To receive any apologies from Members.

Apologies were received from Cllr Lowe and Cllr A Brown.

To confirm the minutes of the Planning and Licensing Committee held on 1 June 2021 (previously circulated).

The minutes of the Planning and Licensing Committee meeting held on 1 June were confirmed as a correct record.

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.

The Chairman, Cllr Baines, declared an interest in item 5, planning application number 4 2021/0012/FUL – Land adjacent to Sewage works, Seaton Road, Uppingham as he was a director of the Uppingham Homes Community Land Trust, the applicant in this case. Cllr Baines would leave the meeting for the duration of this item and the Vice-Chair, Cllr Begy would assume the Chair.

Requests to speak on planning applications will be subject to the RCC Public Speaking Scheme.

To request to speak at a Planning Committee, please send an email to

Governance@rutland.gov.uk

There were several requests to speak and these would be heard under each of the applications they related to.

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Cllr Baines proposed a change to the running order of the published agenda as a ward member would be joining part way through to make a representation on the Braunston Road application. Therefore application 4, 2021/0012/FUL the affordable homes in Uppingham would be heard first, followed by application 5, units 2-3 Knights Yard, Oakham, then application 1 – Land off Braunston Road, Oakham followed by applications 2 and 3, the Whissendine and Ketton developments.

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To receive Report No. 83/2021 from the Strategic Director for Places.

Report No.83/2021 was received from the Strategic Director for Resources.

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As the Chair had declared an interest in this item he left the meeting and the Vice-Chair, Cllr Begy, took the Chair

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Item 1 (item 4 on the agenda)  2021/0012/FUL – Land adjacent to sewage works, Seaton Road, Uppingham

(Parish: Uppingham; Ward: Uppingham)

Mr Darren Burbeary, Principal Planning Officer, addressed the Committee and gave an executive summary of the application, recommending refusal.

Mr Ron Simpson, spoke first as the applicant, and argued that Community Land Trusts (CLTs) required exceptional consideration as they were usually built on difficult and challenging sites that did not attract the attention of traditional land developers. This enabled CLTs to offer homes at affordable prices relative to residents’ actual incomes rather than market value. This would be the first CLT project in Rutland and Mr Simpson encouraged the Council to have the vision and courage to support this type of development and to approve the application subject to satisfactory air quality testing taking place. The agent Miss Helen Lowe spoke next and stressed that demand for affordable housing had been identified and approving the development as a rural exception site would meet this demand.

During questioning Miss Lowe said an ecology report had not been submitted but if this was a requirement of the committee this could be supplied if the decision was deferred.

The Committee moved to debate and the following points were noted:

·         Notwithstanding the fact that it was sited next to a sewage treatment plant, the Ward Councillor, although very much in favour of affordable housing, felt that the site was unsuitable as it was too far out of town and was prone to flooding on a regular basis.

·         The applicant had originally said there was no odour problem but had since supplied a letter to the Planning Department, sent by him to Environmental Health, stating that the odour was now a real issue and was a statutory nuisance.

·         No proper odour assessment of the site had been supplied.

·         The speed limit onto the road out of the site was 60mph. As it was open countryside, it would be difficult to reduce this down to 30mph.

DECISION:

2021/0012/FUL -Land Adjacent To Sewage Works, Seaton Road, Uppingham, Rutland, Erection of 6 no. affordable apartments/maisonettes with associated access, car parking and landscaping

The Committee RESOLVED that the application be REFUSED. The full reasons for refusal can be found on the planning application page of the Council’s website https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building-control/planning/view-planning-applications-and-decisions/

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Cllr Baines returned to the meeting and resumed the Chair

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Item 2 (item 5 on the agenda) 2021/0380/FUL  - Knights Yard, Gaol Street, Oakham Change of use from current retail use to a wine bar (sui generis)

(Parish: Oakham, Ward: Oakham North -East)

Mr Waskett-Burt,Planning Officer, addressed the Committee and gave an executive summary of the application, recommending approval.

Ms Ruth Hay, a member of the public who occupied the office above the premises spoke against the application and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive Report No. 84/2021 from the Strategic Director for Places.

The report was noted.