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Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

446.

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

In accordance with the Regulations, Members are invited to declare any disclosable interests under the Code of Conduct and the nature of those interests in respect of items on this Agenda and/or indicate if Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Minutes:

Mr M A Oxley

Item 1

2014/1003/MAJ

Mr Oxley declared on the grounds of probity as he had in the past voiced his support for renewable energy sources.  He stated that he would however wait for the officers’ report before reaching a decision on this application.

 

447.

PETITIONS, DEPUTATIONS AND QUESTIONS

To receive any petitions, deputations and questions from members of the Public in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rules.

 

The total time allowed for this item shall be 30 minutes.  Petitions, deputations and questions shall be dealt with in the order in which they are received.  Questions may also be submitted at short notice by giving a written copy to the Committee Administrator 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

 

The total time allowed for questions at short notice is 15 minutes out of the total time of 30 minutes.  Any petitions, deputations and questions that have been submitted with prior formal notice will take precedence over questions submitted at short notice.  Any questions that are not considered within the time limit shall receive a written response after the meeting and be the subject of a report to the next meeting.

Minutes:

Three questions had been received.  The questions were put to the meeting as Members had received the full text prior to the meeting.

 

The Chair invited the Planning Officer, Mr Thrower to respond to the questions.  The responses are shown below.

 

Question 1 received from Mr B Willars.

 

May I point out that this report is inconsistent, subjective and incongruous.

 

The predicted generation capacity of the wind farm is recognised by the report to be locally significant (it would, after all, be the one and only source of renewable energy produced in Rutland of any note). And yet, the perceived detrimental impact against which this is balanced is purely one of aesthetics – that the turbines are visible. Not on grounds of noise, safety or anything harmful – just that they can be seen.

 

Even this is inconsistent and unclear. Is it that they are visible from certain heritage and conservation sites, as it states in one part of the report – or from nearby villages, public rights of way and local roads, as it states in another?

 

Whichever it is, it surely cannot outweigh the case for the Woolfox site providing by far the best location for Rutland to make a significant contribution to renewable energy. Don’t forget that when you leave the meeting and put the kettle on for a cup of tea, it won’t be energy generated in Rutland that you’ll be using…just some other place that has cooling towers or slag heaps on its horizons.

 

It seems totally incongruous for Rutland to ignore this at a time when world leaders are forging future plans to restrict global warming. I would urge the Committee to take the responsible decision of rejecting the recommendations, and granting planning permission for the project.

 

Answer:

 

The element of question in the gentleman’s submission appears to be limited to querying which group of locations the impact of the turbines is unacceptable from. To answer this, the impact of the turbines is unacceptable from all of the elements identified, as detailed in the reason for refusal at the beginning of the report.

 

Addressing the remainder of the gentleman’s submission, it is not purely a matter of aesthetics that weighs against the proposed turbines, but the impact they have on the defined and protected characteristics of the locations from which they are seen. The recommendation has been made in the knowledge of the discussions ongoing regarding combating climate change, however planning law requires the decision to be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, and government guidance has been used in making the recommendation contained within the report.

 

Question 2 received from Mr R Harrison

 

Could officers please explain the way in which they have weighted the letters from the community with those received via the applicant.  Whilst the numbers were very similar, this was far from the case for their content. Those writing against the application were largely individual letters, specifically related to the application and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 447.

448.

DEPUTATIONS RELATING TO PLANNING APPLICATIONS

To receive any deputations from members of the Public in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 94(4).

 

There will be no limit on the total number of deputations to be received but no more than two deputations will be permitted in respect of each planning application one of which, if required, will be from a statutory consultee.

 

Deputations which relate to a planning application included on the agenda for this meeting will be deferred until the application is considered by Members.

 

Following the deputation, the applicant or his agent will have a right of reply, the maximum time for which will be three minutes.  Members will then have the opportunity to question the deputee and if a response has been made, the applicant or agent, for a maximum of four minutes.

 

 

Minutes:

In accordance with Procedure Rule 93(4) the following deputations had been received in relation to application 2014/1003/MAJ:

 

·         A deputation had been received from Mr Miles Williamson-Noble on behalf of Stretton, Clipsham and Pickworth, and the Woolfox Windfarm Action Group.  The right of reply was exercised by Mr Banks on behalf of the applicant.  Members of the Committee exercised the right to ask questions.

·         A deputation had been received from Mr William Hughes.  The right of reply was exercised by Mr Banks on behalf of the applicant.

·         A deputation had been received from Dr John Twydell.  The right of reply was exercised by Mr Banks on behalf of the applicant.  Members of the Committee exercised the right to ask questions.

 

449.

REPORT NO. 238/2015 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL APPLICATIONS pdf icon PDF 13 MB

To receive Report No. 238/2015 from the Director for Places (Environment, Planning and Transport).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report No. 238/2015 from the Director for Places (Environment, Planning and Transport) was received.

450.

ITEM NO. 1 (2014/1003/MAJ) RES UK AND IRELAND

Minutes:

The proposed development for a wind farm of nine (9) number, three-bladed, horizontal axis wind turbines, each up to 130m maximum height to tip.  The proposed wind farm would have associated electricity transformers, underground cabling, access tracks, road widening works, permanent access track turning heads, rotor assembly pads, crane hardstandings, control building and substation compound, and a communications mast.  During construction and commissioning there would be a number of temporary works including a construction compound, security gatehouse, vehicle cleaning facility, welfare facilities, and two (2) number guyed meteorological masts up to 80 metres high (indicative hub height).  Land North of Woolfox Depot, Woolfox Lodge Road, Empingham, Rutland.

 

(Wards: Greetham, Normanton: Parishes: Clipsham, Empingham, Greetham, Pickworth)

 

Mr Begy spoke as Ward Councillor.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

2014/1003/MAJ In accordance with the recommendation set out within Report No. 238/2015 Item 1 that this application be REFUSED.

 

---oOo---

Prior to the above resolution members requested a recorded vote in accordance with Procedure Rule 11

---oOo---

For the motion:                   Mr Baines

                                                Mr Conde

                                                Mr Cross

                                                Mr Dale

                                                Mr King

                                                Mr Lammie

                                                Mr Mathias

                                                Mr Parsons

                                                Mr Wilby

 

Against the motion:           Mr Oxley

 

Abstentions:                        None

                                                            ---oOo---

 

DECISION SUMMARY, 10 DECEMBER 2015

 

Applications approved in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail

 

 

 

 


Applications approved NOT in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail

 

 

Applications refused in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail

450

2014/1003/MAJ

The proposed development for a wind farm of nine (9) number, three-bladed, horizontal axis wind turbines, each up to 130m maximum height to tip.  The proposed wind farm would have associated electricity transformers, underground cabling, access tracks, road widening works, permanent access track turning heads, rotor assembly pads, crane hardstandings, control building and substation compound, and a communications mast.  During construction and commissioning there would be a number of temporary works including a construction compound, security gatehouse, vehicle cleaning facility, welfare facilities, and two (2) number guyed meteorological masts up to 80 metres high (indicative hub height).  Land North of Woolfox Depot, Woolfox Lodge Road, Empingham, Rutland.

 

(Wards: Greetham, Normanton: Parishes: Clipsham, Empingham, Greetham, Pickworth)

 

 


Applications refused NOT in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail


 

Applications deferred in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail

 

 


 

Applications deferred NOT in accordance with the report and addendum of the Director for Places

Minute No.

Application

Detail