Agenda and minutes

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

There was no public participation at this point in the meeting.

i)      Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 7 September 2022, previously circulated.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

Note:               Councillor D. Cotton arrived into the Chamber at 6.32 PM.

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

Councillor C. Hill declared a personal interest, in relation to agenda item 6a, application number 142874, that though she was at the site visit, she was could not make the previous meeting, and would abstain.

Councillor I. Fleetwood declared a personal interest, in relation to agenda item 6a, application number 142874, that he was the County Councillor for Bardney and Cherry Willingham. He had not participated nor discussed the application, and would remain in the Chair for the item.

Councillor M. Boles declared a personal interest, in relation to agenda item 6c, application number 144738, that he was the County Councillor for Gainsborough Hill, but would remain as a Member of the Planning Committee.

Councillor D. Cotton declared a personal interest, in relation to agenda item 6d, application number 145245, that he was the Local Ward Member for Saxilby, but would remain as a Member of the Planning Committee.

In relation to agenda item 6a, application number 142874, Councillors P. Morris, J. Summers and D. Cotton declared a personal interest that they were not present at the site visit, and so would not participate in the item.

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/

Rachel Gordon, one of the Development Management Team Leaders, informed Members that the hearing programme for the new Local Plan had now been published on the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan website.

The main 'in-person' examination was scheduled to take place at the Hilton Double Tree on the Brayford in Lincoln from 14th to 25th November. A copy of the programme, which included which policies would be debated on what day, was scheduled to be circulated to all WL Members. Further updates would be provided in the Member Bulletin.

Before the Hearing, Officers on behalf of the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee were formulating answers to the recently published Main Issues & Questions document that the Planning Inspectors released. This was also published on the CLLP website under the examination pages.

All information concerning the examination was published on the website. However, if Members had specific questions about the programme, Members were advised the Programme Officer was Hannah Charlish. The Officer then stated that Members could alternatively contact Rachael Hughes, the Head of Policy and Strategy at West Lindsey District Council and was happy to discuss any policy-related queries.

Note:               Councillors I. Fleetwood, D. Cotton, and R. Waller declared personal interests that they were Members of the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee.

The Chairman introduced the first item of the meeting, application number 142874, for an Outline planning application to erect up to 144no. dwellings – access to be considered and not reserved for subsequent applications, on land to the north of Rudgard Avenue, Cherry Willingham.

The case officer stated that there were no updates, beyond a site visit having taken place preceding this committee meeting. A short presentation was then made.

Note:               Councillor I. Fleetwood declared that he was a Parish Councillor for Cherry Willingham Parish Council. He had not discussed the application, and would remain in the Chair for the item.

The Chairman noted that there was one registered speaker, the Parish Council representative from Cherry Willingham Parish Council, Councillor Dr Ian Lacy, to address the Committee. The following remarks were made.

“Cherry Willingham Parish Council does not oppose the application in principle. Indeed, we are happy for the village to continue to play its part in meeting the housing requirements of the Local Plan. The council regrets the early confusion about the size of the site which resulted from a typographical error in the 2017 Local Plan and acknowledges that this resulted in the initial miscalculation of the proposed housing density both for this site and of the 2 sites to the south which will eventually link to it.

However, despite clarifications and reassurances from the developer, the parish council continues to believe that 144 dwellings on this site are excessive. They would be at greater density (27.85 dwellings per hectare) than that shown in the Revised Local Plan for the two sites to the south, with an average 22.48 dwellings/ha in the current local plan.

We also consider that the single entrance at one end of this site, onto a bend on an existing estate road (Rudgard Avenue) is likely to lead to congestion both for the development itself and for the existing properties adjacent to the junction, which is also used by large vehicles delivering to the rear of shops to the west of the site.

The master plan for all 3 sites does show 2 further access points via site B to site C and then another existing estate road but it is hard see how these will much alleviate the potential congestion issue and consider this runs contrary to the implications of our Neighbourhood Plan Policy H1 e) "the scheme provides easy access and movement within the development and avoids making unnecessary barriers to movement between development areas". We know of no time scale for the development of these other sites.

We also remain concerned that on street parking may pose a problem and that the access for emergency vehicles appears very tight although we appreciate that so far, we only have a proposed layout.

We would also want to see (either at this outline stage or at the detailed application stage) a strong and binding commitment by the developer and WLDC to our Neighbourhood Plan Policy H2 1) to "deliver housing of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

The Chairman introduced the next item, application number 144826, for erection of 2no. additional poultry sheds with associated feed bins, hardstanding area, dirty water tank and associated landscaping, at Gulham Fields Farm, Gulham Road, North Owersby, Market Rasen, LN8 3PS. The Officer informed Members of the Committee that there was an update to condition 5, to read as followed.

