Agenda and minutes

The Democratic and Civic Officer opened the meeting and explained that, having received apologies from the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the first item of business for the Committee was to appoint a Chairman for the meeting. Proposals were duly sought.

A Member of the Committee proposed Councillor Sabastian Hague, this was duly seconded.

A Member of the Committee proposed Councillor Ian Fleetwood, this was also seconded.

The Democratic and Civic Officer requested votes in favour of each proposal, the result of which was tied. The Senior Democratic and Civic Officer explained to the Committee that in the absence of a majority vote, Members could move to proceed with no Chairman and requested that they consider how best to continue the meeting. She then repeated the call for proposals to appoint a Chairman for the meeting.

A new proposal to appoint Councillor Ian Fleetwood was moved and seconded. A counter proposal to appoint Councillor Sabastian Hague was also moved and seconded. A motion to proceed with no Chairman was also proposed.

The Democratic and Civic Officer requested votes in favour of each proposal for Chairman. The vote was again tied.

The Senior Democratic and Civic Officer re-stated the final motion to proceed without a Chairman. Having been seconded, with no dissent amongst Members, and no other proposals forthcoming, it was

RESOLVED that the meeting proceed without a Chairman.

The Democratic and Civic Officer therefore undertook to move the meeting procedurally though the agenda’d business.

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 5 March 2025, previously circulated.

A Member of the Committee 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, 5 March 2025, be confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

In the absence of a Chairman for the meeting, the minutes were to be returned for signing at the next available Committee meeting.

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 T Smith made a non-pecuniary declaration of interest regarding application number 148017, Land off Riby Road, Keelby, in his capacity as County Councillor for the area. The Councillor explained to the Committee that he would keep an open mind when approaching the application.

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 Development Management Team Manager provided an update on the Planning & Infrastructure Bill. The Bill was introduced to Parliament on Tuesday 11 March for its first reading and was considered by MPs at its second reading on Monday 24 March. It was sent to a Public Bill Committee for line-by-line scrutiny and was expected to report to the House by Thursday 22 May 2025. The Bill was to undergo several readings in the House of Commons and the House of Lords before receiving Royal Assent. Its progress could be tracked on the Parliamentary page: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3946

Key measures proposed by the Bill included powers for the Secretary of State to set a national scheme of delegation for planning committees. Regulations setting out the size and composition of planning committees would be established. Mandatory training for committee members before taking planning decisions was also proposed.

With regards to planning application fee setting, local planning authorities (LPAs) would be empowered to set their own planning fees up to full cost recovery. Income from planning application fees would then be applied towards the relevant planning function.

Strategic Planning Spatial Development Strategies (SDS) would be introduced, produced by strategic planning authorities. These strategies would set housing figures and distribution but would not allocate sites. Development would be required to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Local plans produced by LPAs would need to conform to the spatial development strategy.

In terms of nature recovery, a new type of plan called an ‘environmental delivery plan’ (EDP) would be established, drafted by Natural England. The EDP would outline measures for nature recovery and set the nature restoration levy to be paid by developers.

The Manager continued that the Energy Infrastructure Bill would empower the Secretary of State to create a financial benefit scheme for eligible people living near new network transmission infrastructure.

Statutory Consultees Plans to reform the statutory consultee process were announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 10 March 2025. It was explained that the statutory consultee system would support economic growth, with consultations limited to necessary instances. Initial intentions to remove Sport England, the Theatres Trust, and the Gardens Trust were given.

The stages of consultation for the Central Lincolnshire Design Code were outlined. Stage 1 involved the scope and baseline, which took place from September to October 2024. Stage 2 focused on vision and design principles, running from 26 February to 9 April 2025. It was explained that Stage 3 would consist of the draft design code consultation, scheduled for Autumn 2025. Finally, Stage 4 would cover the examination and adoption, expected to occur in Winter 2025/26.

In terms of updates regarding Neighbourhood Plans, the Ingham Regulation 16 (submission) version of the Neighbourhood Plan was expected to be published for consultation soon.

The Committee gave consideration to the first application on the agenda, application number 147988, seeking outline permission for the erection of up to 53 dwellings with access to be considered and not reserved for subsequent applications; and, full planning application for erection of a boundary wall and new driveway associated with no.36 St Germains Way, on land south west of Dunholme Road, Scothern.

The Officer gave an update to the Committee regarding the published report, it was explained that local planning authority was content that the biomass tanks were no in longer place and had been removed satisfying one of the criteria for development of the site.

The Democratic and Civic Officer stated there was registered speaker, and Mr Daniel Evans, as Agent, was invited to address the Committee.

Mr Evans explained that the proposed site for up to 53 new dwellings in Scothern had been identified within the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (CLLP) as a sustainable location for development. It was added that the site had been allocated for development in both the CLLP and the community’s own Neighbourhood Plan, which had been adopted in June 2024.

The Agent informed Members that the site provided a logical and natural extension to the village and would form a second phase to the popular development on St Germain’s Way, developed in 2019 by a local, family-run construction company.

Mr Evans stated that the Planning Officer’s report had confirmed that the site represented an appropriate location for housing development, would support local services and facilities, and was ideally located with good connectivity to the village.

It was added that the Lead Local Flood Authority had confirmed that the development would not lead to an increase in surface water flood risk due to the drainage strategy to be employed on site. The Agent noted that the development would contribute to local schools and NHS services, providing a capital contribution towards local infrastructure necessary to serve the development.

