Agenda item
19/00062/FUL - Material change of use of land for stationing of caravans on 3 pitches for residential use with facilitating development (hard standing, access track, creation of access, utility blocks)and keeping of horses (Part Retrospective) - Land Off, Billesley Lane, Portway, Worcestershire, B48 7HF - Ms. C. Stokes and Mr. B. Stokes
Minutes:
Officers clarified that the Application had been brought to the Planning Committee for consideration at the request of Councillor C. B. Taylor, Ward Member.
Officers reported that a noise survey had now been submitted, which provided sufficient information, therefore the Recommendation had been amended to remove refusal reason 4; and that a further representation had been received on behalf of Portway BRAID in objection. The representation raised matters in relation to the following matters, most of which had already been covered in the original report:
· Green Belt harm,
· Sustainability of the site,
· highway safety,
· impact of proposal on hedgerow along Billesley lane,
· Impact of proposal on the landscape character and visual amenity of the area,
· Ecological and Biodiversity harm of proposal- including the submission of a letter relating to a hedgerow survey by Swift Ecology,
· Unauthorised encampment has resulted in a breakdown in community cohesion and a perception by the settled community of domination,
· Insufficient information provided relating to drainage, noise and air quality;
as detailed in the published Update Report, copies of which were provided to the Committee and public gallery prior to the commencement of the meeting.
Officers further reported that Paragraph 144 of the NPPF, sets out that substantial weight should be given to any harm to the Green Belt and that the Planning Policy for Traveller sites (PPTS) made it clear that, subject to the best interest of the child, personal circumstances and unmet need were unlikely to clearly outweigh harm to the Green Belt and any other harm so as to establish very special circumstances.
Very special circumstances had been submitted by the applicant; however it was not considered that these would amount to very special circumstances to clearly outweigh the harm that the proposal would cause to the Green Belt.
At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. K. Price, on behalf of Portway BRAID, addressed the Committee in objection to the Application. Mrs. A. Heine the Applicant’s Agent addressed the Committee. Councillor C. B. Taylor, in whose Ward the Site was located and Mr. K. Jones, Vice-Chairman, Beoley Parish Council also addressed the Committee in objection to the Application.
The Committee then considered the Application, which had been recommended for refusal by Officers. Members commented that the Site Visit had proved useful.
Officers responded to questions from Members with regard to temporary consent.
Having considered all of the information provided and Officer responses to the queries raised with regard to the unauthorised removal of the existing established hedgerow on the proposed development site, which had also been cleared in order to create vehicular access; Members were in agreement with Officers that due to the removal of the hedgerow at the front of the site, the proposed development site would be highly visible from along Billesley Lane. Members were in agreement that there would be a substantial amount of development at the proposed site, therefore harming the Green Belt in terms of both inappropriateness and the impact on openness.
RESOLVED that Planning Permission be refused for the reasons as set out on page 3 of the Update Report.
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Supporting documents:
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