Issue - meetings

The Chairman introduced planning application number 139532 for caravan site for siting of 79no. static caravans and 109no. touring caravans. He invited the Senior Development Management Officer to provide any update to the report. The Senior Development Management Officer stated there had been one further objection received on behalf of residents of San Juan, Barlings Lane, Langworth summarised as follows:

·         Increase in traffic would cause chaos on this small country road

·         Cumulative traffic impact from 20 dwellings approved under 139532

·         Road infrastructure, particularly during the summer, was inadequate

He added that these comments did not change the recommendation.

The Chairman invited the Democratic Services Officer to state details of those who were registered to speak on the application. She explained that the two registered speakers, one of whom was in support of the application and one who was objecting, had both provided their statements to be read out to the Committee. She added that Councillor C. Darcel had also registered to speak as Ward Member and he would be present in the meeting to make his speech. The Chairman requested that the provided speeches be read out.

Supporting statement from Mr Ricky Newton, Agent for the Applicant:

Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for allowing me to provide this speech and allowing your officer to read it out to you.

We have worked closely with your officers in this protracted application and have come to an almost mutually accepted conclusion. Your officers have worked hard to come to their professional recommendation for approval and we hope you will endorse their opinion that is in line with your own and national policies.

The only point we disagree with is condition 8 regarding the footpath along Barlings lane because we consider this condition is unjustified and unnecessary for the following reasons.

There is an extant planning permission for an unlimited number of touring caravans granted on appeal in 2014, highlighted in the officer report. There is no existing approval or condition on the site to provide a footpath along Barlings Lane. The occupiers of these up to 495 caravans can come and go from the site on local roads with no planning impediment. The lane is lightly trafficked (as accepted in the traffic assessment for recent approval for 20 homes nearby) and there is no history of vehicle or pedestrian accidents, however for the future when this application is approved there will be a major reduction in allowed vehicle movements particularly those towing caravans. A major benefit to local amenity and highway safety. Taking this into account the requirement for a footpath is unreasonable. These points have not been taken into account by the highways authority who presumably thought these were extra caravans increasing the density and use of the site. This is not true; the facts are it is a major reduction in numbers allowed.

The council granted outline planning to erect up to 20 houses on land fronting both sides of Barlings lane as recently as December 2019. This permission requires  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78