Issue - meetings

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services reported the comments of the Economic Development Officer.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. C. Spear addressed the Committee and spoke in support of his application.

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

§         the proposals caused very limited harm to the openness or visual amenities of the Green Belt;

§         the proposals related to an extension of an existing use, rather than a new enterprise; and;

§         in the current economic climate, the creation of additional employment opportunities should be supported.

Members were of the opinion that these facts constituted very special circumstances to outweigh the harm that would be caused to the openness of the Green Belt, and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt, and any other harm identified in the refusal reasons referred to on page 19 of the report.

RESOLVED that permission be granted subject to any reasonable conditions and notes considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services, to specifically include appropriately-worded conditions attached to the Decision Notice in respect of:

(a)       the time period within which the commencement of development must be undertaken;

(b)       landscaping;

(c)        drainage;

(d)       a scheme to show the surfacing of the storage area;

(e)       granting personal consent to the applicant and restoration of the land to its previous use; and

(f)         fencing and boundary treatments.