“The development hereby permitted shall not be occupied before

a)    Highway improvements in the form of four localised carriageway widenings (passing places) have been provided, in accordance with details that shall first have been submitted to and approved in writing the local planning authority and subsequently certified as complete. The details submitted shall include appropriate arrangements for the management of surface water runoff from the highway and

b)    The highway improvements required by condition 5 of planning permission 140754 dated 24^th August 2020 have been certified as complete.”

The Chairman informed Members of the Committee that there were three registered speakers. He invited the first registered speaker, the applicant, Alec Mercer to give a statement. The statement below was read aloud.

“Chairman, Members, thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Gulham Fields Poultry Unit is a modern poultry unit which currently extends to 6 poultry houses which are producing chicken for UK supermarkets. The site is modern unit operating to best available techniques and incorporates renewables such as ground source heat pump and roof mounted solar panels, to make the farm more sustainable, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

The current application seeks consent to erect an additional 2 No. poultry houses on the site. The UK is currently only 65% self-sufficient in chicken, and reliant on imports from countries such as Brazil and Thailand to make up the balance, therefore I firmly believe it is important that we improve our self-sufficiency and decrease our reliance on product coming from abroad where we cannot guarantee the rearing and environmental standards.

The application site itself is a very good location for a poultry farm in operational terms. It is in remote location, well away from neighbours and settlements. The closest neighbour is more than 400m away from the site and the closest settlement of North Owersby is 1.8km away. The farm is permitted by the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regime and the Environmental Permit controls all emissions from the site including odour, noise, dust, ammonia, foul and surface water drainage and the disposal of waste.

When we applied for the original poultry sheds on the site, highway impacts were the main concern of the Local Planning Authority. Since that time, we have spent in excess of £100,000 on improvements to the road, including resurfacing, junction and bend widening and passing places.

We are currently in the process of implementing further road improvements associated with the planning application for sheds 5 and 6, which includes a further 4 passing places, and a further bend widening, amounting to an additional £50,000 of road improvements.

Frustratingly I acknowledge that this should have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

The Chairman introduced the next item on the agenda, application number 144738, to erect 7 no. commercial units, 5 units to fall within Use Class E((g)i) office ii) the research and development of products or processes or iii) any industrial process, (which can be carried out in any residential area without causing detriment to the amenity of the area)) and 2 units within Use Class B8 (Storage and Distribution) on land off Willoughton Drive, Gainsborough.

The Officer stated that there was no update, and gave a presentation on the application. This included a comparison of the original submission with the current application plan, clarification that the hedgerow could be removed at any time without planning permission.

The Chairman informed Members of the Committee that there were three registered speakers. The Chairman invited the Democratic and Civic Officer to read the statement from the agent for the application, Sean Madden. The following statement was read.

“Good evening to the planning committee members and thank you for considering this planning application.

The Development Proposals. The proposals seek planning permission for 7no commercial units on a plot of land within the Foxby Lane Business Park, Gainsborough. The originally submitted site layout indicated a terraced row of commercial units along the full western boundary of the plot which required the removal of all the shrubs and hedges along the rear boundary. After reviewing the comments received from the residents at number 27 and 36 Maybell Close and the adjacent Vulcan Bossit site, the applicant was very proactive and ensured our proposals were developed in a collaborative manner, taking into full consideration the comments received. We also noted the comments received from the Environmental Protection Officer.

The proposals were therefore developed further and subsequently updated to remove the single storey unit from side of the garden of no.36 Maybell Close, reposition the units towards the northern edge and move the units a further away from the rear site boundary to increase the separation distances even further. The updated site layout also allowed for part of the hedgerow to be retained along with the tree, including a root protection area in accordance with the British Standards BS 5837 was also implemented. Additional planting was also provided towards the northern edge of the side along with a footpath to the rear of the units to provide maintenance access. We note the professional opinion of the Environmental Protection Officer that the current proposals presented have now removed the initial concerns raised.

When reviewing the proposals against the overall master plan of Gainsborough and the focus for substantial housing to be delivered as Policy LP3, the proposals will provide much needed employment and business start up opportunities in the area and will also compliment the major housing developments on the land adjacent to Foxby Lane and Middlefield Lane respectively and allow the site to be reached by walking and cycling, therefore reducing the potential users carbon footprint significantly and the reliance upon motor vehicles.

The design of the commercial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

The Chairman introduced the next item, application number 145245, to change the use of an office building to a training and education centre and change of use of an agricultural buildings to form offices and meeting rooms (for business and training purposes) and associated infrastructure including car parking and detached garage, at Hope Farm, Hardwick Lane, Hardwick, Lincoln. The Development Management Team Leader stated that there was no update, and gave a short presentation on the application. It was emphasised that this was a retrospective application.

Note:               Councillor I. Fleetwood made a personal declaration that the agent for the application was a former West Lindsey District Council Planning Officer. This declaration applied to all Members of the Committee.

The Chairman then informed Members of the Committee that there was one registered speaker, the agent, Oliver Fytche-Taylor, who had submitted a statement to be read aloud by the Democratic and Civic Officer. The following statement was read.

