Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

Contact: Email: Committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk  Direct Line: 01403 215465

Items
No. Item

PCS/79

Minutes pdf icon PDF 82 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2018

(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.)

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 20 March were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

PCS/80

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

PCS/81

Announcements

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

Minutes:

There were no announcements.

PCS/82

Appeals pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Minutes:

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

PCS/83

DC/17/2352 - Cedar Leas, Henfield Road, Cowfold pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Ward: Cowfold, Shermanbury & West Grinstead

Applicant: Concept Developments

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the erection of eight dwellings comprising two 2-bedroom semi-detached, and four 4-bedroom and two 3-bedroom detached houses.  Each dwelling would be allocated between two and three parking spaces.  The existing access would be extended along the south-east boundary of the site.

 

The application site was located in the built up area of Cowfold and was part of the substantial garden attached to the dwelling Cedar Leas.  There were residential and commercial properties to the north and east, and open countryside to the south and west. Two Grade II listed buildings were adjacent to the south east of the site.

 

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 had raised a number of concerns regarding the application.  Twenty-four letters, from eight households, objecting to the proposal had been received. A further two letters of objection raising concerns regarding sewage disposal, flood risk and the width of the access had been received since publication of the report. Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application and a representative of the Parish Council also spoke in objection to it.  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; design and appearance; landscape, trees and ecology; heritage impacts; its impact on neighbouring amenity; and parking and traffic.  It was noted that a commuted sum would be secured by legal agreement to compensate for the lack of affordable housing.

 

Members noted concerns regarding access onto the A281in the context of the Highway Authority’s comments and acknowledged that there were no highway grounds for refusal.  There was some concern regarding the impact of the proposal on air quality, given the proximity to the Cowfold Air Quality Management Area, and it was noted that electric car charging points would be provided for each dwelling.

 

Members discussed the impact of the scheme on the risk of flooding and in response to concerns it was agreed that Condition 6 would be amended to ensure that measures proposed to mitigate the problem would be more explicitly detailed to show how run-off rates would be the same or improved compared to existing run-off rates, to be agreed in consultation with the Local Members. 

 

RESOLVED

 

That planning application DC/17/2352 be granted subject to the conditions as reported, with pre-commencement Condition 6 amended to read: 

 

No development shall commence until a drainage strategy detailing the proposed means of foul and surface water disposal, and detailing that run-off rates will be the same or an improvement on existing run-off rates, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with Local Members.  The development shall  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/83

PCS/84

DC/18/0018 - Garage Block, Rowan Drive, Billingshurst pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Ward: Billingshurst & Shipley

Applicant: Horsham District Council

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Item withdrawn from the agenda.

PCS/85

SDNP/17/05626/FUL - Gerston farm, Greyfriars Lane, Storrington pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Ward: Chantry

Applicant: Miss Cara Stephanou

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the stationing of four eco-pods in the southern section of the site, along with a three metre high toilet/shower block. A parking area for six cars for the campsite was also proposed. Each pod and the shower block would be connected to the carpark by a woodchip path.  Landscaping included additional native hedges on the north and west boundaries.

 

The application site was a paddock located in the South Downs National Park outside the build-up area of Storrington, west of Greyfriars Lane.  There was open countryside to the south, east and west, and two residential properties and Gerston Business Park to the north. The application site was to the south and west of the curtilage of one of the two residential properties, Gerston Cottage. The South Downs Way was some distance to the south.

 

Details of relevant government and council policies, 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.

 

Members were advised that since refusal of an application for two holiday cottages to the north side of Gerston Farm Bungalow in 2014 (SDNP/14/03409/FUL) both Horsham District Council and the South Downs National Park had published new visitor accommodation studies which identified a need for additional visitor accommodation, including camping facilities such as camping-pods, for those visiting the SDNP. There were also significant differences between the refused proposal and the current application.

 

The Parish Council objected to the application.  Thirteen letters, from eleven households, objecting to the proposal had been received. Since publication of the report an additional letter of objection had been received, which referred to 2014 refused application. Six letters of support had also been received.  Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application and a representative of the Parish Council also spoke in objection to it.  The applicant 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; landscape character of the site and surrounding area; ecology; its impact on the amenity of occupiers of adjoining land and properties; and parking and traffic conditions.

 

Members concluded that the proposal would support the rural economy and tourism.  It was noted that the pods were not permanent structures and could be removed should the business fail, and it was considered that impact on neighbouring amenity could be controlled through conditions.

 

In response to concerns that the amenities of adjacent residents could be compromised if the existing access through the business park to the north was used by campers, it was agreed that an additional condition to restrict use of the northern access would be added.

 

Members requested that in addition to Condition 6 requiring the submission of a landscaping scheme, an Informative should be submitted to the applicant encouraging additional measures to improve the ecological  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/85

PCS/86

DC/17/0861 - Bus Turning Circle, Old Mill Drive, Storrington pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Ward: Chantry

Applicant: c/o Agent

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission to reconfigure the bus turning circle on Old Mill Drive.  The proposal would enable works for future development of the Storrington Mill Road Diamond site.  

 

The applicant had submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspector on the grounds of non-determination and, in order to enable the Local Planning Authority to provide a recommendation to the Planning Inspectorate, the Committee was asked how the application would have been determined, including conditions, had the appeal not been lodged.

 

The application site was located in the built-up area of Storrington, immediately north of the High Street. It was surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial premises, with an area of trees and grassland to the west.  There was an access to a car park to the east, and a number of trees positioned within the turning circle itself. The Storrington Conservation Area was opposite Old Mill Drive to the west, and beyond the adjacent car park 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 internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee. Stagecoach South, one of three bus companies included in the consultation, had raised some concerns regarding visibility.  The proposal had been amended in response to these concerns and the bus company had not commented on the amended plans. 

 

The Parish Council strongly objected to the application.  Forty-two letters of objection, from 21 households, had been received.  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:  the principle of development; the character of the site and visual amenities of the street scene; amenities of the occupiers of adjoining properties; and parking and traffic conditions.

 

Members discussed the proposed reconfiguration in the context of the Storrington Old Mill Drive Diamond Planning Brief Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which formed part of the Horsham District Planning Framework, and considered that a comprehensive strategic design for the whole Diamond area was required, as required by the SPD.  Members therefore considered the proposal to be premature as the design of the bus circle would need to take into account the wider development to ensure the proposed bus turning circle would not impede the comprehensive development of the site.

 

Members raised concerns regarding the impact of the proposal, in particular on the amenity value of the trees within the existing turning circle and requested that an assessment by the Council’s Arboricultural Officer be included in the Local Planning Authority appeal statement. 

 

Members were also concerned that the reconfiguration could have an impact on air quality, within the Storrington Air Quality Management Area, and it was also requested that comments from the Council’s Air Quality Officer be included in the appeal statement.  

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)      That the Local Planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/86