Agenda and minutes

As this meeting of the Planning Committee was the first held during the municipal year of 2026/ 27, Members present were required to elect a Chairman.

RESOLVED that Councillor M. Marshall be elected as Chairman of the Committee for the municipal year of 2026/ 27.

As this meeting of the Planning Committee was the first held during the municipal year of 2026/ 27, Members present were required to elect a Vice- Chairman.

RESOLVED that Councillor B. Kumar be elected as Vice- Chairman of the Committee for the municipal year of 2026/ 27.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A. Bailes, H. J. Jones, R. E. Lambert.

Councillor B. M. McEldowney was in attendance as the substitute Member for Councillor A. Bailes and Councillor S. T. Nock was in attendance as the substitute Member for Councillor H. J. Jones.

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.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 9^th April and 11^th May 2026 were received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 9^th April and 11^th May 2026 be approved as a correct record.

The Chairman announced that a Committee Update had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting commencing, with a paper copy also made available to Members at the meeting.

Members indicated that they had had sufficient time to read the contents of the Committee Update and were happy to proceed.

Further to Minute No. 72/26 (meeting held on 9^th April 2026) the Planning Committee considered the application.

It was being reported to the Planning Committee for consideration due to the land being owned by Bromsgrove District Council, in accordance with the Council’s constitution.

Further information was included in the Committee Update, which detailed that further representations had been received in relation to the impact upon the highways network and residential amenity, as well as health and wellbeing concerns.

It was acknowledged that a further objection had been received after the publication of the Committee Update.

The Committee Update also detailed that a consultation response had been received from Worcestershire County Council Public Health, as detailed within the Committee Update.

Furthermore, with respect to the impact upon residential amenity, in particular the noise and activities associated with deliveries to the site, officers had given the matter revised consideration. Accordingly, an additional Condition was laid out in the Committee Update, that ‘Deliveries to the store shall only take place between 20.00 to 00.00 and not at any other time’, to protect the amenities of adjacent occupiers.

A copy of the Committee Update was provided to Members and published on the Council’s website prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Officers presented the report and in doing so highlighted that the application was for the construction of a freestanding restaurant with associated drive thru, car parking, landscaping and works.

The reasons for deferment at the meeting of the 9^th April 2026 were highlighted by officers, namely, confirmation that the highways modelling was based on up-to-date base data, and evidence that the scheme had been tested against all reasonable future scenarios. The full response and further information in relation to these reasons was detailed in the report.

Officers presented the presentation slides, as detailed on pages 53 to 62 of the main agenda pack which detailed the proposed location of the restaurant, access points to the carriageway and a digital rendering of the restaurant.

The presentation slides detailed the main matters for consideration, namely, principle of development, public health, design and historic environment, highways matters and trees on page 62 of the main agenda pack.

479 representations had been received, of which 541 were in objection and 27 in support.

A wide number of partner agencies had been consulted as part of the planning process, with the majority of consultees raising no objections to the proposal. Furthermore, no objections subject to Conditions, had been received by Worcestershire County Council as the highways authority.

Further information, including relevant planning history, the Bromsgrove District Plan (BDP) and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was relayed to the Committee.

It was noted that the planning application was recommended to be granted, subject to conditions. In addition, it was recommended that delegated powers be granted to the Assistant Director for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services to determine the application following the receipt of a suitable and satisfactory legal mechanism in relation to the following matter, namely,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7/26

It was being reported to the Planning Committee for consideration due to its classification as a major planning application.

Further information was included in the Committee Update, which detailed that further representations had been received from Firstplan Limited on behalf of Waitrose and Partners and Councillor J. Elledge

Further detail in relation to the securing of funding towards town centre mitigation measures were provided in the Committee Update. A scheme had been proposed by the Bromsgrove Centres Manager for a festoon lighting scheme costed at £25,000 along the high street, the scheme would replace the current surface- level lighting which was nearing the end of its lifespan.