“Dear Chairman and Members. Thank you for the opportunity to address the committee. The application site represents a true success story and a great example of the kind of diverse economic growth that can be found within the rural parts of the district. As detailed in the officer’s report, the site has been a location for continuous employment since the applicant’s business uses first started at the site in 2015.

At that time, the applicant’s change of use proposal was considered by the council under a Prior Approval. That application applied to part of the site only and it was deemed that planning permission was not required for the change of use to allow business uses to start. As a result of that positive support from the council, business uses were able to start to operate within some of the old farm buildings, which at that time involved office uses only.

Since then, the business has grown and significant investment has been made in improving the quality of the whole site, including the area covered by the original prior approval, plus several connected farm buildings that are covered by this application. In their original condition, the barns were structurally unsound in several areas, with visible makeshift repairs and non-standard construction materials used. These included railway tracks used for lintels and concrete filled barrels providing dangerous structural support.

Following its repair and renovation, the site continues to act as the main headquarters for the applicant’s group of companies, including in particular delivering specialist youth and young adult training services which use large parts of the buildings. For clarity, since starting to prepare this application, use of the site has been scaled down to avoid operating without the correct planning permissions being in place for the changes that have occurred. This application is therefore submitted to regularise the site uses, as well as the building works completed as part of the renovation of the barns.

As the officer rightly identifies in their committee report, “the site is quite unique in terms of its training and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

The Chairman introduced the next item of the meeting, application numbers 145032 and 145034, at Stamp's Mill High Street Faldingworth Market Rasen LN8 3SE. The applications were as listed below:

145032: Planning application for the conversion and extension of existing mill to create 1no. dwelling.

145034: Listed building consent for the conversion and extension of existing mill to create 1no. dwelling.

The Officer informed that there was no update to their report, and gave a short presentation on the application. The Chairman explained that there was one registered speaker, the agent, Daniel Sharp, and invited to the speaker to give his statement.

In his statement, the speaker stated that the disused former mill had been constructed over 200 years ago, and remained a distinctive site on the edge of Faldingworth. The site had fallen into a state of dilapidation for at least 50 years, and had a scruffy appearance at the village entrance. The applications for the site had gone through pre-application scrutiny, and the extension had been designed to be visually separate from the mill tower, with just a glazed link joining the two structures. This was to ensure that the prominence of the mill tower was maintained.

The speaker asserted that the pitch roof extensions were appropriately sized, to limit the impact on neighbouring dwellings, and were of a materiality form and scale that sat beside the existing mill. The speaker progressed to state that the proposed extensions created a courtyard for parking, that screened passing vehicles from view, and the mill remained a prominent feature of the area.

Moving to the internal design, the speaker stated that the design of the first-floor bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, with a sweeping adjacent staircase to the bedroom, utilised the existing structure and form of the mill. Turning to the access proposals, the agent agreed with Lincolnshire County Council Highways that creating a dropped kerb and cutting back the hedge improved the existing site access and achieved the recommended visibility splays.

In concluding his statement, the speaker stated the existing listed mill was of architectural and historical merits, with its restoration and conversion securing a new, appropriate use to secure its future for years to come. The speaker referenced the heritage report and explained the existing mill’s rich history, with the applications helping to write the next stage of the mill’s history.

The Chairman thanked the speaker for his statement, and invited comments from Members of the Committee.

Members were wholly appreciative of the proposed works, and the improvements that would be made to the site. It was expressed that preserving this local heritage site was critical, and that other improved listed mill sites had similar road configurations. There was some concern over the reasoning why it was before the Planning Committee, with objections from the parish council.

Having been proposed and seconded, the Chairman took the vote on both applications together and it was unanimously agreed that permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

Conditions for planning permission  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

The Chairman introduced the final application of the meeting, application number 145345, for change of use of office 9 from class E to Aesthetics Clinic (Sui Generis) at the Plough Business Hub, 37 Church Street, Gainsborough.

The Development Management Team Leader stated that there was one update, where since the writing of the report, the Authority received a consultation response from Gainsborough Town Council, who had no objections to the application. The Officer gave a short presentation on the application.

The Chairman advised that there were no registered speakers, and invited comments from Members of the Committee. Members heard that Sui Generis was a classification for an establishment out of the legislated categories, and the purpose of an aesthetic clinic included Botox treatments. Members supported the change and saw no issue with granting the application.

A Member also remarked that the application would not be before them if West Lindsey District Council did not own the building.

Having been proposed and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was agreed that permission be GRANTED subject to the following condition:

Conditions stating the time by which the development must be commenced:

1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

Reason: To conform with Section 91 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

Conditions which apply or require matters to be agreed before the development commenced:

None

Conditions which apply or are to be observed during the course of the development:

None

Conditions which apply or relate to matters which are to be observed following completion of the development:

None

As of 27 September 2022, there were no appeal determinations to be noted.

There were no appeal determinations for noting.