Issue - meetings

Members of the Committee were informed of the announcement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 6th July 2010 that Regional Spatial Strategies had been revoked with immediate effect and no longer formed part of the development plan.  As a result of this, no consideration of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy policies referred to in the report was required, but this had no affect on the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services relating to this application.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services clarified the address of the application site having been omitted from page 1 of the report.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. E. Mitchell and Mr. N. Hood addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals.  The Chairman read out a statement prepared by Councillor C. B. Taylor, the Ward Member for the area in which the application site was located, who was unable to be present at the meeting.

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 proposals had a harmful effect on the character of the area which, if granted permission, may set a precedent for future developments and have an adverse impact upon residential amenity, as exacerbated by the differences in land levels.

RESOLVED that permission be refused for the following reasons:

(a)       the development has a harmful effect on the character of the area; and

(b)       the proposals could set a precedent and have an adverse impact upon residential amenity, as exacerbated by the differences in land levels.