Agenda and minutes

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

No statements were made during the public participation period.

i)      Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 26 April 2023, previously circulated.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 26 April 2023 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

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

In relation to agenda item 6(a), (application number 146226 - Land off Owmby Wold Lane, Owmby) Councillor Morris indicated that he was the Local Ward Member for the area but had not been lobbied or asked about the application.  He had attended a meeting at which the application had been mentioned but had not taken part in the discussions.  In relation to item 6(c) (application number 146210 – Land at Top House Farm, Grimsby Road, Caistor) Councillor Morris indicated that he lived in Caistor and knew the area extremely well.  He had not however discussed the application in any shape or form prior to this meeting.

In connection with item 6(c) application number 146210 (Land at Top House Farm, Grimsby Road, Caistor), Councillor Smith indicated that he worked for Sir Edward Leigh but had not discussed the application in any shape or form prior to this meeting.  He also indicated that as County Councillor for the area, he had been present at meetings at which the application had been mentioned but had not taken part in the discussions and had come to this meeting with a completely open mind.

In relation to item 6(a) (Land West of North Moor Road, Scotter) Councillor Fleetwood indicated that he was the Council’s representative on the Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board but he had not been involved in any discussions about the item.

As an aside, Councillor Fleetwood as the previous Chairman of the Committee, expressed his best wishes to his successor and the Vice-Chairman in relation to their recent appointments.

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/

The Committee was advised that there had been a second round of consultation into something called “welcoming major recovery strategies”.  These had been established under the Environment Bill. There would be 50 strategies covering the whole country and would cross multiple local authority districts. 

The Government would appoint something called the “responsible authority” which would have a duty to draw up the strategies which DEFRA maintained would help map the most valuable sites and habitats for wildlife in the area and identify where nature could be restored. DEFRA felt that this action would better support spatial planning for nature this formed part of the Government’s biodiversity net gain policies.

In thanking the Planning Officer for the update, the Committee was of the view that it would be helpful if all Members of the Council could be circulated with the updates submitted to this Committee in order to keep them abreast of changing planning policies.

 The Planning Officer reminded Members that progress on Local Neighbourhood Plans could be viewed using this link: https://www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building/neighbourhood-planning/

The first application before the Committee this evening was application number 142460 seeking approval of reserved matters for 43 dwellings, considering only the outstanding matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale, following the granting of outline permission on 19 December, 2017 on land west of North Moor Road, Scotter.  The application had been referred to the Committee following the receipt of third party objections, including from the Local Ward Member and Scotter Parish Council.

The Planning Officer presented the report and gave an update.  Since the report had been published, a further neighbour representation had been received from the occupant of 9 Messingham Road, Scotter, raising concerns over existing sewers and the sewerage system, stating that improvements needed to be made to that system, and that the hedgerow on the boundary of the site should be retained in the interests of sustaining the local wildlife.

An amended site plan had been submitted identifying the hedging to be retained. For the purposes of clarity the Planning Officer reminded the Committee that this was a reserved matters application where the Committee could only consider matters of scale, appearance, layout, landscaping and any other relevant material considerations.   Matters of principle and relating to access had been considered during the determination of the outline permission.

Having received the Planning Officer’s presentation, the Vice-Chairman welcomed the agent for the applicant, Mr Chris Dawkins, who addressed the Committee along the following lines:-

“This proposal delivers 43 new-build residential units on an allocated site in Scotter.  The development comprises a mix of 2 and 5 bedroom properties, including bungalows and houses.  This diverse mix provides housing suitable for first-time buyers, the elderly and also larger properties suitable for family living.

The proposal includes 10 affordable housing units, and 30% of the properties will meet the enhanced accessibility standards of Part M category 2. The site benefits from an existing outline planning consent for 51 residential units and an allocation for residential development within the Local Plan.  As such, this development will be important to meet the five year housing supply targets for Scotter.

A large number of comments have been received by from statutory consultees and members of the public. During the determination period we have made a significant number of changes to the plans and submitted additional information, which we believe addresses these concerns.

The proposed layout features two access points onto North Moor Road which have already been agreed at outline stage, and we are not proposing to change them at this stage. The Highways Authority has confirmed it has they no objections to the proposed layout or access points and have indicated that in their opinion there are no issues in terms of highway safety.

