Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 19/06/18.

(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 19^th June 2018 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 declared a non-pecuniary interest for item DC/17/2587 as he knew a member of the public that would be speaking on the item.

Councillor Jim Sanson Declared a non-pecuniary interest for item DC/18/0690 as he knew the applicant. He decided to withdraw from the room for the consideration of the application.

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.

Ward: Henfield

Applicant: Mr Graham Halfacree

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the erection of a 2-bedroom chalet-bungalow style dwelling with a ridge height of six metres.  The proposal would replace three storage buildings.  Two private amenity spaces and soft and hard landscaping were proposed. There would be off-street parking for two vehicles accessed from Park Road to the north, which was a privately maintained no-through-road / public footpath accessing residential properties.  The scheme had been amended from the original proposal for a 3-bedroom flat roofed contemporary-style building.

The application site was located in the village centre, to the rear of Eardley Hall on Henfield High Street.  The host building included a vacant commercial premises and two first-floor flats.  There was a paved yard to the rear that can be accessed from the High Street to the east or via Park Road.  The site was within the Henfield Conservation Area surrounded by built development, including two Grade II Listed buildings, and residential amenity space. 

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 Head of Development advised Members that a response had been received from the Conservation Officer that they did not object to the application.

The Parish Council objected to the application.  Twelve objections to the current proposal had been received.  There had been ten objections, and one letter of support, in response to the initial consultation on the original proposal. 3 members of the public spoke in objection to the application and the applicant’s agent and architect 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 indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; design and appearance; heritage impacts within the Conservation Area; the impact on neighbouring amenity; and highway impacts.

Members discussed the potential for overdevelopment within the area and how access to this particular site seemed to be inadequate. Whilst not against the idea of development taking place on the site Members agreed that this particular application would be unsuitable. Therefore, Members concluded that the proposal would not be acceptable.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/2587 be refused for the following reason:

Due to the scale of the dwelling and proximity to adjacent dwellings, the proposal would result in a cramped and inappropriate form of development which would be harmful to the appearance of the area and would significantly affect the amenity of adjacent properties.

Ward: Billingshurst and Shipley

Applicant: Mr and Mrs A and G Wadey

The Head of Development reported that this application sought planning permission for the erection of a 3-bedroom chalet-bungalow style dwelling with associated parking to include 2 standard spaces and 1 disabled space. The dwelling would be 2 storeys and located in the north east corner of the site.

The application site was located in a vacant area of land within the Built up Area Boundary of Billingshurst, between the residential development known as The Willows and Centurion Close.

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.

Nine objections to the current proposal 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; the impact on neighbouring amenity; and highway impacts.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/18/0957 be approved subject to the conditions as set out in the officer’s report with an additional informative to be added:

‘Please note that the relevant authority should be contacted regarding the relocation of the telegraph pole on site prior to works commencing.’

Ward: Chantry

Applicant: Mr Alan Manton

The Head of Development reported that this application sought full planning permission for a first floor extension over a single storey addition.

The application site was located along a narrow lane running south from the centre of Storrington but still within the village’s built up area.

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. 14 letters of objection and 1 letter of support had been received. 1 member of the public spoke in opposition to the application. 1 member of the public and 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; design and appearance; the impact on neighbouring amenity; and impact on the Heritage of the site.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/18/0690 be approved subject to the conditions as set out in the officer’s report.

Ward: Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead

Applicant: Rockwell (Sussex) Ltd

The Head of Development reported that this application was to be considered in order to enable the Local Planning Authority to provide a recommendation to the Planning Inspectorate as to how the application would have been determined, in the event that an appeal for non-determination had not been lodged.

The application sought full planning permission for the provision of a Travelling Showpeople’s site. The site would be divided in to four separate plots accommodating 16 mobile homes and 9 touring caravans overall. Each plot would have a gravelled storage and maintenance area as well as a recreation area.

A tapering earth bank and fences would surround the site and well as each plot within. HGVs associated with the travelling showpeople would enter and depart the site once a year. The site would be unoccupied in the months outside of show season.

The site was located in a rural location outside of any built up area boundaries or defined settlements bounded by Honeybridge Lane and Old Barn Nurseries to the north, Honeybridge Caravan Holiday Park to the east, Woodmans Barn Farm and associated fields and gallop to the south and the A24 to the west.

An addendum was presented for this item that informed Members that the applicants had proposed an alternative site layout that achieved the following:

·         Positioned the recreation areas and mobile homes adjacent to the common eastern boundary and moved the storage and maintenance areas away from common eastern boundary with Honeybridge Caravan Park.

·         A prosed height increase to the eastern boundary fence from 2m to 2.5m.

·         Additional landscaping along the eastern boundary of the site between the site and Honeybridge Caravan Park.

As a result of the amendments, Members were advised condition 7 as presented in the officer’s report was no longer necessary and recommended for removal.  This condition required the submission of an amended layout plan to be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.

As outlined in the addendum, the Council’s Environmental Health Department had been re-consulted and they had advised that their initial concerns had been overcome through the reconfiguration of the site layout and subject to a condition regarding an acoustic fence being erected between the application site and the neighbouring holiday caravan park.

In respect of initial concerns raised by the Councils Landscape officer, the site layout had been reconfigured to move the maintenance areas away from the eastern boundary of the site and it had been agreed by the applicants to add further landscape screening along this boundary. A condition had been imposed to ensure that a satisfactory planting scheme is agreed along the eastern boundary of the application 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 objected to the application. 17 letters of objection to the original and amended scheme had been received. The applicant and  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/21