Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

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

Items
No. Item

PCS/22

Minutes pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 16th July 2019

(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 meeting of the Committee held on 16 July were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

PCS/23

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no declarations on interest.

PCS/24

Announcements

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

Minutes:

There were no announcements.

PCS/25

Appeals pdf icon PDF 70 KB

Minutes:

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

PCS/26

DC/18/2095 - Thakeham Tiles Ltd, Rock Road, Storrington pdf icon PDF 386 KB

Ward: Chanctonbury (Historic Ward)

Applicant: Thakeham Concrete Products Ltd & Thakeham Trust

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that this application sought outline permission for the demolition of buildings on an industrial site, occupied by Thakeham Tiles, and the erection of 90 dwellings.  Matters for consideration were the principle of the development and a new access onto Rock Road.  An indicative layout of dwellings, roads, play area and landscaping had been submitted.

 

The indicative housing mix comprised four 1-bedroom, 23 2-bedroom, 36 3-bedroom and 27 4-bedroom units.  There would be 20% (18 units) of on-site affordable housing.  Should Thakeham Tiles cease trading instead of relocating, a full 35% of affordable housing would be secured through a legal agreement.

 

Members noted that the application site was in the West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington Ward, not the Chanctonbury Ward as incorrectly stated in the report.

 

The application site was an industrial site south of Rock Road, within the built-up area of Storrington and Sullington.  Some detached dwellings lay to the east, south and west.  There were fields and some dwellings beyond Rock Road to the north.  There was some dense woodland containing protected trees surrounding parts of the site.  A public footpath ran through the site from east to west.  

 

Officers advised of a proposed amendment to Condition 10, as printed in the report, regarding details of finished floor levels.  The amendment would require the submission of details of any required retaining structures that are deemed necessary to the site.  This referred specifically to the steep bank at the southern portion of the site and its relationship to adjoining properties to the south.  This amendment addressed concerns regarding the stability of the bank.

 

Storrington & Sullington Parish Council objected to the application. Thakeham Parish Council supported the proposal subject to conditions.  Washington Parish Council objected to the proposal.  There had been 18 representations objecting to the application and two in support. Since publication of the report a further six objections to the proposal had been received.  The applicant addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of Thakeham Parish Council also spoke in support of it.

 

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; loss of employment land; site density and housing mix; affordable housing provision; landscape and trees; ecology; highways; impact on neighbouring amenity.  It was noted that a condition requiring the use of green energy could be secured at reserved matters stage. 

 

The Local Member considered the comments from the CCG (paragraph 3.2 of the report) regarding the quality of Glebe Surgery to be misleading, as the surgery provided a high quality medical service.

 

Members considered the need for comprehensive air quality mitigation, and noted that a scheme of air quality mitigation would need to be submitted and approved. 

 

Members discussed the level of affordable housing provision in the context of the applicant’s intended relocation of the business.  It was proposed and seconded that 35% affordable housing should be secured under the legal agreement on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/26

PCS/27

DC/19/0720 - Chilton Pig Farm, Threals Lane, West Chiltington pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Ward: Chanctonbury (Historic Ward)

Applicant: Mr Walls and Steel

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for a variation to a number of conditions attached to permission DC/15/0193 (the erection of eight new dwellings, comprising six detached and two semi-detached houses with related accesses, garaging and car parking).  Variation of conditions 6, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 15 would allow pre-construction/occupation conditions to be dealt with by each individual plot owner. Variation of condition 2 would allow: plots 7 and 8 to be merged to provide one market dwelling rather than two affordable units; plot 1 to be split to provide two market dwellings; and amendments to siting and design of the dwelling proposed for plot 5.

 

The proposal would allow the plots to be sold off separately as self-build sites.  A new legal agreement would be required because only plots developed by developers, rather than self-build, would require an affordable housing contribution.

 

Officers advised of a proposed amendment to Condition 6 to require agreement of materials at pre-slab level rather than pre-commencement level, and conditions 8 and 9 would be updated to be regulatory rather than pre-commencement conditions

 

Members noted that the application site was in the West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington Ward, not the Chanctonbury Ward as incorrectly stated in the report.

 

The application site was located outside the built-up area on the east side of Threals Lane and comprised two plots; the larger one to the south was in the parish of Thakeham and the smaller one was within the parish of West Chiltington. There was a single property between these two plots.  The built-up area of West Chiltington Common was on the opposite side of Threals Lane. 

 

Both Thakeham and West Chiltington Parish Councils objected to the application.  There had been eight representations objecting to the application including one from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Sussex).  A representative of West Chiltington Parish Council and a representative of Thakeham Parish Council both spoke in objection to the application.  A representative of the CPRE also spoke in objection to it.  A representative on behalf of the applicant’s agent spoke in support of the proposal.

 

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal was the loss of affordable housing as a result of the provision of custom-build housing and the impact of the proposed amendments to the design and layout of the scheme. 

 

Details of the appeal decision to grant DC/15/0193 were noted, in particular the weight given by the Inspector to the provision of affordable housing. Members discussed the loss of the two affordable housing units in this countryside location and concluded that the proposal was unacceptable as the benefit of housing, proposed as self/custom build, did not outweigh the policy conflict of new housing in the open countryside.   

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That planning application DC/19/0720 be refused for the following reasons:

 

The proposed dwellings are located in a countryside location, outside of any defined built-up area boundary, on a site not  ...  view the full minutes text for item PCS/27

PCS/28

Tree Preservation Order No. 1517 - Land North of Sandy Lane, Henfield pdf icon PDF 190 KB

Ward: Henfield

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Development reported that a Provisional Tree Preservation Order (TPO) 1517 was served on 5 March 2019 on seven oak trees under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation) (England) Regulations (2012).  Under these regulations, the trees included within the order benefitted from immediate protection.   

 

The trees were located along the southern and western edges of an agricultural field south of Dropping Holms and Chanctonbury View in the village of Henfield.

 

One letter of objection had been received from an agent representing the owners of the plot of land to the west of the site.  Fifteen letters of support had been received.   Three members of the public spoke in support of the TPO.

 

Members noted the high amenity value of the trees and agreed that the trees merited protection and cited their age and setting within the landscape.

 

RESOLVED

 

That Tree Preservation Order 1517 be confirmed.