With regard to the parking provision, we confirm that all properties include space for 2 to 3 cars on the driveway, as illustrated on the plans.  In addition, all house sites, except for the 3 bedroom Warwick semi-detached property, include a single garage.  The five-bedroomed property includes a double  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Chairman introduced the next application of the meeting, Item 6(b), application number 146226 seeking permission for the construction of a single storey dwelling on land off Owmby Wold Lane, Owmby.  The application had been referred to this Committee, it being a departure from the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan and following third party representations.

The Planning Officer presented the report, concerning which there were no updates.  However he clarified the position in relation to the proposed dwelling being a departure from the Local Plan.

The Chairman welcomed Kate Kelly, agent for the applicants, who addressed the Committee along the following lines:-

“Good evening Committee Members.  As the case officer has explained, this application is for a new house in the countryside, which has been submitted as an exemplar dwelling within the considerations of paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The fundamental driving force behind this application is the intention to create a self- sufficient multi-generational house and gardens which allows for reparation of a small piece of Lincolnshire farmland.  The design of the garden and wider landscape is founded on the scientifically based practice of permaculture.  The development aims to cultivate a sustainable and resilient design environment and is as an exemplary model of responsible land stewardship.

The application meets both criteria of paragraph 80 in that the site in planning terms is isolated.  The design of the house and its landscape is outstanding, and the scheme has been subject to intense and rigorous review by an independentdesign review panel, who concluded that the design is an exemplary scheme which will enhance its immediate setting and raise the standards of design in rural areas.

In addition to the proposed permaculture landscape, the house will be completely off-grid.  Its operational carbon will be minimised using solar power with battery storage, heat recovery systems and a heating system. which uses biomass.  Construction materials will have very low carbon, the house construction is timber hemp and Lime with green roofs.

Part of the proposed hydrology strategies, involve the recreation of a former pond located at the lowest part of the site.  The pond would be sited close to a damp area on the site and would be used to store water for irrigation and contribute to the biodiversity of the development.

Lincolnshire County Council Highways and the Ramblers Association have not objected to the development and a construction management plan will be submitted as part of any planning conditions to ensure the construction of the development is carried out in a safe and considerate way.

The proposed development accords with all the technical considerations of both the previous and newly adopted Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, and no grounds for refusal, have been raised by any of the local authority internal consultees.  It has been demonstrated through the design review panel process that the proposed dwelling is truly outstanding and would significantly enhance its immediate setting.

The application accords with the overarching ambition of sustainability, which underpins both Central Lincolnshire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Committee then moved on to consider the last application of the meeting – item 6(c) application number 146210 seeking planning permission for the installation of solar PV panels on land at Top House Farm, Grimsby Road, Caistor.  The application had been referred to the Committee following the receipt of third party representations.

The Chairman invited the Planning Officer to present the report, concerning which there were no updates.

The Chairman welcomed Mr Bruno Hickson, the agent representing the developers who addressed the Committee along the following lines:-

“Good evening. This is a statement on behalf of the board of the Rock Foundation.  We are a charity that provides for some of the most vulnerable people in our area.

We have learning disabled adults and students and their carers, who are dependent on day service provision.  We have residents for whom supported living provides them with the security and stability that is critical to their lives and well-being.  As an organisation, we have invested heavily in Top House Farm, a Grade II listed building, to ensure that it is maintained to a high standard.

It has become a valued rural enterprise on which many in the local community have come to rely.  The community allotment and the tea rooms are popular and a valuable resource.

However, a Grade II listed status and the design of the building means our options to achieve an affordable and sustainable energy supply and thereby reduce our own carbon footprint, are very limited.

Without provision for solar panels, ongoing energy costs have taken a significant chunk of our finances and this directly affects our future and the essential services that we provide. We have chosen a design that is purposely very low profile.

We believe that the proposal does not have a significant impact on the environment, being relatively small and low in height.  The proposal will provide low cost energy to our charity and ensure that the facilities that we provide to disabled students, adults, our residents and the carers and the local community can be maintained in the long term.  Thank you”.

The Chairman thanked Mr Hickson for his contribution and invited the Planning Officer to comment.  The Planning Officer indicated that he had nothing further to add to his opening remarks. The application was then opened up for discussion by the Committee.

Reference was made to the sowing of wild flower seeds as part of the landscaping scheme and it was felt that a note of the Committee’s expectations in this respect should be added to the grant of permission if approved.

A number of comments were made about the location of the panels and Members were advised that following discussions with the Council’s Conservation Officer it had been felt that the location proposed in the application would be the least intrusive to the setting of the listed building.  However, it was proposed and seconded that a site visit should take place to enable members to satisfy themselves that the proposed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The determination of appeals was NOTED.