It was noted that the applicant had confirmed their agreement to the proposed town centre mitigation measures, and the scheme had received no objections from Officers.

It was acknowledged that a briefing note from the applicant had been circulated to Committee Members, it was noted that this had been placed in the public domain and was available for inspection by either the public or the press via Public Access.

A copy of the Committee Update was provided to Members and published on the Council’s website prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Officers presented the report and in doing so highlighted that the application was for change of use from bulky goods retail to a mix of convenience goods retailing in relation to a commercial unit.

Officers presented the presentation slides, as detailed on pages 81 to 88 of the main agenda pack which detailed the proposed floorplan and site overview which was located at Brook Retail Park, Sherwood Road, Bromsgrove.

220 representations had been received, of which the overwhelming majority were in support of the application and an extensive public consultation exercise had been conducted.

The Retail and Planning Statement outlined that the proposal would generate up to 100 new full and part- time jobs for people living in the Bromsgrove locality.

It was noted that the applicant had engaged constructively with the Council throughout the Planning process and that the proposed Argos comparison goods concession had been removed from the application.

It was outlined by Officers that Worcestershire County Council Travel Planning Team had raised no objection to the Travel Plan submitted with the application, subject to Condition 9 at Page 79 of the main agenda pack.

Further information, including relevant planning history, the Bromsgrove District Plan (including policy BDP17 – Town Centre Regeneration) and the National Planning Practice Guidance was relayed to Committee Members.

It was noted that the planning application was recommended to be granted. In addition, it was recommended that delegated powers be granted to the Assistant Director for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services to determine the application following the receipt and completion of a suitable and satisfactory legal mechanism in relation to the following matter, namely, the securing of secure funding towards town centre mitigation measures.

It was also recommended that delegated powers be granted to the Assistant Director for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services to agree  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/26

It was being reported to the Planning Committee for consideration due to its classification as a major planning application.

Further information was included in the Committee Update, which contained updated and revised presentation slides.

A copy of the Committee Update was provided to Members and published on the Council’s website prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Officers presented the report and in doing so highlighted that the application was for a variation of part of the wording of Conditions 32 and 33 of Outline Planning Application 16/0335, which was permitted on appeal.

Officers presented the presentation slides as detailed within the Committee Update and outlined that permission had been sought by the developer to increase the house occupation trigger points that are associated with the delivery of road and highway improvements.

Taylor Whimpey Ltd had experienced a delay in securing road space on the local highway network to enable them to complete and implement the offsite highways works. This was as a result of major works taking place as part of the A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme and other improvements to the highways requiring road space on the highways network.

As a result of this, the request to vary the conditions to increase trigger points of house occupations would prevent delays in the delivery of required housing in the area.

It was reported that the applicant had provided supporting information and data modelling, as well as entering into discussions with the Council, Worcestershire County Council as the highways authority and Mott MacDonald.

Mott MacDonald as the Council’s independent transport advisor had reviewed the proposals and concluded that whilst traffic disruption could be expected, that the proposals and strategy were appropriate to enable the delivery of the residential dwellings to be brought forward.

Worcestershire County Council as the highways authority had also reviewed the application and had raised no objection. Furthermore, they had concluded that the proposals would not result in a severe impact on capacity or congestion or result in an unacceptable impact on highway safety.

The proposal would support continued housing delivery in the District.

It was noted that a public consultation had taken place.

Further information, including relevant planning history, the Bromsgrove District Plan, and housing availability considerations was relayed to the Committee.

It was noted that the application for variation of conditions was recommended to be granted. In addition, it was recommended that delegated powers be granted to the Assistant Director for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services, following consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman, to agree the final scope and detailed wording and numbering of Conditions as laid out in the report.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Gemma Johnson, representing Marrons (the Applicant’s Planning Agent), addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Members then debated the application. From the comments and questions by members of the Committee, the following responses were made, and issues highlighted:

• A hybrid approach had been recommended in respect of splitting the timings of the highways works on the A448  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9/26