Issue - meetings

Note:              Councillor D. Cotton left the room at 8.24pm and returned at 8.26pm

The next application was introduced by the Chairman. Planning application number 143367, seeking permission for erection of 1no. dwelling being variation of condition 3 of planning permission 141174 granted 17 September 2020 - amendment to plans, on land between Elizabeth Close and Hawthorn Close, Glentworth, Gainsborough. The Planning Officer explained that there had been further representations received from number 16 Hawthorn Close. These were received beyond the consultation date and summarised as follows.

“The submitted plans may or may not be to scale. The applicant has significantly underestimated the size of the plot for the sole purpose of this work proposed. The watercourse has been moved entirely beyond the red boundary. Not all information has been provided in the Officer’s report. From a site meeting that took place, a conversation hasn't been reported between Witham Internal Drainage Board and Lincolnshire County Council flood team regarding some information it said if it had come forward, we would have asked for the boxes to be set further back. The LCC flood team and Witham Internal Drainage Board have not provided any evidence to prove the alterations to the watercourse will not cause surface water flooding.”

Note:              Councillor I. Fleetwood declared a non-pecuniary interest as he was a member of the Witham Third Drainage Board but had held no conversation regarding the application.

The Chairman stated there were three speakers, the first of whom had submitted a statement to be read aloud and he asked the Democratic Services Officer to do so.

The statement from Glentworth Parish Council was read as follows.

“Introduction

This statement is being made to request that the Planning Committee either refuse the application or defer a decision on the basis that the proposed development, even with the suggested alterations, is of an inappropriate scale for the site; the plans in front of the Committee are inaccurate and not to scale; there is an unknown risk in respect of surface water flooding as a result of work already done; and that the proposed solution to stabilising the bank of the watercourse is inappropriate.  It is worth noting here that at the site meeting referenced in the report, the representative of the IDB stated that had an application for the works undertaken and proposed been made originally, or the original application referred to them, it would ‘likely have been refused’.  The site meeting is mentioned on p130 of the report but there is no reference to this comment, although it was made in front of several witnesses.

All of these are material consideration that the Planning Committee should take into account and whilst the report addresses some aspects, it is the view of the Parish Council and the residents that the assurances of the developer and his agent are insufficient.

Background

Members of the Committee will be aware from the report and the comments on the Planning Portal of the strength of feeling this development and application  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74