Agenda and minutes

Venue: to be held virtually via MS Teams and available to watch at: https://west-lindsey.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Contact: Ele Snow/James Welbourn  Democratic and Civic Officers

Media

Items
No. Item

114.

Register of Attendance

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Minutes:

The Chairman undertook the register of attendance for Members and each Councillor confirmed their attendance individually.

 

The Democratic Services Officer completed the register of attendance for Officers and, as with Members, each Officer confirmed their attendance individually.

 

115.

Public Participation Period

Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

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Minutes:

The Chairman explained there was a speaker registered for Public Participation however he had been unable to join the meeting. Officers were working to contact the speaker and as such, the Committee would continue with the agenda but return to this item later in the meeting.

 

116.

To Approve the Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 338 KB

i)       Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 3 March 2021

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Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 3 March 2021 be confirmed as an accurate record.

117.

Declarations of Interest

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point but may also make them at any time during the course of the meeting.

 

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Minutes:

The Vice Chairman, Councillor R. Waller, declared that he had been lobbied in favour of application number 142026 by way of an email sent in February. The Chairman added that the email had been sent to all Members.

 

Councillor J. Ellis declared that she would be speaking as Ward Member on application number 142026 and as such would stand down from the Committee.

 

Councillor M. Boles also declared that he had received emails from animals rights groups in objection to the application.

 

118.

Update on Government/Local Changes in Planning Policy

 

Note – the status of Neighbourhood Plans in the District may be found via this link

https://www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building/neighbourhood-planning/

 

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Minutes:

The Committee heard the following update from the Interim Planning Manager (Development Management) regarding planned changes to planning policy.

 

Class E (Commercial, Business and Service) to class C3 (dwellinghouse) permitted development

The Government was introducing legislation for England to bring forward this right from 1 August 2021. The right would allow for local consideration by the local planning authority of specific planning matters through the prior approval process. These considerations included:

·         Flooding

·         Impacts of noise from commercial premises

·         Provision of adequate natural light to all habitable rooms

·         In conservation areas only - consideration of the impact of the loss of the ground floor Commercial, Business and Service use

·         Impact of the loss of health centres and registered nurseries on the provision of such local services

The right also included a vacancy requirement that would ensure the building changing use had been vacant for 3 months before the date of the application, to protect successful businesses in these premises. A size limit would also be included of 1,500 square metres of floorspace being able to change use under the right, to focus the right on medium sized high street sites which were more likely to be suitable for conversion.

To prevent gaming, the building must have been in Commercial Business and Service use for two years before benefiting from the right. The right would apply in Conservation Areas, but not in other protected land listed in Article 2(3) of the GPDO (General Permitted Development (Order)) which included national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

Public Service Infrastructure permitted development

This amended permitted development right would allow for the extension, erection or alteration of school, college, university, hospital, and for the first time, prison buildings, by up to 25% of the existing footprint of the cumulative buildings on the site, or 250 square metres, whichever is greater. The existing height restriction on new buildings was also being increased from 5 metres to 6 metres.

Protect unlisted statues, memorials and monuments

The demolition of unlisted statues, memorials or monuments (“a commemorative structure”) was no longer permitted development and would require an application for planning permission.

In determining applications to remove historic statues, local planning authorities would need to have regard to the government’s policy that these should be retained and explained rather than removed.

See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-freedoms-to-support-high-streets-and-fast-track-delivery-of-schools-and-hospitals-across-england-introduced-today

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2021

 

Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government – 25th March 2021

 

“This Written Ministerial Statement confirms that the approach set out in my previous statement to the House of 13 May 2020, about construction working hours due to COVID-19, will remain in place until 30 September 2021. This continued flexibility is necessary due to the continued impact of COVID-19 and to support the construction industry to recover and operate safely as we emerge from the pandemic. This date will be kept under review.”

 

“Accordingly local planning authorities, having regard to their legal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118.

119.

Planning Applications for Determination

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Minutes:

RESOLVED that the application detailed in agenda item 6 be dealt with as follows:

 

120.

142026 - Poultry Unit, Laughterton pdf icon PDF 218 KB

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Minutes:

The Chairman introduced the only application of the evening, number 142026, to erect 1no. free range poultry unit with ancillary feed silos, generator, hardstanding and access on land at Naylors Hill, Newark Road, Laughterton. He reiterated that Councillor J. Ellis was to speak as Ward Member and as such would leave the meeting once she had addressed the Committee. The Principal Development Management Officer confirmed there were no updates to the report. He highlighted that the application was for an egg laying operation and that concerns regarding potential odour or animal welfare issues were not material considerations. The Chairman explained there were two registered speakers, the first of whom, the Agent for the Applicant, had submitted a statement. The Democratic Services and Civic Officer read aloud the following statement.

 

“This letter outlines comments in support of the above application (agenda item 6a) for consideration of the 31st March 2021 Planning Committee.

 

The proposed development will facilitate expansion of P. A. Arden & Son’s established free range egg production business, which currently includes farms located near Newton on Trent, North Harby and Drinsey Nook. The proposed 32,000 bird free range unit will be accompanied by over 40 acres of pasture and newly planted mixed woodland ranging area. The farming operation will be associated with ‘RSPCA Freedom Foods’, which seeks to promote the highest animal welfare standards. Happy healthy hens typically range and forage more effectively in these expansive semi-natural environments, thus reliably producing richer eggs on a daily basis.

 

It is acknowledged that local residents have expressed concerns over the potential impact of the scheme upon the local highway network and levels of amenity afforded by neighbouring land users. In this context, it is emphasised that the application site was selected and carefully screened to appraise the development’s environmental impact at the outset of the project. This initial process included comprehensive atmospheric dispersion modelling in order to ensure that neighbouring land users would be protected from odour nuisance and outlying habitat land safeguarded from nitrogen deposition. Consideration was given to potential trip generation and vehicle routing. The siting of the unit was examined with regard to the prevention of noise disturbance, the minimisation of flood risk and mitigation of visual impact.

 

On this basis, it can be stated with great confidence that the proposed development will not give rise to any significant adverse environmental effects. The new unit will utilise an advanced climate control system synonymous with a low noise signature, excellent odour reduction and creation of a dry internal environment unsuitable for fly breeding. The interior of the building will be integrated with manure conveyor belt removal systems, which enable rapid cleaning twice per week. The manure is a valuable fertiliser that will be sold to and collected by local farmers utilising tractors with covered trailers. There is simply no requirement for manure to be stored on-site or near any outlying settlement. Local residents will neither hear nor smell the poultry farm.

 

Despite concerns expressed by the local community,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120.

121.

Variation to the Agenda - Public Participation

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Minutes:

Note:              Councillor J. Ellis returned to the meeting at 7.13pm

 

The Chairman proposed a variation to the agenda in order to allow the registered speaker for item 2 of the agenda, Public Participation, to address the Committee. This was seconded and taken to the vote.

 

RESOLVED that the agenda be varied to hear item 2, Public Participation

 

The Chairman invited Councillor Darby of Bardney Group Parish Council to address the Committee. The Democratic and Civic Officer explained to Members that although Councillor Darby was present in the meeting, he had indicated that he was experiencing technical difficulties. In the absence of a written statement having been submitted to be read aloud, the Officer suggested Councillor Darby be invited to speak at the next meeting of the Planning Committee.

122.

Determination of Appeals pdf icon PDF 215 KB

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Minutes:

The determination of appeals was NOTED.