To receive Report No. 55/2020 from the Deputy Director for Places.

Report No. 55/2020 was received from the Deputy Director for Places.

 

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The Chair notified the Committee that Item 1 had been deferred and would be taken at a future Planning and Licensing Committee.

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Item 2 (2019/0433/FUL) Stamford Stone Company Limited, Big Pit Quarry, Bidwell Lane, Clipsham.

 

Southern extension to Clipsham Quarry (primarily to release blockstone reserves); restoration of the southern extension through the importation of restoration material; continuation of aggregate extraction including flooring and walling stone along with Lincolnshire Limestone within the existing quarry; and erection of stone working facility to be operated ancillary to the continued blockstone extraction and processing operations.

 

(Ward: Greetham; Parish: Clipsham)

 

Mr Hodgett, Principal Planning Officer for the Council, addressed the Committee and gave an executive summary of the application, recommending approval.

 

Mr Harrison, speaking as a member of the public against the application, addressed the Committee.

 

Mr Bacon, speaking as a representative of the Parish, addressed the Committee.

 

Mr Toland, speaking as the agent on behalf of the applicant, addressed the Committee.

 

During discussion the following points were noted:

 

There had been no specific evidence of restoration having been carried out although some areas to the east of the site had been restored.

 

Previous permission, required passing bays, and western access to the A1 rather than Clipsham. infrastructure had been improved.

 

Conditions from 2006 continued to be met. It was considered a relatively small, working area, with limited scope to restore.

 

Members of the Committee raised concerns about the application which included:

 

A loss of biodiversity

 

Potential increase in the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) accessing the site.

 

A liaison group could be established to discuss the impact of the quarry activity.

 

In response to questions asked the Service Manager for Development explained that with regards to the environmental concerns, assessments had been undertaken and neither Natural England nor Leicestershire County Council had raised any objections to the application and as such it could not be used as justification for refusal. Similarly, with regards to increased HGVs and the routing for vehicles accessing the site, both internal highways and the Highways Agency had raised no objections and thus limited justification for refusal.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That application 2019/0433/ be APPROVED subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement to control access use and traffic routeing in accordance with the following:

 

i.               All vehicles routed to the West of Clipsham village shall enter and exit the site via the access onto Bidwell Lane,

 

ii.              All vehicles routed to the East of Clipsham village shall enter and exit the site via the access onto Holywell Road, and

 

iii.              Commercial vehicles used solely for the private purpose of carrying a driver with or without passengers (including vehicles taking persons directly employed at the existing quarry or quarry extension and ancillary activities to or from their place of work) shall enter and exit the site via Bidwell Lane, Planning permission be granted for planning application 2019/0433/FUL, subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

 

An additional condition was included the establishment of a Liaison Committee

 

(7 in favour, 2 against, 1 abstention)

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Item 3 (2019/1293/FUL) Beckendale House Farm, 3 East Lane, Ridlington

 

Proposal for a well-designed replacement dwelling in the countryside is recommended for approval as it involves the removal of unsightly industrial buildings and present opportunities to enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.

 

The Principal Planning Officer elaborated on the report and noted that the Officer recommendation was for the approval of the application

 

The Committee discussed the report.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That application (2019/1293/FUL) be APPROVED, subject to the following conditions:

 

1)    The development shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission. REASON – To comply with the requirements of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

 

2)    The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the submitted plans, numbers 18-652(08)001, 18-652(08)10, 18-652(08)011, 18-652(08)12, 18-652(08)13 and 18-652(08)14, and the specified materials included in the submitted application. The bat boxes and birds nests shall be fixed on site before the dwelling is first occupied. REASON - For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

 

3)    No development above ground level shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved, in writing, by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of hard and soft landscaping works for the site, including the retained paddock and entrance, which shall include any proposed changes in ground levels and also accurately identify spread, girth and species of all existing trees, shrubs and hedgerows on the site and indicate any to be retained, together with measures for their protection which shall comply with the recommendations set out in the British Standards Institute publication "BS 5837: 2012 Trees in Relation to Construction." REASON: To ensure that the landscaping is designed in a manner appropriate to the locality and to enhance the appearance of the development.

 

4)    All changes in ground levels, hard landscaping, planting, seeding or turfing shown on the approved landscaping details shall be carried out during the first planting and seeding season (October - March inclusive) following the commencement of the development or in such other phased arrangement as may be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Any trees or shrubs which, within a period of 5 years of being planted die are removed or seriously damaged or seriously diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species. REASON: To ensure that the landscaping is carried out at the appropriate time and is properly maintained.

 

5)     No development shall take place until the existing trees on the site, agreed with the Local Planning Authority for inclusion in the scheme of landscaping / shown to be retained on the approved plan, have been protected by the erection of temporary protective fences in accordance with BS5837:2012 and of a height, size and in positions which shall previously have been agreed, in writing, with the Local Planning Authority. The protective fences shall be retained throughout the duration of building and engineering works in the vicinity of the trees to be protected. Within the areas agreed to be protected, the existing ground level shall be neither raised nor lowered, and no materials or temporary building or surplus soil shall be placed or stored there. If any trenches for services are required in the protected areas, they shall be excavated and back-filled by hand and any tree roots encountered with a diameter of 5cm or more shall be left unsevered. Reason - The trees are important features in the area and this condition is imposed to make sure that they are properly protected while building works take place on the site.

 

6)    All works shall be carried out in accordance with the bat mitigation measures outlined in section 7 of the Extended Phase 1 and Bat Emergence Survey (Hillier Ecology, October 2019).

 

REASON: To ensure that protected species are not harmed during the development

 

(8 in favour, 2 abstentions)

 

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At this juncture of the meeting, the Members voted unanimously to extend the meeting for a period 15 minutes.

 

Councillor Oxley left the meeting.

 

Item 4 (2019/1373/FUL) The Camp Site, Wing Hall, Wing Hall Drive, Wing

 

The siting of 6 Shepherds huts on land that is now established as lawful for the use of camping and touring caravans does not impinge unduly on the wider landscape or on residential amenity and makes a contribution towards tourism and the rural economy.

 

Members discussed the report and discussed that by allowing the shepherd huts, they would not be setting a precedence for static caravans. A condition was also in place for the shepherd huts to be maintained in the proposed locations.

 

RESOLVED:

 

 

That application no (2019/1373/FUL) be APPROVED subject to the following conditions:

 

i)               The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the submitted plans Ordnance Survey Site plan, Current siting of Shepherds huts plan and details of the Shepherds huts. Reason - For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

 

ii)              All Shepherds huts shall be sited in accordance with approved location plan before they are occupied. Reason: To ensure that their visual impact is minimised in open countryside.

 

iii)            The development hereby approved shall only be used for holiday accommodation purposes and not for any other residential use falling within Class C3 of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended), or any Statutory Instrument revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification. For the avoidance of doubt ‘any other residential use’ includes a person’s or persons’ main residence, or a permanent residential unit of accommodation.

 

Reason: The site is in an open countryside location where normal unfettered use of the units as C3 dwellings would not be appropriate.