Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on

(Note: If any Member wishes to propose an amendment to the minutes they should submit this in writing to committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk at least 24 hours before the meeting.  Where applicable, the audio recording of the meeting will be checked to ensure the accuracy of the proposed amendment.)

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 August 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

Councillor Mike Morgan – DC/17/1374 – Personal, knows one of the public speakers on this item.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee or the Chief Executive

There were no announcements.

The list of appeals lodged, appeals in progress and appeal decisions, as circulated, was noted.

The Head of Development reported that the application sought full planning permission for an alternative development for the northern section of land referred to in the previously approved application, DC/13/0787.  This application (DC/17/1140) sought permission to provide 75 dwellings, a net increase of 12 dwellings from the previously approved application on the northern section of the site.

The proposed development would maintain a similar layout to what had already been approved with the additional 12 dwellings but would extend north by a further six metres. The southern area of the development would remain unchanged. The northern perimeter buffer would be reduced to accommodate the extended footprint of the site.

The mix of dwellings would be altered to include a higher proportion of smaller 2 to 3 bedroom semi-detached houses in the centre of the site. The proposal would provide one additional affordable unit, resulting in a total of 33 affordable units in the northern part of the site.

Included in this proposal were minor revisions with the same house types being moved a small distance and/or their parking and surroundings being slightly amended.  The proposed alteration would provide 181 car parking spaces consisting of 123 allocated residential spaces, 32 spaces in garages and 26 unallocated and visitor spaces.

Within this revision the developer agreed to provide an off-road cycle access to link the development’s access road at the north-east corner of the site to the South Downs Link.   

The application site was located to the west of Henfield, on the northern side of West End Lane. The site formed the rectangular northern parcel of the larger development site approved under DC/13/0787 outside of the built-up area boundary of Henfield.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee. The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council objected to the application. 67 letters of objection had been received.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; housing mix and infrastructure provision; appearance and layout; landscape value and visual effects; the impact on nearby and future residents; highways issues; and planning obligations and off-site highway improvements.

The Local Member queried whether a traffic calming scheme was needed in Nep Town Lane. Officers confirmed that this could be raised with West Sussex County Council Highways.

RESOLVED

(i)      That a new legal agreement and/or a Deed of Variation to amend the legal agreement attached to DC/13/0787 be entered into.

(ii)     That on completion of (i) above, planning application DC/17/1140 be determined by the Head of Development.  The view of the Committee was that the application should be granted.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought a change of land use to provide two settled gypsy pitches and an adjoined pair of utility buildings.  The two pitches would individually be 20 metres by 30 metres with a parking strip comprising an additional 9m.

The application site was located outside the built-up area on land set 130m back from Shoreham Road and set behind a tree belt. The area was in open countryside located behind a ribbon of residential properties with a warehouse in close proximity and Horton Golf Course located to the north-east of the site. To the north was the former brick works site, currently occupied by 'Sweeptech'.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.  

The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council objected to the application. 19 letters of objection had been received. 3 members of the public spoke in objection to the application. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were: policies regarding Gypsy and Traveller sites; sustainable development; the character of the area; its impact on neighbouring properties; and highways considerations.

Members considered aspects of the proposal, in particular pedestrian access to the site as well as site sustainability.

Members concluded that due to the lack of pedestrian access and the location of the site the proposal was unacceptable.

RESOLVED

That application DC/17/1375 be refused for the following reasons:

1)    No sufficient access for pedestrians.

2)    The site is situated in an unsustainable location.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought subdivision of the site, which had been in agricultural and equestrian use, to form three gypsy pitches and three utility buildings.  The application had been amended to reduce the number of pitches from four and to retain a 15m buffer strip on the eastern boundary, adjacent to Ancient Woodland.  The existing access track, which also served other properties and was a public footpath, would be retained, with parking along the southern side of the site.

The application site was located about 850m east of the built-up area of Henfield.  A pylon lay to the south with overhead cables crossing the site. Two stables on the site would be removed.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.  

The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council objected to the application. 19 letters of objection had been received. 3 members of the public spoke in objection to the application. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were policies regarding Gypsy and Traveller sites; sustainable development; the character of the area; its impact on neighbouring properties; and highways considerations.

Members considered the proposal in the context of local and national policies.

RESOLVED

That application DC/17/1374 be refused for the following reasons:

1)    Not sufficient access for pedestrians.

