Planning Board DATE: 20th January 2016 NOTES: 1. Items may be taken out of order and therefore we are unable to advise the time at which an item will be considered. 2. Applications can be determined in any manner notwithstanding the recommendation being made 3. Councillors who have a query about anything on the agenda are requested to inspect the file and talk to the case officer prior to the meeting. 4. Any members of the public wishing to make late additional representations should do so in writing or contact their Ward Councillors prior to the meeting. Please give a day’s notice if you wish to inspect a file if this is possible. 5. Letters of representation referred to in these reports together with any other background papers may be inspected at any time prior to the Meeting and these papers will be available at the Meeting. 6. For the purposes of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, unless otherwise stated against a particular report , ‘background papers’ in accordance with section 100D will always include the case officer’s written report and any letters or memoranda of representation received. Planning Board Report 20th January 2016 Page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Planning Board - 20th January 2016 Item Page Application Ward/Site Automatically Case Number Raised for Officer Discussion? Y/N DM01 4 2014/1453/OTS Court Hotel Lodge , N Mr Daniel Emborough, Radstock, BA3 Foster 4SA Ashwick, Chilcompton And Stratton DM02 9 2015/2183/OTA Land North West Of, North N Mr Daniel Town Lane, North Wootton, Foster Somerset Croscombe And Pilton DM03 14 2015/1431/OTS 6 Frome Road, Rode, N Mr James Frome, BA11 6PW U'Dell Rode And Norton St Philip DM04 23 2015/2137/FUL The Mill House, Millbatch N Mrs Kelly Close, Meare, Glastonbury, Pritchard Somerset, BA6 9GT Moor DM05 28 2015/1824/VRC Unit 2 Whitebridge Farm , N Mrs Kelly Glastonbury Road, Meare, Pritchard Glastonbury, BA6 9SZ Moor DM06 35 2015/2486/FUL Caravan 13 And14, N Mrs Kelly Fourways Park, Gales Pritchard Drove, Wick, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8JX Glastonbury St Edmonds DM07 39 2015/2528/FUL Rookery Farm, Roemead N Mrs Anna Road, Binegar, Wells, Clark Somerset, BA3 4UL St Cuthbert Out North DM08 46 2015/2331/HSE 42A West Shepton, N Mrs Lorna Shepton Mallet, Somerset, Elstob BA4 5UD Shepton West DM09 49 2015/2214/CLE Skateboard Park , West N Mr Carlton Shepton Recreation Langford Ground, Old Wells Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Planning Board Report 20th January 2016 Page 2 Shepton West DM10 52 2015/2340/FUL Skate Park, Old Wells N Mr Carlton Road, Shepton Mallet, Langford Somerset, BA4 5XN Shepton West Planning Board Report 20th January 2016 Page 3 Agenda Item No. DM01 Case Officer Mr Daniel Foster Site Court Hotel Lodge Emborough Radstock BA3 4SA Application Number 2014/1453/OTS Date Received 19th July 2014 Applicant/ Mr & Mrs A Lamb Organisation The Court Hotel Application Type Outline - Some Matters Reserved Proposal Erection of two detached dwellings in grounds of The Court Hotel (amended description reducing the scheme from five to two dwellings). Ward Ashwick, Chilcompton And Stratton Parish Chilcompton Parish Council This application is referred to Planning Board at the request of the Ward Members and following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Planning Board. Description of Site, Proposal and Constraints The application relates to land at the Court Hotel, Emborough. The application seeks outline planning permission with all matters reserved for subsequent approval, save for the means of access. The application relates to the residential development of the site comprising two detached dwellings. Planning permission has been granted separately for the conversion of the adjacent hotel buildings into six dwellings. Procedural note The application, as originally submitted, referred to the erection of five dwellings, however during the life of the application the applicant has reduced this to the erection of two dwellings (indicative plots 1 & 2 remain and plots 3, 4 and 5 have been omitted from the scheme). Given the application is made in outline with only access to be considered at this stage, and that the proposed numbers have been reduced (i.e. from five to two dwellings), it is not considered that any party would be prejudiced by not re-consulting on the changes made. Summary of parish comments, any objections or conflict with the recommendation Chilcompton Parish Council Recommend approval, no objections Tree Officer (Summary) Planning Board Report 20th January 2016 Page 4 The proposed new build units 1 and 2 to the west of the site do not pose a direct threat to the high category trees shown for retention (with appropriate tree protection measures applied). Relevant planning history 2014/1454 Conversion of hotel and outbuildings to 6No. residential dwellings, approved January 2015. The remaining planning history dating back to 1974 relates to various planning permissions for alterations and changes to the hotel, the most recent being: 2010/2810 Outline