Agenda and draft minutes

The Vice-Chairman in the Chair Cllr Fleetwood opened the meeting and acknowledged his recent appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Planning Committee in the wake of the 12 May 2025 Annual Council meeting. He explained that he would be chairing the meeting in the absence of Chairman Cllr Boles and thanked the outgoing Vice Chairman Cllr Snee for his work during his term of appointment.

Cllr Fleetwood declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to planning application number 00026, concerning land to the north of Abbey Road and Wragby Road, Bardney. Before his appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Planning Committee, he had spoken locally about the application, offering guidance to both his constituents and the local parish council.

Given his prior involvement and his intention to speak on the item as Ward Member, he stated that he would seek to appoint a Vice-Chairman to chair the item and would leave the room before the Committee’s deliberations commenced.

Cllr Swift duly nominated Councillor J. Snee. This nomination was seconded, and, with no other nominations on the table, the Chairman took the vote. It was unanimously

RESOLVED that Councillor J. Snee be appointed as Vice-Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

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

There was no public participation.

Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 30 April 2025, previously circulated.

The Chairman Cllr Fleetwood praised the minutes of the last Planning Committee meeting, and having been proposed and seconded, it was

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 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.

Cllr Fleetwood reiterated his earlier non-pecuniary declaration regarding planning application number 00026, land north of Abbey Road and Wragby Road, Bardney. He emphasised that he would be speaking as a Ward Member, and therefore unable to chair the item, or participate in any discussion and vote.

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 heard from the Development Management Team Leader, who gave a summary of recent changes to national planning policy. The Officer outlined that statements and a working paper from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had recently been released. A statement had been issued detailing the penalisation of firms while restricting the determination of applications where developers had unreasonably delayed the completion of projects.

The working paper outlined a government proposal requiring developers to submit additional documents detailing build-out rates as evidence for any potential sanctions. The announced measure applied only to developments exceeding 50 houses, as the Government aimed to avoid negatively impacting small to medium enterprise builders. It was noted that 80% of housing was delivered by developments exceeding this threshold.

The Government had expressed its intention to introduce regulations implementing the build-out measures as soon as possible, with the expectation that they would come into effect from 2026. A consultation had been released, allowing developers to cite factors such as unusually severe weather or unexpected site issues as reasons for delayed build-out rates.

Additionally, schemes exceeding 500 homes were required to be mixed-tenure developments. It was also confirmed that the Government had tested a new requirement for large sites to be mixed tenure by default, stating that the delivery of schemes of more than 2,000 homes was “twice as fast” when they included a 40 per cent affordable portion.

The update on planning policy continued, with the Officer noting that the Government had proposed handing Chief Planning Officers and Committee Chairs the power to choose which schemes Members would determine. It was noted that in a consultation which had opened on 28 May 2025, and would be running for eight weeks, the Government had proposed introducing a two-tier national scheme of delegation. This approach would replace the many different approaches across the country, including instances where individual Councillors could call in any application to be considered by Committee.

Under the proposals:

• “Tier A” applications were to be delegated to Officers in all cases.
• “Tier B” applications were to be delegated to Officers unless both the Council’s Chief Planner or an equivalent Officer and the Chair of the Planning Committee agreed that the scheme in question should be determined by Members.

The government proposed that the following types of applications be in Tier A:

• Applications for planning permission for householder development, minor commercial development, or minor residential development.
• Applications for s96A non-material amendments to planning permissions.
• Applications for the approval of conditions.
• Applications for approval of a biodiversity net gain (BNG) plan.
• Applications for approval of prior approval (for permitted development rights).
• Applications for lawful development certificates.

Meanwhile, the working paper suggested that Tier B applications could include:

• Applications for planning permission not included in Tier A.
• Applications where the applicant was the local authority, a Councillor, or an Officer.
• Section 73 applications to vary conditions.
• Applications for a review of mineral planning conditions.

The Chairman introduced the item and stated that responsibility for chairing the discussion would be handed over to the Vice-Chairman to facilitate an orderly process.

The Committee then gave consideration to the only application on the agenda, application number 00026, seeking outline permission for the erection of up to 54 dwellings with all matters reserved, on land to the north of Abbey Road and Wragby Road, Bardney.

The Officer provided a minor update to the item before the Committee. It was noted that the Committee report referenced the indicative layout submitted with the application, which did not indicate that access would be achievable from Jubilee Drive to the north. It was highlighted that pedestrian and cycle access from the north could be achievable, although this could only make provision within the site itself to avoid third party land and a new indicative plan had been submitted by the Applicant, demonstrating such a connection.

The Officer’s presentation continued, with two designated areas within the application site outlined. The larger area, it was stated, was proposed for housing development, whereas the northern section was initially designated for biodiversity net gain, without plans for housing.

It was reiterated that all details regarding the design, layout, house type, scale, and landscaping were reserved for a subsequent application. Attention was drawn to a path located between two houses, leading towards Jubilee Drive. It was noted that a ransom strip separating the application site from the highway was under the control of a social housing provider. The Officer explained that a condition had been put in place requiring the path to be established to allow potential future connectivity.

It was noted that consideration had been given to safeguarding the amenity of nearby residents, and a condition had been proposed prohibiting the construction of two-storey dwellings along the boundary.

The Officer acknowledged concerns regarding play equipment provision and presented a photograph of an existing play area, located approximately 500-600 metres from the site. It was explained that Officers considered the public open space proposed on the application site to meet the requirements in the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (CLLP).

The Vice-Chairman thanked the Officer for his presentation and stated that there were two registered speakers; the first speaker, Mr Daniel Evans, as Agent, was invited to address the Committee.

The Agent outlined the details of the application, stating that it was an outline planning application with all matters reserved for up to 54 dwellings in Bardney, as depicted in the indicative layout shown. Bardney was identified as a large village within the CLLP, providing a range of essential services and facilities for the local community. It was noted that the site in question was specifically allocated for development and considered a sustainable location for housing.

Mr Evans highlighted that Officers had confirmed the principle of housing was deemed acceptable, supported by existing planning policy and technical assessments. It was further explained that certain localised areas within the north of the site had been identified as being at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Note: Cllr Fleetwood returned at 7.02pm and resumed his position as Chairman.

With no comments, questions or requirement for a vote, the Determination of Appeals report was NOTED.