Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Assistant Director: Planning and Implementation, (copy enclosed, Members’ Update to be circulated)*.

The Chairperson drew Members’ attention to the Members’ Update circulated prior to the meeting, which includes corrections to the Officers report and an amendment to the drawing numbers in condition 2.

Following the Officers’ presentation, the Applicant, Ms Kemp addressed the Committee.

Councillor A S Fluker expressed concern regarding the proposed solar PV panels as he felt they would be visible, referred to a briefing note submitted by the applicant and felt a pitched roof would alleviate the issues with the solar panels. He advised he could not support the application and proposed that it be refused. This proposal was duly seconded.

During the debate that ensued a number of Members commented on the application. In response to the proposal from Councillor Fluker, the Head of Service: Development Management and Building Control provided the Committee with further detail regarding the flat roof and some guidance should it be mindful to refuse the application on the basis of design.

Following further debate and in response to a question, the Principal Planning Officer advised that a condition requesting that details of the solar panel be provided could be added.

At this point Councillor Fluker confirmed that he was withdrawing his earlier proposal and Councillor E L Stephens agreed to withdraw her seconding of it.

Councillor Stephens then proposed that the application be refused on design grounds, being that it would look overbearing, and it was not clear regarding the solar panels and how visible they would be. This was not seconded.

Councillor S J Burwood proposed that the Officers recommendation be agreed. This proposal was duly seconded. In respect of an additional condition regarding solar panels, Officers suggested that the applicant be asked to provide sections of the roof to see the relationship of the solar panels and the parapet in the context of the overall development. The Chairperson moved the proposal with the additional condition and upon a vote being taken this was agreed. Councillor E L Stephens requested that her vote against the proposal be recorded and Councillors J R Burrell-Cook, A S Fluker, M G Neall and M E Thompson abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED that this application be APPROVED subject to the applicant’s Unilateral Undertaking as a legal agreement pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to secure the planning obligations and subject to conditions as detailed below and the extra condition regarding the details of the solar panels:

1          The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57