Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2019 were confirmed as a

correct record and signed by the Chairman.

None.

The Chairman to advise the Committee on any requests received from members of the public to address the Committee.

The Committee considered the reports of the Business Manager – Strategic

Place Development Management together with comments of public speakers,

additional information reported by the officers and information detailed in the late representations updates document previously circulated.

Public Speaker, Supporter – Agreed that the amendment to condition 3 was acceptable.

Comments from Councillors included: Little impact on surrounding area, the condition and updates sheet addressed concerns of the Site Inspection team in relation to holiday and potential for permanent residential.

It was proposed by Councillor Haines and seconded by Councillor H Cox that the application be approved as set out in the agenda report with the addition of the amendment to condition 3.

Resolved

Permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

1.    Time limit for commencement (3 years);

2.    In accordance with the approved plans including levels and engineering works;

3.    The units hereby approved shall accord with the definition of a caravan as specified in the Caravan Sites Act 1968 and shall be used for holiday use only and shall not be occupied as a person’s sole or main place of residence. Following the first occupation of the first unit the owner/manager of the facility shall at all times maintain a register of the names of all the owners/occupiers of the lodges and of their home addresses, and shall make this information available at all reasonable times to the Local Planning Authority.

4.    Prior to first occupation of any caravan on the land and prior to the installation of soakaway(s) on the site, results of infiltration testing, conducted in strict accordance with BRE Digest 365 Soakaway Design, drainage calculations for the sizing of the proposed infiltration system(s) designed to cater for the full range of storms up to 1 in 100 year event plus an additional 40% allowance for climate change, details of the exceedance pathways and overland flor routes across the site in the event of rainfall in excess of the design standard for surface water drainage management system and information regarding the adoption and maintenance of the proposed surface water drainage management system shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority to ensure all the components will remain fully operational throughout the lifetime of the development;

5.    A maximum amount of 12 static caravans shall be sited as shown on the hereby approved proposed site plan (drawing no. 001 Rev A)

6.    Any area of decking shall be constructed of materials that are recessive in colour and shall be dismantled and removed from the site on or before the removal of the static unit to which they are associated.

(14 in favour, 0 against and 1 abstention)

The Planning Officer advised that in relation to the access, the addition of one further unit is acceptable.

Public Speaker, Objector – Multiple objections from neighbours, there are better areas for the proposed application,  It has received  funding from the Heritage Lottery, contravenes policies EN2/EN2A/WE, will not be open  to public, contrary to policy S22 as is outside the development boundary, no support from garden archaeologist, lack of support from Parish, no need as there is a three bed property for sale nearby, use of the access for additional unit is unacceptable, sensitive rural landscape, and damage to the 1842 garden wall.

Public Speaker, Supporter – the project has been awarded £50,000 from Heritage Lottery, income from the cabin will be used to maintain the proposed property and gardens, the project will provide employment and tourism benefits for Devon, and local charities such as the Garden Trust support the restoration.

Comments from Councillors included: The grade 2 house is worthy of preserving, the site is archaeologically well conceived, concerns that the holiday let will be used as a second home and permanent accommodation, detrimental to wildlife including hedgehogs, narrow road unsuitable for additional traffic, and the length of time that the development has been going on for.

The Business Manager, Strategic Place responded to Councillor’s comments by explaining that there was no policy in place that prevents the construction of second homes, there is no specific difference between a second home and holiday home in relation to planning policy, and conditions are recommended in relation to planning policy and biodiversity.

It was proposed by Councillor Colclough and seconded by Councillor Bradford that consideration be deferred pending a Member’s Site Inspection.

An amendment was proposed by Councillor Bullivant and seconded by Councillor J Hook that the application be approved as set out in the report. The vote was lost by 5 votes for and 10 against.

A vote on the original motion was taken and carried.

Resolved

Consideration deferred pending a Member’s site inspection.

(11 votes for, 3 against and 1 abstention)

Subsequent to application 19/00672/FUL, which had been deferred to a Site Inspection, it was proposed by Councillor MacGregor and seconded by Councillor H Cox that the application be deferred to a site inspection.

Resolved

Consideration deferred pending a Member’s site inspection.

(14 votes for and 1 against)

The Committee noted appeal decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate.