To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 5 July 2022.

The Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 5 July 2022 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Atterwill and Dale.  Councillors Monument and Wickerson were in attendance as their substitutes.

The duties to register, disclose and not to participate for the entire consideration of the matter, in respect of any matter in which a Member has a disclosable pecuniary interest are set out in Chapter 7 of the Localism Act 2011.  Members are also required to withdraw from the meeting as stated in the Standing Orders of this Council.

Dereham: Dereham Hockey Club, Greenfields Road: Reference: 3PL/2022/0597/F (Agenda item 9(b)

Councillor Linda Monument declared a personal but non prejudicial interest in this application due to her being a resident in this area and a Ward Representative and had been invited to the Hockey Club to view the safety fencing.

Councillor Monument remained in the room and was able to vote on the matter.

Councillor Mark Kiddle-Morris also declared a personal but non prejudicial interest in the application due to his daughter being a former member of the Hockey Club.

Councillor Kiddle-Morris remained in the room and was able to vote on the matter.

The Chairman thanked those Members for attending the recent site visit in Griston, he felt that it had been very informative and very worthwhile. It also highlighted issues with regard to site visits and for those who did not attend in terms of voting.

Michael Horn, the Council’s Solicitor then clarified the rules of voting in respect of site visits.

If a Member had expressed a view that a site visit was material to making a decision on the planning application - either by voting for a site visit or by proposing or seconding that there should be one - then, if for whatever reason, they were not able to attend the said site visit, it would be illogical for them, when the matter was heard at the Committee meeting, to vote on that matter. Conversely, where a Member had not expressed any view that there needed to be a site visit, either by not voting on the matter or just by remaining silent on the issue, and they felt that they had enough information before them to make the decision, without having attended the site visit, then they would be able to vote on the application.

To consider any requests from Ward Members, officers or applicants to defer an application included in this agenda, so as to save any unnecessary waiting by members of the public attending for such applications.

None.

To note whether the Chairman proposes to accept any item as urgent business, pursuant to Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

None.

To receive an update (if any). 

Andy D’Arcy, the Planning Policy Manager provided Members with an update on the Local Plan (partial review).

Following the decision at the recent Cabinet meeting held on 25 July 2022, the public consultation on the Local Plan partial review would commence on 11 August 2022 for a period of 6 weeks ending on 23 September 2022.

This review would relate solely to the wording of Policy INF 03 of the adopted Local Plan.

Work was continuing on the full update of the Plan as well as other key workstreams including the 5-year housing land supply for which a report would be presented to the Planning Committee once completed.

Advice had been received from Natural England on 16 March 2022 alerting Norfolk Local Authorities to the unfavourable condition of the River Wensum and Broads Special area of conservation from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and, that all planning applications within those river catchments that related to overnight stays were to be put on hold, until it could be scientifically shown that these additional dwellings would not impact the river catchments with any further nutrient pollution.

This had currently affected around 80 planning applications with approximately 770 dwellings within Breckland alone, as well as impacting the progress of the Greater Norwich Local Plan and North Norfolk Local Plan. Mitigation measures to counteract nutrient river pollution were not easy to identify or implement and could take some time.

Following the advice from Natural England, local authorities, including Breckland, had lobbied Government detailing the economic and social issues arising from this advice and the lack of support to address those issues, especially around the provision of mitigation to allow applications to start to be determined.

On 20 July 2022, there was a ministerial statement that:

·        Placed a new statutory duty on water and sewage companies in England to upgrade their waste-water treatment works to the highest technical specifications to be available by 2030. Upgrades would reduce the amount of nutrients in discharges into river catchments in nutrient neutrality areas and would reduce the mitigation burden on developments, allowing them to come forward. This would be tabled as an amendment in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

·        Secondly, a Nutrient Mitigation Scheme was being established by Natural England working with stakeholders to identify mitigation projects within affected river catchments, enabling developers to purchase credits against mitigation projects being implemented.

·        DEFRA and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, would provide funding to pump prime schemes investing in mitigation projects e.g. wetlands and woodland creation. This would enable Local Planning Authorities to grant permission subject to conditions/obligations securing mitigation.

·        Nutrient Management Plans would also be put in place to secure restoration of rivers long term.

·        Habitats Regulations Assessments still applied to post permission approvals. i.e. reserved matters and discharge of conditions. 

Matters to consider:

·        Upgrading wastewater treatment works was very expensive.  The government had indicated that these would be paid by developer contributions, which could create viability issues for development.

·        The Levelling Up  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77/22

To consider applications deferred at previous meetings including some, but not all, of those shown on the attached Schedule of Deferred Applications.

None.

To consider the Schedule of Planning Applications:

Reserved matters application for erection of five dwellings following outline application 3PL/2017/1267/O.

Reserved matters application for erection of five dwellings following outline application 3PL/2017/1267/O.

Consideration was given to the report presented by Rebecca Collins, Head of Development Management.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

Representations were made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Ward Representative:     Cllr Philip Cowen (spoke against the application)

Applicant’s Agent:           Ben Burgee (Lanpro Services)

Caston Parish Council:   Cllr Mary Howell

Objectors:                        Simon Spanyol and Martin Walker

DECISION: Members voted 9 x 2 for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report;

2.     the additional conditions from the Highways Authority as listed in the supplementary agenda on pages 23 and 24 of the agenda pack;

3.     the receipt of a satisfactory Unilateral Undertaking in respect of GIRAMs and;

4.     delegated authority also be given to Officers to refuse planning permission if a satisfactory Unilateral Undertaking is not received; and

5.     no objections being received from the Historic Environment Service.

Erection of safety fencing at the ends of Pitch 1 (northern pitch) (Retrospective) and replacement fencing at Pitch 2 (southern pitch).

Erection of safety fencing at the ends of Pitch 1 (northern pitch) (retrospective) and replacement fencing at Pitch 2 (southern pitch).

Councillor Linda Monument declared a personal but non prejudicial interest in this application due to her being a resident in this area and a Ward Representative and had been invited to the Hockey Club to view the safety fencing.

Councillor Monument remained in the room and was able to vote on the matter.

Councillor Mark Kiddle-Morris also declared a personal but non prejudicial interest in the application due to his daughter being a former member of the Hockey Club.

Councillor Kiddle-Morris remained in the room and was able to vote on the matter.

Consideration was given to the report presented by Will Hornbuckle, Development Management Planner.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Ward Representative:     Cllr Alison Webb (spoke in support of the application)

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation.

Continued use of land for open air storage plant (materials and aggregates in connection with the operations of Newall Plant Ltd) and proposed associated works, including; provision of earth bund and landscaping.

Continued use of land for open air storage (plant, materials and aggregates in connection with the operations of Newall Plant Ltd) and proposed associated works, including; provision of earth bund and landscaping.

This application was considered in conjunction with agenda item 9(d).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Will Hornbuckle, Development Management Planner.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           James Platt (Locus Planning Ltd)

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report;

2.     condition no. 3 being updated to reflect a 7am start; and

3.     no objections being received from the Council’s Ecologist.

Retention of Modified Earth Bund and Proposed Landscaping.

Retention of modified earth bund and proposed landscaping.

This application was considered in conjunction with agenda item 9(c).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Will Hornbuckle, Development Management Planner.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           James Platt (Locus Planning Ltd)

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to the conditions as listed in the report.

Variation of condition 6 on 3PL/2019/1076/O - To amend the wording of the condition to lower housing density for the section of the site accessed from Mount Pleasant Drive.

Variation of condition 6 on 3PL/2019/1076/O - to amend the wording of the condition to lower housing density for the section of the site accessed from Mount Pleasant Drive.

This application was considered in conjunction with Agenda item 9(f).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Rebecca Collins, Head of Development Management.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           Paul LeGrice (Abel Homes Ltd)

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report and as listed in the supplementary agenda on page 74 of the Agenda pack;

2.     a satisfactory Unilateral Undertaking to secure mitigation towards the GIRAMS (already received) and;

3.     delegated authority be given to Officers to refuse planning permission if the Unilateral Undertaking is not deemed satisfactory; and

4.     the permission as varied remain bound by the S106 Agreement for outline application reference: 3PL/2019/1076/O.

Reserved Matters application for 85 dwellings following outline permission 3PL/2019/1076/O and Variation of condition application reference 3PL/2022/0555/VAR, as well as discharge of conditions 9,11,12,13,14,16 & 18 from 3PL/2019/1076/O (information has also been submitted pursuant to the requirements of conditions 7&8).

Reserved Matters application for 85 dwellings following outline permission 3PL/2019/1076/O and variation of condition application reference 3PL/2022/0555/VAR, as well as discharge of conditions 9,11,12,13,14,16 & 18 from 3PL/2019/1076/O (information has also been submitted pursuant to the requirements of conditions 7&8).

This application was considered in conjunction with Agenda item 9(e).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Rebecca Collins, Head of Development Management.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           Paul LeGrice (Abel Homes Ltd)

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report and as listed in the supplementary agenda on page 74 of the Agenda pack;

2.     no objections being received from the Council’s Ecologist and the Highways Authority;

3.     a satisfactory signed Unilateral Undertaking in respect of GIRAMs (already received); and

4.     delegated authority be given to Officers to refuse planning permission if the Unilateral Undertaking is not deemed satisfactory.

Change of use including alterations to listed buildings, demolition of buildings, and erection of 6 no. Town houses with revised access to form 18 no. dwellings. (Amended Description).

Change of use including alterations to listed buildings, demolition of buildings, and erection of 6 no. Town houses with revised access to form 18 no. Dwellings. (Amended Description).

This application was considered in conjunction with Agenda item 9(h).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Chris Hobson, Principal Development Management Planner.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           John Putman

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to no objections being raised by the National Amenity Societies; and:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report; and

2.     delegated authority be given to the Executive Director of Place to enter into a S106 Agreement to secure the planning obligations as identified in the report.

Change of use including alterations to listed buildings, demolition of two existing buildings and erection of 6 no. Town houses with revised access to form 18 no. dwellings. (Amended Description).

Change of use including alterations to listed buildings, demolition of two existing buildings and erection of 6 no. Town houses with revised access to form 18 no. Dwellings. (Amended Description).

This application was considered in conjunction with Agenda item 9(g).

Consideration was given to the report presented by Chris Hobson, Principal Development Management Planner.

Members considered the matter and fully explored the details of the application in

light of prevailing policies and guidance.

A representation was made in respect of the application in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Applicant’s Agent:           John Putman

DECISION: Members voted unanimously for approval in support of the Officer’s recommendation; subject to:

1.     the conditions as listed in the report and additional conditions recommended by the Highways Authority;

2.     a note to be added to the decision that the applicant was encouraged to provide further landscaping to eradicate further parking on site; and

3.     delegated authority be given to the Executive Director of Place to enter into a S106 Agreement to secure the planning obligations as identified in the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Place.

Members are requested to raise any questions at least two working days before the meeting to allow information to be provided to the Committee.

Noted.

For information.

Noted.