Agenda item

The Chairman introduced the first item of the meeting, planning application number 143957, to erect 1no. detached dwelling and creation of vehicular access, at Land adjacent to Manor Cottage, Cliff Road, Saxby, Market Rasen. The Officer informed the Members of the Committee that there were no updates to the report, with the application deferred at the last committee meeting for a site visit, which took place on 7^th April.

The Chairman invited the only Speaker, Local Ward Member Councillor Jeff Summers, to address the Committee.

The Member stated that he was at the site visit and that it was evident that it was a hamlet. He believed that there was no one single aspect with any strength to have this application refused. He expressed that the proposed development fitted the street scene perfectly and felt that LP 26 had to considered.

Note:              Councillor J. Summers stepped down from the Committee for the rest of this item and left the Council Chamber at 6.41 pm.

The Chairman then invited comments from Members of the Committee.

Debate ensued, and observations were made by Members from the site visit. These comments included the property’s design, with Members commenting that the proposed design was the reverse of the properties in the surrounding area of Saxby. There was a possibility of conditioning the materials to be more in keeping with the nearby properties.

There was also consideration regarding the hamlet nature of the application. One Member commented that there was too much distance between the properties for Saxby to be classed as a hamlet, and being one long line of houses. There was a remark that the proposed application was development in the countryside, contrary to LP2. A separate Member commented that the impact on the church as highlighted in the report was not in view, and noted that the hamlet definition was a bit redundant with Lincolnshire villages being small farms around development.

The Development Management Team Manager informed Members that the Local Plan no longer had defined settlement boundaries and if Saxby was a hamlet, it would have to meet the written definition as defined by LP2, section 7 of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan. The key issue was whether the buildings were “clearly clustered” together as a single developed footprint. The Officer also confirmed that the proposed application would be considered under stricter categorisation if it was deemed not to be a hamlet.

The Officer advised that for material changes, the Committee would have to either reject the application and wait for a future application, or defer the item for the officers to discuss with the applicants and agent.

Having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and, with a majority vote, it was agreed that planning permission, as detailed in the Officer’s recommendation, be REFUSED.

Note:              Councillor D. Cotton requested that his abstention on the above vote be recorded in the minutes (25 May 2022).

Note:              Councillor J. Summers returned to the Council Chamber at 6.52 pm.

Note:              Councillor D. Dobbie left the meeting at 6.52 pm.