Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors E. M. S. Gray, J. Clarke and A. Bailes with Councillors P. M. McDonald, S. A. Robinson and C. A. Hotham in attendance as substitute Members respectively.

Apologies for absence were also received from Councillor S. M. Evans.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

Councillors S. J. Baxter, D. J. A. Forsythe, M. Marshall, B. McEldowney and J. D. Stanley declared in relation to Agenda Item Number 5 (Minute No. 90/24) – 24/00117/S73 - Land at Whitford Road, Bromsgrove, in that they had been in attendance at the Planning Committee meeting held on 1^st April 2025 when the application was considered. However, they stated that they had given no further representations on the application and were in attendance at this meeting with an open mind and would listen to the officer’s presentations and other committee Members considerations before coming to a decision.

A Committee Update was circulated to Members prior to the meeting commencing, with a paper copy also made available to Members at the meeting.

Officers presented the report and in doing so highlighted that the application was for the variation of condition 25 of planning permission APP/P1805/W/20/3245111 allowed on appeal 09/02/2021 (LPA 16/1132), as follows:-

FROM: No part of the development shall be occupied until the junction of Fox Lane/ Rock Hill has been altered in accordance with the scheme for a roundabout shown on the plan Fox Lane/ Rock Hill schematic ref 7033-SK-005 revision F.

AMEND TO:  No more than 49 dwellings shall be occupied until the junction of Fox Lane/Rock Hill has been altered in accordance with the scheme for a roundabout shown on the plan Fox Lane/Rock Hill schematic scheme ref 7033-SK-005 revision G and ancillary drawings 7033-s278-701 rev C02, 2015804   AGE-ZZ-XX-DR-X-0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006 REV C02.

Officers presented the presentation slides, as detailed on pages 25 to 37 of the main agenda pack.

The current proposal sought to allow the occupation of 49 dwellings and was supported by survey data from 2024 and further modelling information (including a non-technical summary).

Officers explained that there had been extensive discussions with Worcestershire County Council, Highways (County Highways) and as detailed in the report that, County Highways acting in its role as the Highway Authority, had undertaken a full assessment of this planning application and had raised no objections to the current proposal.

The proposal to vary the condition to allow occupation of some dwellings prior to the alteration of the roundabout had been subject to amendments and the submission of additional supporting information. This had occurred in response to concerns expressed by both the Highway Authority and Officers.

Officers referred to the retaining wall information, as detailed on pages 32 to 35 of the main agenda pack, County Highways confirmed that from a highways perspective there had been no proposed changes to the form, scale or footprint of the roundabout scheme when assessing the revision and were content with the changes.

The deterioration in the network performance identified in the outputs of the modelling cannot reasonably be considered to meet the severe threshold.

Officers concluded that the occupation of 49 dwellings prior to the alteration of the Fox Lane / Rock Hill junction was considered acceptable with regards to planning policy and other material planning considerations.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. J. Gerner, on behalf of The Bromsgrove Society addressed the Committee in objection to the application. Ms. D. Farrington the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the application. Councillor D. Hopkins, Ward Member also addressed the Committee.

At the request of the Chairman, Ms. R. Smith of County Highways addressed the Committee in order to clarify County Highway’s position on the application.

In regard to previous applications being refused, as mentioned during the public speaking, County Highways clarified that there had been three previous proposals submitted under the current application which County Highways had objected to:-

1. June 2024 – 75 dwellings based on 2017 traffic data – Objection Raised, and recommended refusal
2. October 2024 –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90/24

The Chairman announced that there was no Urgent Business to be considered.

Councillor M. Marshall asked for a correction to the minutes of the meeting held 1^st April 2025, in that under Minute Number 80/24 as detailed on page 4 of the Supplementary Agenda pack, had stated that the applicant was his election agent. Councillor Marshall asked for it to be amended in that the applicant worked with his election agent (but was not his election agent), however, he had not discussed the application with either party.

RESOLVED that subject to the amendment detailed in the pre-amble above, the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 4^th March 2025 and 1^st April 2025, be approved as correct records.