Agenda item

Schedule of planning applications attached.

The Committee considered a schedule of planning applications, together with a list of late items and the recommendations of the Head of Planning.

(a)        12/00075/FUL – Change of use from a hotel to an Emmaus Community, Elm Lea, Ashby Road, Hinckley – Emmaus Community Leicestershire & Rutland

Members gave consideration to the representations made by both the objector and the applicant and felt that discussions should be facilitated between the residents and the applicant to raise awareness of the project and give the applicant the opportunity to address concerns of residents. It was proposed that the application be deferred for this purpose. On the motion of Councillor Hodgkins, seconded by Councillor Bill, it was

RESOLVED – the application be deferred and a meeting between the applicant and residents be facilitated.

(b)        11/00815/FUL – Use of land as a residential caravan site for four gypsy families with 8 caravans including laying and additional hardstanding, Pinehollow Barn, Stoke Lane, Higham on the Hill – Mr John Price

Notwithstanding the officer’s recommendation that the application be approved, Members felt that this proposal was not in accordance with Policy 18 of the Core Strategy and the proposed use would constitute over-development of the site, would be visually intrusive and not assimilated into the countryside and there wasn’t space for sufficient landscaping on the site to mitigate this, wasn’t appropriate to the scale of the nearest settlement, wasn’t near to local facilities, would pose health and safety risks for residents, there was no amenity building, didn’t meet the guidelines set out in the Good Practice Design Guide for Gypsy & Traveller Sites and hadn’t been allocated as a preferred site. Consideration was given to a temporary permission in line with Circular 01/06 but Members considered a temporary permission would not be viable in this instance. It was therefore moved by Councillor Batty and seconded by Councillor O’Shea that the application be refused for these reasons.

The Head of Planning requested that voting on the motion be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Bannister, Batty, Bill, Cartwright, Chastney, Hodgkins, Mayne, Moore, O’Shea, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Ward and Witherford voted FOR the motion (15).

Mr Gould abstained from voting.

The MOTION was therefore declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED – the application be refused for the following reasons:

1.      In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the proposed development, by virtue of its distance from local services and facilities, would be contrary to Policy 18 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Core Strategy.

2.      In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the proposed development would be visually intrusive, constitute over-development of the site and would be out of keeping with the character of the area. It would not be capable of sympathetic assimilation into its surroundings and would be contrary to Policy 18 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Core Strategy.

3.      In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the development, by virtue of the number of pitches proposed, would not be proportionate with the scale of the nearest settlement Higham on the Hill, its local services and infrastructure and would therefore be contrary to Policy 18 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Core Strategy.

4.      In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the proposed development is not considered to meet the standards set out in the document, Designing Gypsy and Traveller Sites: Good Practice Guide and would therefore be contrary to Policy 18 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Core Strategy.

5.      In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the proposed development is not considered to provide a safe and healthy environment for residents and would therefore be contrary to Policy 18 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Core Strategy.

(c)        11/00915/FUL – Change of use of residential to mixed use of premises to provide accommodation and teaching facilities, extensions and alterations, alterations to access and provision of associated car parking, Stretton House, Watling Street, Burbage – Sachkhand Nanak Dham

A late item was reported which consisted of and email from a Member objecting to the application on grounds of increase of traffic on an already busy road and impact upon the amenity of neighbours.

Members highlighted the dangerous nature of the A5, particularly around the ‘Stretton Bends’, and also referred to the imminent increase in traffic due to development further along the A5. Notwithstanding the officer’s recommendation that the application be permitted, it was moved by Councillor Moore and seconded by Councillor Bill that the application should be refused on the grounds of being detrimental to highway safety.

The Head of Planning requested that voting on this MOTION be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Bannister, Batty, Bill, Cartwright, Chastney, Gould, Hodgkins, Mayne, Moore, O’Shea, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Ward and Witherford voted FOR the motion (16).

The MOTION was therefore declared CARRIED. It was unanimously

RESOLVED – the application be refused for the following reasons:

In the opinion of the local planning authority the proposed development, if permitted, would result in an intensification of use of the existing access and a material increase in traffic turning onto or off the A5 Watling Street Trunk Road in an area remote from main development where traffic volumes and speeds are generally high to the detriment of highway safety. The proposed development is therefore contrary to policies NE5 and T5 of the adopted Hinckley and Bosworth Local Plan and Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport.

Councillors Chastney and Mayne left the meeting at 8.50pm.

(d)        12/00008/LBC – Formation of a meeting room and partitioning two open plan offices, Atkins Building, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley – Mr Shaun Curtis

On the motion of Councillor Batty, seconded by Councillor Allen, it was

RESOLVED – powers be delegated to the Head of Planning to refer the application to the Secretary of State following the expiry of the consultation period on 28 February 2012 and resolution of matters that might arise, in accordance with Regulation 13 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990.

Councillor Chastney returned at 8.52pm.

(e)        12/00010/FUL – Erection of agricultural building, land north of Anstey Lane, Groby – Mr S Wilshore

It moved moved by Councillor Batty, seconded by Councillor Cartwright and

RESOLVED – the application be refused for the reasons contained in the officer’s report.

Councillor Mayne returned at 8.55pm.

(f)         11/00895/TEMP – Siting of temporary occupational dwelling, land off West End, Barton in the Beans – Mrs Evelyne Shouls

RESOLVED – the application be permitted subject to the conditions contained in the officer’s report.