Agenda, decisions and minutes

Any apologies for absence which have been received will be noted at this stage.

The Planning Committee will be informed at this point in the meeting of any planning applications which have been deferred or withdrawn and so will not be discussed and determined at this meeting.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Apologies were received from Mrs Duncton, Mr Dunn and Mr Hixson.

The Committee sent best wishes to Mr Dunn for a speedy recovery.

The minutes relate to the meeting of the Planning Committee on 18 July 2018.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2018 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

The chairman will announce any urgent items that due to special circumstances will be dealt with under agenda item 9 (b).

There were no urgent items.

Details of members’ personal interests arising from their membership of parish councils or West Sussex County Council or from their being Chichester District Council or West Sussex County Council appointees to outside organisations or members of outside bodies or from being employees of such organisations or bodies.

Such interests are hereby disclosed by each member in respect of agenda items in the schedule of planning applications where the Council or outside body concerned has been consulted in respect of that particular item or application.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are to be made by members of the Planning Committee in respect of matters on the agenda or this meeting.

Mrs Kilby declared a personal interest in respect of application CC/18/01357/FUL as a member of Chichester City Council.

Mr Oakley declared a personal interest in respect of application CC/18/01357/FUL as a member of West Sussex County Council.

Mr Plowman declared a personal interest in respect of application CC/18/01357/FUL as a member of Chichester City Council.

Mrs Purnell declared a personal interest in respect of application CC/18/01357/FUL as a member of West Sussex County Council.

Proposed open fronted polebarn

Permit

The following information was reported on the agenda update sheet relating to an addendum to the planning history section of the report, additional supporting information, deletion of condition 4 and two additional conditions (removal of storage container) and (no external storage).

The following member of the public addressed the Committee:

·         Mr R Briscoe

Mrs Stevens, Mr Frost and Mr Whitty responded to members’ questions and comments concerning the need for a building of the size proposed, its use and grazing quality of the land.  The height of the open fronted pole barn negotiated during the application process was deemed acceptable by officers for the proposed use.  The keeping of machinery would be in line with the agricultural use of the land.  The type and ownership of the cattle was immaterial.  Attention was drawn to the comments of the Council’s Environmental Health Officer that the raised levels of lead on the site were not particularly elevated.  With regard to the scale of the agricultural use, it would be unreasonable to fetter the site and restrict it.

A proposal to defer the application for a site visit was not carried.

Members favoured an amendment to condition 5 to specifically require that any machinery stored must be agricultural related.  

Recommendation to Permit with deleted condition 4, amended condition 5, and two additional conditions (removal of storage container) and (no external storage) agreed.

Plot 4B Terminus Road Chichester West Sussex

Refuse

Further information was reported on the agenda update sheet relating to additional supporting information, an additional West Sussex County Council Highways response, officer comments and removal of amended reason 2 for refusal as West Sussex County Council Highways had no objection on traffic impact grounds.

The following members of the public addressed the Committee:

·         Mr R Bailey – supporter

·         Mr J Mines – applicant

·         Mrs P Dignum – CDC ward member

Mr Whitty and Mr Frost provided advice and replied to members’ questions and comments.  The Committee noted that ownership of the unit was irrelevant to the planning considerations.  Details were given of the marketing exercise that had taken place and the marketing advice provided by the commercial property agents on the marketing of the premises.  It was the officers’ opinion that although some “soft” marketing of the premises had initially taken place before full marketing had commenced, they were not satisfied that the marketing undertaken was compliant with Policy 26 due to the marketing period being significantly less than the two years required .  It was also noted that the premises was currently occupied by a B1 business use.  The need to give due weight to the Local Plan, being only 3 years old, was emphasised.

During discussion of the proposal for change of use, from B1 to D2 use, Members had sympathy for the applicant and were mindful of the applicant’s reasons for wishing to move from his current premises.

A number of members considered that with regard to Policy 26 of the Chichester Local Plan (Existing Employment Sites), on balance the application should be supported as they felt that sufficient marketing of the unit had taken place for a reasonable period of time in light of the current economic climate.  They also noted the support of the Chichester District Council Estates and Economic Development services to the proposal and in particular comments made that the premises were undesirable to potential tenants for B1 use due to their  age and configuration.

However, other members considered that Policy 26 had not been complied with and concurred with the officer’s recommendation that before  an alternative use of the premises could be considered, robust marketing for two years should take place to demonstrate that there was no demand for further business use.

Recommendation to Refuse, with refusal reason 2 deleted, agreed.

Retrospective installation of a horse walker

Permit

Additional information was reported on the agenda update sheet relating to amended condition 4 and one additional condition (maintenance of horse walker)

The following member of public addressed the Committee:

·         Mr P Bradley - applicant

Mr Elliott circulated comments and photographs received from East Lavington Parish Council who were unable to attend the meeting to address the Committee.

Mr Saunders responded to members’ questions and comments.  The horse walker had a rubber finished floor and was operated by an electric motor with a quiet hum, which would be fairly inaudible outside of the site.  With regard to its impact, it should be remembered that in any case the existing farming and equestrian activity on the site generated general background noise.  Each application was assessed on its own merits.

An amendment to condition 3 was favoured by members to minimise the use of external lightingand to restrict the lighting to that approved by the Planning Authority, and an additional condition requiring the retention of the rubber surface finish and routine maintenance of the horse walker in perpetuity.

Recommendation to Permit with amended conditions 3 and 4 and two additional conditions (maintenance of horse walker) and (retention of rubber surface) agreed.

The Planning Committee will consider the monthly schedule updating the position with regard to planning appeals, litigation and recent planning policy publications or pronouncements.

The committee considered and noted the schedule of outstanding planning appeals, court and policy matters that had been circulated with the agenda.