2)    Unsustainable development.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the erection of a commercial building with a ridge height of six metres comprising office accommodation on the ground floor and roof space.   It would be positioned south of a converted barn that comprised three office units.  The proposed design included full height glazing, dark stained timber cladding with a metal roof to match the adjacent barn.

The application site was located outside the built-up area west of Bramlands Lane.  It was within a farm complex where there had been a number of conversions of farm buildings to commercial use.  It was surrounded by agricultural fields with some residential dwellings to the north and south.  There was a private track from Bramlands Lane to the site. There was mature hedging on the southern boundary, with post and rail fencing to the north and closeboarded fencing to the west.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.  

The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

Woodmancote Parish Council raised no objection subject to conditions and Henfield Parish Council objected to the proposal.  42 letters of objection from 23 households had been received. The applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; the character of the site and visual amenities of the surrounding area; the amenity of neighbouring residents; and parking and traffic conditions.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/1240 be granted subject to the conditions and reasons as reported.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the demolition of a 4-bedroom detached chalet bungalow and detached garage, and its replacement with a 4-bedroom chalet bungalow with integral double garage, parking area and landscaping.  The gable-ends would include floor to ceiling windows.   The ridge height would be approximately three metres higher than the existing one.

The application site was located within the built-up area of Storrington on the corner of Hazelwood Close and Hampers Lane, and was accessed from Hazlewood Close to the north.  The surrounding area included detached houses of various styles and dates of construction.  There was thick vegetation on the eastern and northern boundaries.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee. The responses from statutory external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council raised no objection to the application. 11 letters of objection had been received. The applicant and the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; character and appearance; its impact on residential amenity; highways and traffic; and ecology.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/1615 be granted subject to the conditions and reasons as reported.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought full planning permission for an end of terrace dwelling to the west of an existing row of terraces.  The application had been considered by the Committee in March 2017 and had been deferred to allow further information regarding parking provision to be gathered.

Amendments had subsequently been received which created two parking spaces south of the terrace on an area that would require levelling works, retaining wall and guard rail.

The application site was on the north side of Southview Terrace, within the built-up area and designated Conservation Area of Henfield.

Members were referred to the previous report which contained details of relevant policies, planning history, the outcome of consultations and a planning assessment of the proposal.

The Parish Council objected to the revised application. 55 letters of objection had been received from 40 households. Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application. One member of the public, the applicant and the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which set out the impact of the proposed parking provision.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/1783 be granted subject to the conditions and reasons as reported.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for a temporary rural workers dwelling and the erection of an agricultural building.  The application revised permission DC/16/1866, which had been granted by the Committee in April 2017 (Minute No PCS/119 (25.04.17) refers). The current application re-orientated the rural workers dwelling and moved the agricultural building 30 metres to the east.

The application site was located in a rural location on the northern side of Haglands Lane, where it was a country lane with hedgerow and trees, not far from Old Haglands, a Grade II Listed Building to the west. 

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.  

The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council objected to the application.  A total of 53 letters of objection had been received, 16 of which came from seven addresses. 3 members of the public spoke in objection to the application. The applicant and the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

The principle of the development had already been established and Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issue for consideration in determining the proposal was the impact of the revised location of the barn and re-orientation of the dwelling.  

RESOLVED

(i)      That either a legal agreement or a unilateral undertaking be entered into to ensure that only one permission for the barn, already approved under DC/16/1866, can be implemented.

(ii)     That on completion of (i) above, planning application DC/17/1452 be determined by the Head of Development using the previously approved conditions approved under application DC/16/1866. The view of the Committee was that the application should be granted.

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the erection of a 4-bedroom two storey dwelling with attached garage and access onto Clays Hill.  This application was similar to permission DC/16/1088 for a detached dwelling on the site, which had been approved by the Committee in April 2017 (Minute No. PCS/120 (25.04.17) refers). 

The current application proposed a different siting, design and scale to the previously approved dwelling.  During the application process the plans had been amended to reduce the height and footprint of the dwelling and increase separation from the eastern boundary.

The application site was located within the built-up area of Steyning on the southern side of Clays Hill, and previously formed part of the garden area of Crimond and the neighbouring property Whindene. Crimond, which was accessed from Maudlin Lane, was above the application site and a two storey house, Hill View, lay to the east.

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee.  The responses from statutory external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Parish Council objected to the application.  Five letters of objection had been received objecting to the original application, and five letters objecting to the amended application had also been received.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; the character of the area; the amenities of neighbouring residents; impact on trees; and highways considerations.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/1245 be granted subject to the conditions and reasons as reported.