Agenda and minutes

The Chief Executive to notify the Committee of any substitute members

The Committee was notified that  a notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 had been received, appointing Councillor Woolley for Councillor Jacky Smith for this meeting only.

Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting

There were none declared.

                                                                                                                  (Enclosure)

The minutes of the meeting held on 27^th August 2013 were accepted as a correct record of decisions taken.

To consider applications received for the grant of planning permission – reports prepared by the Case Officer.                                                                                                       (Enclosure)

The anticipated order of consideration is as shown on the agenda, but this may be subject to change, at the discretion of the Chairman of the Committee.

Decision:-

To determine applications, or make observations, as listed below:-

(1.03pm – Councillor Wren entered the meeting).

JJ1

Application ref:         S13/1824/MJNF

Description:               Application under Section 73 to vary the wording to conditions 27 and 30 of application S13/0260 to amend requirements relating to the timing of access improvements

Location:                    Land west of Ryhall Road, Stamford

Decision:                   Deferred

Noting comments made during the public speaking session from:-

                        Egerton Gilman (Voice of Stamford) – objecting

together with no objection from the Highway Authority, comments from Heritage Lincolnshire (Archaeology) and objections from local residents and the Voice of Stamford, a note of the Section 106 Heads of Terms, late information report circulated to Members before the meeting including (in full) comments from the Voice of Stamford and officer comment thereon, and comments made by Members at the meeting.

During the discussion following the introduction, the Chairman reminded Members that planning permission had been given for the development, and that the application now before the meeting was for a temporary construction access only.

It was proposed and seconded that the application be refused on grounds of highway safety.

The Chairman reminded Members that the recommendation was to approve and the proposal was, therefore, against the recommendation.  He confirmed that the Development Management Service Manager could not support a refusal for the reason given.

Members were reminded of the provisions set out in the Constitution relating to the procedure to be followed.  If the proposition was carried, any Member voting for it would be required to submit the detailed reasons for refusal to the Development Management Service Manager within 5 working days.  The vote today, and any subsequent vote, would be recorded, and on this first vote Members would be voting that they were minded to refuse.

A recorded vote was then taken as follows:-

The proposition was lost.

It was then proposed and seconded that further consideration be deferred for a site inspection, and for all parties to look at the issues raised in regard to access and road safety.

On being put to the vote, the proposition was carried, and the application deferred for a site visit and for all parties to discuss relevant highway issues, including volume of traffic using the access and present and as proposed, and details of speed limits on Ryhall Road.

NB1

Application ref:         S13/1712/FULL

Description:               Replacement dwelling (amendments to application S13/0728

Location:                    1A, Castlegate, Castle Bytham, Grantham

Decision:                   Minded to refuse

Noting no objection from the Principal Conservation Officer, Environment Agency or Highway Authority, comments from the Tree Officer, Lincolnshire Heritage and English Heritage, an objection from the Parish Council and a number of objections from nearby residents; late information report circulated to Members before the meeting, including  additional letters from local residents  ...  view the full minutes text for item 173.

Report number PLA1011 by the Development Management Service Manager.     (To follow)

Decision:-

That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and Development Management Service Manager be authorised to formulate and agree the Committee’s views on the application for submission to Newark and Sherwood District Council, noting the views now expressed by the Committee.

Members had before them report PLA1011 from the Development Management Service Manager on a neighbouring authority consultation from Newark and Sherwood District Council.  The consultation had been considered at the last meeting and deferred to enable a detailed considered response tested against the SKDC Wind Energy SPD.  Newark and Sherwood District Council had been asked to allow sufficient time, suggested at 6 weeks, for this response.

The Case Officer presented an updated report, advising Members that the Case Officer at Newark and Sherwood had confirmed that the earliest committee date for consideration of the application would be early November.  However, a firm assurance could not be given, and the application could be refused under delegated powers if an adjoining wind farm, currently at appeal, was dismissed.  No extra time would be given for the South Kesteven response.  The nearest parishes within South Kesteven, Claypole, Long Bennington and Westborough and Dry Doddington had not been consulted by Newark and Sherwood.

All documents connected to the application were available on the Newark and Sherwood website, some 175 in total, and the Case Officer showed several plans of the location, at different scales, of the proposed turbines and of the proximity of nearby villages, heritage assets and other schemes within the area.  Photo-montages from various viewpoints were also shown.

