Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

The following declarations of interest were made:-

The minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 23rd May 2011 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services reported the comments of Worcestershire Highways and the Tree Officer.

RESOLVED that permission be granted subject to the conditions set out on page 10 of the report.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. A. E. Ponting addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals.

RESOLVED that permission be refused for the reasons set out on page 15 of the report.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services informed Members of the Committee that a draft agreement, under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, had been prepared in respect of financial contributions towards public open space and education provision.  She stated that the only outstanding issue was the signing and sealing of the agreement by the interested parties.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. P. Bath addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals, whilst Mrs. L. Harvey spoke on behalf of Belbroughton Parish Council.  Furthermore, Mrs. E. Mitchell spoke in support of the proposed development.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services to determine the application upon the completion of an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, in respect of financial contributions relating to public open space and education provision; and

(b)       that upon the completion of the agreement referred to in (a) above, permission be granted subject to the conditions and notes set out or referred to on pages 26 to 28 of the report.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services reported the receipt of a letter and an additional plan from the applicant.  She also reported the comments of Barnt Green Parish Council and the Tree Officer, together with two additional letters of objection.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. J. Greenhalgh addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals.

RESOLVED that permission be refused for the reasons referred to on pages 34 and 35 of the report.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. J. Underhill addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application.

Consideration was then given to the application which had been recommended for refusal by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.

However, on the matter being put to the vote, Members considered that -

(a)       the dwelling was located in a run for the purposes of SPG7 and set in the context of other dwellings which had been significantly extended; and

(b)       the design and modest scale of the proposals would have limited harm on the openness of the Green Belt,

which in the opinion of the Committee, 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.

Members also considered that the garage on the site should be retained, and not demolished for the purposes of this application.

RESOLVED that permission be granted subject to any reasonable conditions and notes considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services stated, for reference, that the application had been 'called-in' for consideration by the Committee at the request of Councillor K. Grant-Pearce.

She reported the receipt of a letter from the neighbouring property, together with the response from the applicant/agent to the points raised in that letter.  In addition, she reported the receipt of 49 letters of support for the proposals.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. S. Cook addressed the Committee and spoke in support of her application.  In addition, Councillor K. A. Grant-Pearce also addressed the Committee in his capacity as the Ward Member for the area in which the application site was located.

Consideration was then given to the application which had been recommended for refusal by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.

However, on the matter being put to the vote, Members considered that the scale of the proposal would not detract from the form and character of the building and would therefore comply with policies C27c and DS2 of the Bromsgrove District Local Plan.

RESOLVED that permission be granted subject to any reasonable conditions and notes considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services referred to this item on the agenda and stated that the application would be deferred in order to obtain further information on site selection from the applicant.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services reported the views of Wythall Parish Council, and the consequent response to these views from the applicant's agent.  She also reported that the applicant had sent a letter to all Members in support of the application, and that additional views had been received by the applicant's agent, together with a plan denoting the level of on plot car parking available for each existing property in Selsdon Close.

She stated that views had also been received from Wythall Residents' Association and Worcestershire County Council (Schools Information and Planning Section: Directorate of Children's Services), and that representations from the Wythall South Residents Action Group had been received; representations which had prompted further comments from the applicant's agent and Worcestershire Highways.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services added that a further 16 letters of objection had been received, together with 794 identical letters of objection from local residents.  Finally, she informed the Committee that a draft agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, had been received and that discussions in relation to this were ongoing.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. K. Lowry addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals, whilst Mr. S. R. Peters spoke on behalf of Wythall Parish Council.  Furthermore, Mrs. K. Ventham spoke in support of the proposed development.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services to determine the application upon the completion of an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, in respect of financial contributions relating to

(i)         play space provision;

(ii)        balancing pond maintenance;

(iii)       education provision;

(iv)       the promotion of sustainable access schemes, to comprise improvements to the walking and cycling network in the locality, to include accessibility to Wythall Station; and

(v)        the securing of 30 affordable housing units;

(b)       that upon the completion of the agreement referred to in (a) above, permission be granted subject to any additional reasonable conditions and notes considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Regeneration Services.

The Head of Planning and Regeneration Services referred to this item on the agenda and stated that the application would be deferred in order to obtain further information on site selection from the applicant.

Consideration was given to a report which detailed the outcomes in several appeals.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.