Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Vice Chairman of the Committee for the rest of the Municipal year.

RESOLVED

That Councillor Billy Greening be appointed Vice Chairman for the rest of the Municipal Year.

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December.

(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 held on 7 December were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

DC/21/2691 Councillor Greening declared a non pecuniary interest by close association to this item. During this item he withdrew from the meeting and took no part in its determination.

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

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Sam Raby to his first meeting of the Committee.

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

Ward: Rudgwick

Applicant: William Lacey Group Ltd

The Head of Development & Building Control reported that this outline application sought permission for a new access road off Cox Green to allow access for a proposed development of 37 houses at land at Windacres Farm.  The dwellings would be within the boundary of Waverley Borough Council.  In addition to the road, the proposal included a foul water pumping station, which would also serve the development.  If approved, a legal agreement would tie the permission exclusively to the Waverley application for housing.

A similar access road had been granted permission in 2019 (DC/18/1520), but was not implemented because it was linked to a proposal for 57 houses on the Waverley site, which had been refused.

The application site was located between two detached houses on Cox Green within the built-up area at the northern end of Rudgwick.  It included hedgerow and vegetation fronting Cox Green.

Since the report had been published further details had been received from the Ecologist who recommended further conditions in the event of approval. These were:

·         the scheme would be implemented in accordance with the submitted Ecological Appraisal recommendations.

·         the submission of a Natural England licence for Great Crested Newts or proof from Natural England that a licence is not required.

·         the submission of a Biodiversity Enhancement strategy for approval.

·         the submission of wildlife sensitive lighting scheme for approval.

The Parish Council strongly objected to the application.  There had been 39 representations objecting to the application including an objection from the Rudgwick Preservation Society.

One member of the public spoke in objection to the application and a representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the consultees’ responses and the officer’s planning assessment, which included the following key issues: highway safety; design; impact on amenity; ecology; and drainage.

The Committee agreed to make additional representations to Waverley on sustainable access links for walking and cycling and the need for an alternative route for construction traffic given the likely impact on neighbouring residents.

RESOLVED

DC/21/1415 Approved subject to:

i)     a legal agreement be entered into to tie the new access road to the proposal at Waverley Borough Council for new housing.

(ii)   That subject to (i) above, planning application DC/21/1415 be determined by the Head of Development & Building Control with a view to approval. 

Ward: Rudgwick

Applicant: Mr Andrew Jackson

The Head of Development & Building Control reported that this application sought planning permission for the demolition of existing dwelling and garage, construction of a replacement two-storey four-bedroom dwelling, new vehicular access, attached garage and car parking.

The replacement dwelling would be situated slightly further back into the site from the highway and would be of a similar scale and height.

The wider surroundings were characterised by detached two storey dwellings set back from the public highway. Residential properties were varied in appearance, and sited within elongated plots bound by a mix of hedging and fencing.

Members noted planning history of the site as set out in the report.

An addendum to the report had been published advising that the replacement dwelling at Oakfield was recognised as positioned slightly over the Built-Up Area Boundary (BUAB) of Rudgwick.

As advised in the addendum, the line of the BUAB crossed through the middle of the garden of the dwelling, however the proposed dwelling would marginally cross the BUAB line. The proposal was still considered acceptable in accordance with the Horsham District Planning Framework (2015).

The Parish Council objected to the proposal. There had been 11 representations received objecting to the proposal.

One member of the public spoke in objection to the application and one spoke in support. The applicant and applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection of the application.

Councillors discussed concerns with the BUAB siting that the plot had sufficent land to move the proposed dwelling so this would not be affected. Concerns were raised regarding the new access to the site causing a safety risk due to inadequate visibility. It was felt that further consultation needed to be gained from West Sussex County Highways.

It was noted however that no relevant concerns has been raised from the consultees in the report.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/21/2211 be delegated to the Head of Development and Building Control with a view to approval, subject to further consideration to the proposed site access, and WSCC Highways.

Ward: Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham

Applicant: Saxon Weald

The Head of Development & Building Control reported that this application sought permission for demolition of existing buildings on site, construction of 12 flats with associated car parking, landscaping and outline permission for a replacement scout hut.

The new development would be accessed via the existing site access along Hayes Lane. The site was bounded to the north and south by residential properties along Greenfield Road.

Since the report had been published the applicants water neutrality statement had been updated and Slinfold Parish Council had raised no objection to the comments.

The application had been approved in August 2021 in accordance with Officer recommendation and subject to a legal agreement.

This item had returned to Committee following the requirement from Natural England for all developments to demonstrate water neutrality and the legal agreement had not been finalised. Therefore permission was still sought.

Recent consultations reported that the new development would use less than a third of existing water consumption which demonstrated that water neutrality was achievable.

Ward Members were highly in favour of the scheme.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/20/2578 be granted subject to appropriate conditions as reported and the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement.

Ward: Nuthurst and Lower Beeding

Applicant: The Governors of St Andrew’s CE Primary School

The Head of Development and Building Control reported that the application sought retrospective planning for a free standing storage container for a temporary 12 month period subject to conditions.

In January 2021 application DC/20/2366 was granted for the installation of a free standing storage container on the condition that this would be removed and land restored by January 2022.

The current application sought to retain the storage for an additional 12 months until January 2023 as long term plans had not been overcome due to the disruption of Covid 19 pandemic. The additional time would enable the applicant to put in place a long term plan and alternative storage proposal.

The application site was located south of the Grade II listed St Andrews Church, Nuthurst Street and within the Nuthurst Conservation Area.

There had been five representations received objecting to the proposal. Although in support of the applicant, the Parish Council objected to the container becoming permanent as it was considered inappropriate for a Conservation Area.

The Ward Member advised the Committee that the applicant was considering longer term plans however they had budgetary constraints.

Committee Members considered the current request acceptable however were keen to see a longer term solution proposed for the future especially in a Conservation area.

Members agreed that a Note to Applicant would be submitted advising that the container was not appropriate as a permanent addition and they should seek alternative storage arrangements for the school and remove the container within the next year.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/21/2691 be granted for a temporary 12 month period subject to the conditions reported.