The Committee had requested that the SPD be used as a tool to identify any areas where the application was lacking information, or where it would be clearly contrary to the SPD.  It had not been possible to assess this information to the same degree as with an application in South Kesteven. However, in accordance with committee instructions officers had carried out the exercise and found the application to be deficient in a number of areas which it was considered should be pointed out as far as South Kesteven was concerned, and he then detailed these for the information of Members, as landscape/visual assessment, residential visual amenity, cumulative impact assessment, ecology, historic environment and noise.

In addition, and although not previously stated, there was a need to take into account the Thacksons Well and Palmer’s Hollow appeal decisions, which would have a significant bearing on the acceptability of commercial scale wind farms in this area.  In summarising, the Case Officer said that the proposal would have a significant impact on South Kesteven, and that the level of information provided was inadequate for the impact on South Kesteven to be properly assessed.  On that basis the application in its current form should be refused or Newark and Sherwood should require this information to be submitted by the applicant and South Kesteven to be re-consulted.

A lengthy discussion took place, during which Members considered that the response suggested in the report was not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 174.

Report number PLA1014 by the Development Management Service Manager.     (To follow)

Decision:-

That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and Development Management Service Manager be authorised to formulate and agree the Committee’s views on the application for submission to South Holland District Council, noting the views now expressed by the Committee.

Members had before them report PLA 1014 from the Development Management Service Manager, following a notification by South Holland District Council of an application for a single 46.3m (to tip) wind turbine at Little Duke Farm, Main Road, Deeping St Nicholas. This site was near the South Kesteven boundary, in open countryside approximately 3.9km north east of Market Deeping and 4.5km east of Langtoft.

The committee were shown several plans of the location of the proposed turbine, including references to the nearest settlements and other wind turbines in the area.  A discussion then ensued on the section of the report listing the likely impact of the development and it was considered that this was not sufficiently detailed.  Members also pointed out the proximity of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the area, as well as a number of areas of water, used by migrating birds, which could be affected if the development was to proceed. A Member referred to a tick-list, produced by a local resident, and based on the points listed in the Council’s SPD on wind energy, and which could be used to aid the response.  As with the last application, it was considered that a quick response was vital to ensure that the Council’s views arrived in time to be taken into account.  The Chairman suggested that while the tick-list would be useful to ‘score’ the application, it would not be possible to require another authority to use South Kesteven information.  He suggested that it could be sent to other authorities as a tool to find out what information they had available.

Following further discussion, it was proposed and seconded that the application be dealt with as for the Newark and Sherwood application, with the extra requirement of an eco survey, bearing in mind the proximity of Baston Lakes and other areas of water used by birds.  It was also suggested that the neighbouring parishes within South Kesteven should be consulted.

(4.18pm – Councillor Cook left the meeting).

On being put to the vote, the proposition was agreed.

(4.25pm – as the meeting had lasted for three hours, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9, the Committee voted for the meeting to continue).

Report number PLA1009 by the Development Management Service Manager.     (To follow)

Decision:-

That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and Development Management Service Manager be authorised to formulate and agree the Committee’s views on the application for submission to Rutland County Council, noting the views now expressed by the Committee.

Members had before them report PLA1009 from the Development Management Service Manager on a neighbouring authority consultation from Rutland County Council.  The consultation had been considered at the last meeting and deferred to enable a detailed considered response tested against the SKDC Wind Energy SPD, and for confirmation of the views of South Witham and Castle Bytham Parish Councils. Rutland County Council had been asked to allow an extension of time to enable the Committee’s comments to be submitted after this meeting.

The Committee were shown plans of the location of the turbine, related to the South Kesteven boundary, and showing distances to the nearest settlements within thwe District.  As mentioned at the last meeting, the two neighbouring Parish Councils within the District had been consulted, and it was confirmed that South Witham had no objections, and Castle Bytham had made no comments.

After a discussion, it was proposed and seconded that the application be dealt with as for the previous two applications at Newark and Sherwood and South Holland.  On being put to the vote the proposition was agreed.

The Development Management Service Manager was asked to email the location maps of all three sites to Members.

Report No. PLA1015 by the Development Management Service Manager.(Enclosure)

The Development Management Service Manager submitted his report listing details of applications not determined within the eight week time period.  Also submitted was a list of applications dealt with under delegated powers and a list of outstanding planning appeals, together with a schedule showing planning applications performance as at April/August 2013.

The meeting closed at 4.38pm