Councillor Frank Morris (Cottenham Parish Council) and Councillor Neil Gough (a local Member) addressed the meeting. Committee members raised with them the issues of

 

·        Drainage

·        Ongoing management

·        The ‘pepper potting’ of affordable housing

 

Committee members had concerns about layout and design. By eight votes to one, the Committee deferred the application to enable officers to discuss those concerns with the applicant.

 

(Councillors John Batchelor, Bradnam, Cahn, Fane, Handley, Milnes, Topping and Heather Williams voted for deferral. Councillor Wright voted against deferral having indicated that, on the basis of the facts currently available to him, he was minded to refuse the application. Councillors Henry Batchelor and Roberts were not present in the Chamber.)

11.

Enforcement Report pdf icon PDF 254 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted an Update on enforcement action.    

12.

Appeals against Planning Decisions and Enforcement Action pdf icon PDF 130 KB

 

There is no Appendix 2 because no new Appeals have been received since the last report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received and noted a report on Appeals against planning decisions and enforcement action.