Issue - meetings

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services informed Members of the Government's intention to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and stated that no weight should be given to the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy referred to in the report.

She also stated that the applicant had instigated appeal proceedings against the non-determination of this application within the statutory time which meant, as a result, the power to make a decision on the application has passed from the Council to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.  However, the Committee would still need to make a decision on the application to form part of the Council's case in respect of the appeal.

Consideration was then given to the application which had been recommended for approval by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.  On the matter being put to the vote, Members considered that the proposal was unacceptable for the following reasons:-

(i)         the dwelling would be over-dominant as a result of the development; and

(ii)        the development would be incongruous and out of character in the streetscene.

RESOLVED that this be reported to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as the stance to be reported in the Council's case in respect of the appeal lodged against the non-determination of this application within the statutory time.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. R. Jones addressed the Committee whilst Mr. P. Sehdeva spoke in support of the application on behalf of the applicant.  Councillor Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP also addressed the Committee in her capacity as one of the Ward Members for the area in which the application site was located.

RESOLVED that consideration of the application be deferred in order that further information may be presented to the Committee at a future meeting in respect of the floorspace / volume increase of the proposals over that of the original dwelling and related information concerning previous applications.