Development Management Committee - Wednesday, 2nd March, 2016 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

All Members who believe they have a disclosable pecuniary interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting may not participate in any discussion or vote taken on the matter and if the interest is not registered, it must be disclosed to the meeting. In addition, Members are required to leave the meeting while the matter is discussed.

Having regard to the Members’ Code of Conduct, the following declaration of interest was made. The Member with a disclosable pecuniary interest left the meeting during the debate on the relevant agenda item:

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 3rd February, 2016 (copy attached).

Items for decision

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 3rd February, 2016 were approved and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1607 on planning applications recently submitted to the Council (copy attached with a copy of the index appended to the agenda).

RESOLVED: That

(i)         planning permission/consent be refused in respect of the following application as set out in Appendix “A” attached hereto for the reasons mentioned therein:

*           15/00964/FUL (St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Bridge Road, Aldershot).

(ii)        the applications dealt with by the Head of Planning, where necessary in consultation with the Chairman, in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation, more particularly specified in Section “D” of the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1607, be noted;

(iii)       the current position with regard to the following applications be noted pending consideration at a future meeting:

15/00897/REMPP (Zone C – Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot Urban Extension, Alisons Road, Aldershot);

15/00898/REMPP (Zone C – Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot Urban Extension, Alisons Road, Aldershot);

15/00930/LBC2PP (Zone C – Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot Urban Extension, Alisons Road, Aldershot);

15/00925/FULPP (Land off Sarah Way, to the rear of Nos 49 – 51 Victoria Road, Farnborough);

15/00931/LBC2PP (Zone C – Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot Urban Extension, Alisons Road, Aldershot);

16/00007/FULPP (Land at Dingley Way, Farnborough); and

16/00027/FUL (Asda, Westmead, Farnborough).

(iv)       Planning Application No. 16/00049/FULPP (The Queen’s Head, 97 North Lane, Aldershot), as amended at the meeting, be deferred.

*           The Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1607 in respect of these applications was amended at the meeting.

To consider the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1608 (copy attached) which reports on cases of planning enforcement and possible unauthorised development.

Items for information

In accordance with the guidelines for public participation at meetings, the following representation was made to the Committee and was duly considered before a decision was reached:

To receive the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1609 (copy attached) on the progress of recent planning appeals.

The Committee received the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1607 (as amended at the meeting) regarding the demolition of existing public house and re-development of site with two pairs of 2-bedroom semi-detached houses on road frontage with new access between leading to a pair of 3-bedroom semi-detached houses at rear of site (6 new dwellings in total), together with detached garages, parking spaces, turning area and associated landscaping (re-submission of planning application 15/00475/FULPP refused 18 September 2015).

It was noted that the recommendation was to defer consideration of the planning application and to issue an Enforcement Notice.

RESOLVED: That

(i)         consideration of the planning application be deferred to seek an independent assessment of the evidence submitted with the application; and

(ii)        the Council to issue an Enforcement Notice requiring the cessation of the unauthorised material change for the following draft reasons:

(a)        the unauthorised development conflicts with the requirements of the Council’s “Development Affecting Public Houses” Supplementary Planning Document formally adopted by the Council’s Cabinet on 2 June 2015 in that it has not been satisfactorily demonstrated that there is no longer term need for the Public House and that alternative Public Houses are readily accessible to meet the needs of the community in the vicinity. The unauthorised development thereby also results in the unjustified loss of a community facility contrary to Government Planning Policy and Guidance and also Policy CP10 of the Rushmoor Core Strategy (November 2011);

(b)        the unauthorised development does not address its impact upon the nature conservation interest and objectives of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. The proposal is thereby contrary to the requirements of the Habitats Regulations Policies CP13 and CP15 of the Rushmoor Core Strategy adopted October 2011.

The Committee received the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1608 regarding the erection of roof outbuildings at 166 Lower Farnham Road, Aldershot. It was reported that the property was a two-storey detached house, located on the north west side of Lower Farnham Road. In June, 2016, a complaint had been received that a roof had been formed over the existing outbuildings to the rear of the site.

A site inspection had confirmed that a sloping roof had been formed over the existing flat roof outbuilding and court yard to the rear of the site by erecting an insulated, metal double skinned roofing panel roof, forming a continuation of the rear roof slope of the existing two storey height outbuilding over the single storey outbuilding. It was reported that the highest part of the new roof measured 2.59m and required planning permission as it exceeded 2.5m in height and was located within 2m of a boundary property. The owner had been advised to either remove the roof, reduce the height of the roof by 0.09m in order to comply with householder permitted development rights for outbuildings, or attempt to regularise the development through the submission of a retrospective planning application. The owner of the property had failed to respond and no planning application had been received.

The Committee was informed that the main issues were the impact on the character and appearance of the area and the impact upon the amenities of the occupiers of adjacent properties. It was highlighted that the roof was positioned to the rear of the site and was therefore screened from public view by the two-storey height outbuilding. The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) 2015 did not specify any building materials for outbuildings and the development only required planning permission as the height of the new roof exceeded the allowance made by the GDPO by 0.09m.

It was considered that the unauthorised roofing does not cause any significant material harm to the visual character of the area or the amenities of neighbours. As such, it was considered that planning permission would be granted by the Council, were a planning application submitted. In accordance with Policy PE3, it was considered that neither expedient nor reasonable for the Council to take enforcement action in respect of the breach of planning control that had taken place.

            RESOLVED: That no further action be taken.

The Committee received the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1609 concerning the following appeals:

            RESOLVED: That the Head of Planning’s Report No. PLN1609 be noted.