It was concluded that the application was not subject to any objections by statutory consultees and complied with all parts of the development plan; therefore, the Agent requested that the Committee upheld the Officer’s recommendation to grant planning permission.

The speaker was thanked for his time and comments sought from the Committee.

In response to questions regarding the rear of the site, the Officer clarified that the site was connected to the garden centre and that the tanks were no longer present. It was added that the boundary of the site would be landscaped to provide an appropriate green buffer with the countryside.

The Officer responded to a query regarding the proposed attenuation pond, explaining that it would likely be dry for most of the year and details regarding fences would be addressed in a future application. It was noted that the current application sought approval for the principle of the proposed development and the access to serve the site.

In response to a query regarding the turning area for waste vehicles, the Officer confirmed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 205.

Members of the Committee gave consideration to the second application of the evening, application number 148017, seeking planning permission to erect ten bungalows for social housing with associated highway, landscaping and boundary treatments, on land off Riby Road, Keelby.

The Officer issued a correction to the report, noting that on page 66 of the document pack the table referring to one bed with one parking space should instead read as one bed with two parking spaces, in line with the information on page 69. It was explained that on page 48 of the document pack, it detailed an appeal cancellation on a site nearby by the Planning Inspectorate, pertaining to planning application 147537; however, it had since been confirmed that the appeal had been reinstated and would proceed to determination with a hearing date to be confirmed.

The Officer proceeded to introduce the application to the Committee, highlighting the location, access, and key features of the site.

The Democratic and Civic Officer stated that there was one registered speaker; Mr Matt Deakins, as Agent, was invited to address the Committee.

Mr Deakins explained that the application was for a residential development of social housing on the southern edge of Keelby. It was noted that the proposal involved only part of this open space, which was classed as a rural exception site. The Agent explained that an edge-of-village location was deemed common for social housing, with a nearby development serving as a good example.

Mr Deakins continued, adding that the proposal was for 100% affordable housing to meet an identified need determined by Housing Officers. It was stated that the demand for one-bedroom and some two-bedroom properties was reflected in the mix, with eight out of the ten dwellings being one-bedroom properties. It was emphasised that such developments were typically built by housing associations, as speculative developers would rarely build one-bedroom properties outside of large towns and city centres.

The Agent explained that they aimed to retain half of the open space and enhance it with biodiversity enhancements such as new tree planting and hedge planting. It was noted that the area would be open and accessible to the public for the first time, providing a benefit to the local area. The development, consisting of bungalows, was expected to have minimal effects on the location’s character alongside minimal effects on school or nursery places within the village.

Mr Deakins addressed concerns from residents about the impact on village infrastructure, with assurances that the development would have minimal impact. It was stated that the proposal included on-street and off-street parking, ensuring no pressure on existing parking in the surrounding area.

It was confirmed that the new dwellings were designed to be water and energy efficient, with solar panels generating all the energy needed over the course of a year. According to the Agent, Anglian Water had confirmed that the village's water mains and foundry management could accept the development. With regard to surface water, it was noted that it would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 206.

Members of the Committee gave consideration to the final application of the evening, application number 147813, seeking planning permission to erect four dwellings with detached garages, with new access and associated works, on land at 31 Tillbridge Road, Sturton by Stow.

The Officer outlined several updates for the Committee to be aware of. Firstly, it was noted that there had been additional comments from residents regarding drainage, however, the comments did not alter the Officer’s recommendation. Secondly, the Officer stated that they believed all drainage matters could be secured by via conditions. Lastly, it was recommended that condition 11 be amended to specify that the driveway would be Grasscrete rather than permeable paving, as confirmed by the Applicant.

A short presentation was shown the Committee, highlighting the location of the proposed development and key features of the site.

The Democratic and Civic Officer stated that there was one registered speaker; Mr Andrew Denton, as Applicant, was invited to address the Committee.

The Applicant expressed gratitude to Officers for their work on the application. It was stated that the scheme had undergone multiple modifications to address concerns raised by Officers, the Parish Council, and local residents. Mr Denton noted that the number of dwellings had been reduced from five to four, with smaller bungalows now proposed for the site.

It was explained that efforts had been made to enhance the site's biodiversity in compliance with the relevant policies. The dwellings, it was stated, were to be constructed to a high standard, fully complying with the Council's energy policies, and using high-quality materials for durability and aesthetic appeal.

The Applicant explained that significant investment had already been made into the site, including the purchase of the existing house, with plans in place to regenerate and restore the dwelling. It was stated that trees had been retained in the design scheme and would be protected during construction.

Mr Denton continued, explaining that a fully engineered drainage system had been submitted and subsequently approved. It was noted that the engineered drainage system would prevent surface water issues and not increase flooding elsewhere. In line with the Council's energy policies, it was confirmed that the design incorporated solar panels, battery, and suitable inverters for maximum energy efficiency,

The Applicant stated that the local Highways authority had approved the scheme, commenting that the proposal provided a suitable access point and sufficient parking and turning within the site, ensuring no unacceptable impact on the public highway.

With regard to location, Mr Denton noted that the site was deemed an appropriate location for development, retaining the core shape and form of the settlement without harming the character of the village. It was emphasised that the site was within the existing built-up area of the village, as defined by the local Neighbourhood Plan.

To conclude, the Applicant confirmed agreement with the Officer’s proposed conditions and thanked the Committee for their time and consideration.

Comments were subsequently invited from Members of the Committee.

A Member of the Committee noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 207.

There are no Determination of Appeals to note.

There were no Determination of Appeals to note.

With no comments, questions or requirement for a vote, the Planning Enforcement Report was NOTED.