application for the erection of a detached building to form five holiday lets, approved 2011 Summary of all planning policies relevant to the proposal Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 places a duty on local planning authorities to determine proposals in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The following development plan policies and material considerations are relevant to this application: Development Plan - Mendip District Local Plan Part 1 Strategy and Policies (adopted December 2014) CP1 (Spatial Strategy), CP2 (Housing), CP4 (rural communities), DP1 (Local Identity and Distinctiveness), DP4 (Mendip’s Landscapes), DP5 (Biodiversity and Ecological Networks), DP7 (Design and Amenity), DP8 (Environmental Protection) DP9 (Transport Impact of New Development), DP10 (Parking Standards), DP14 (housing Mix), DP16 (Open Space and Green Infrastructure), DP19 (Development Contributions) Policies WCS1 (waste prevention) and WCS2 (recycling and re-use) of the Somerset Waste Core Strategy (adopted February 2013) Material Considerations National Planning Policy Framework Planning Practice Guidance Somerset County Council Standing Advice (June 2013) Assessment of relevant issues Principle The application site lies entirely outside of the development limits of any settlement and in the countryside, where policy CP1 states that any proposed development will be strictly controlled and will only be permitted where it benefits economic activity or extends the range of facilities available to the local communities. Planning Board Report 20th January 2016 Page 5 Core Policy 1 (CP1) of the Local Plan Part 1 says that, to enable the most sustainable pattern of growth for Mendip District, the majority of development will be directed to towards the five principal settlements (Frome, Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury and Street). Core Policy 2 (CP2) states that the delivery of new housing will be secured from three sources (a) Infill, conversions and redevelopments within Development Limits defined on the Proposals Map, (b) Strategic Sites identified on the Key Diagrams for each town associated with Core Policies 6-10 and (c) other allocations of land for housing and, where appropriate, mixed use development, outside of Development Limits through the Site Allocations process. The application proposals do not therefore accord with the approach set out for the delivery of housing contained within CP2 (a), (b) or (c). The application site is some distance from the nearest settlement it being circa 650 metres west of the nearest point of the development limit of the village of Chilcompton. In pulling these points together the application site lies entirely outside, and some distance away from, the Development Limits and in the countryside, where development is strictly controlled in accordance with CP1. As such the principle of new build, open market dwellings in this location is considered unacceptable insofar as it does not accord with the settlement strategy & policy for the provision of new houses. There is no housing land shortfall reason to be set against the effects of the proposal (though even if there was this site is remote from any settlement and is fundamentally contrary to the objectives of sustainable development). Therefore there is an ‘in principle’ objection to development of this site in open countryside outside of the Development Limits. Transport sustainability NPPF is quite clear that promoting sustainable transport is part of securing sustainable development, at paragraph 29 it states that: ‘Transport policies have an important role to play in facilitating sustainable development but also in contributing to wider sustainability and health objectives.’ and at paragraph 17 the NPPF sets out the Core Planning Principles which include that planning should, inter alia, ‘actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and focus significant development in locations which are or can be made sustainable’. The site is outside of any settlement. The nearest facilities that might meet some of the resident’s day-to-day needs are in Chilcompton proper, it being circa 1.4 km along the B3139 to the nearest convenience store for example. This is some considerable distance, particularly bearing in mind that there are long lengths of the B3139 with no footways and where the posted speed limit is 40 mph, a journey along this road walking or cycling is likely to be uninviting for most people, particularly after dark or in poor weather or for those with children or who are less mobile. The residential development of the site proposed would foster the growth in the need to travel contrary to the objectives set out Framework, which aims to minimise the need to travel. The site is not considered a sustainable location in transport terms and alone warrants a reason for refusal. Character and appearance of the area Whilst emphasising the economic and social benefits of development, including new housing, the NPPF makes it clear that the planning system also has an environmental role.