Agenda and draft minutes

The committee is asked to note the following membership and terms of reference for the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local Area Council which were agreed by Council on 04 May 2022.? 

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The membership is made up of the county councillors who represent the 12 electoral divisions in the Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley area, 

Chair:  M D Swinburn

Vice Chair: S Lee; Vice Chair (Planning): R Wilczek 

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Quorum - 4? 

(1)           To enhance good governance in the area and ensure that the Council’s policies take account of the needs and aspirations of local communities and do not discriminate unfairly between the different Areas. 

(2)           To advise the Cabinet on budget priorities and expenditure within the Area. 

(3)           To consider, develop and influence policy and strategy development of the Council, its arms-length organisations, and other relevant bodies, to ensure that they meet local requirements and facilitate efficient and transparent decision making. 

(4)           To receive information, consider and comment on matters associated with service delivery including those undertaken in partnership agencies, affecting the local area to ensure that they meet local requirements, including matters relating to community safety, anti- social behaviour and environmental crime. 

(5)           To consider and refer to Cabinet any issues from a local community perspective with emerging Neighbourhood Plans within their area, and consider local planning applications as per the planning delegation scheme.

(6)      To consider and recommend adjustments to budget priorities in relation to Local Transport Plan issues within their area, and to make decisions in relation to devolved capital highway maintenance allocations. 

(7)     To engage, through the appropriate networks, with all key stakeholders from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors to facilitate the delivery of area priorities. This will include undertaking regular liaison with parish and town councils. 

(8)     To inform, consult and engage local communities in accordance with Council policy and guidance, through the appropriate networks.   

(9)      To, as appropriate, respond or refer with recommendations to local petitions and councillor calls for action. 

(10)    To make certain appointments to outside bodies as agreed by Council. 

(11)    To determine applications for grant aid from the Community Chest, either through Panels for individual Local Area Councils, or through the Panel of Local Area Council Chairs for countywide applications. 

(12)    To refer and receive appropriate issues for consideration to or from other Council Committees, and as appropriate invite Portfolio Holders to attend a meeting if an item in their area of responsibility is to be discussed. 

(13)   To exercise the following functions within their area:- 

(a)     the Council’s functions in relation to the survey, definition, maintenance, diversion, stopping up and creation of public rights of way. 

(b)      the Council’s functions as the Commons Registration Authority for common land and town/village greens in Northumberland. 

(c)       the Council’s functions in relation to the preparation and maintenance of the Rights  ...  view the full agenda text for item 1.

RESOLVED that the Membership and Terms of Reference for the Cramlington, Bedlingtonand Seaton Valley Local Area Council agreed by Council on 04 May 2022 be notedand that Councillor Lee should be listed in the Independent Group in the membership list. 

The Chair explained the procedure which would be followed at the meeting.

Apologies had been received from Councillor Ezhilchevlan.

Minutes of the meetings of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local Area Council held on 22 February and 23 March as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

The minutes of the meetings of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local  Area Council held on 22 February and 23 March 2022, as circulated, were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

(Councillor Wilczek in the Chair).

To request the committee to decide the planning applications attached to this report using the powers delegated to it.   

Please note that printed letters of objection/support are no longer circulated with the agenda but are available on the Council’s website at http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning.aspx

The report requested the Committee to decide the planning applications attached to the report using the powers delegated to it.  Members were reminded of the principles which should govern their consideration of the applications, the procedure for handling representations, the requirement of conditions and the need for justifiable reasons for the granting of permission or refusal of planning applications.  

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

Retrospective: Siting of upcycled shipping containers, installation of 2no. areas with tented roof covering and installation of a fixed roof with timber clad walls to provide a mixed use of land with bar, seating, toilet facilities and a venue for entertainment including live music (Sui Generis) (as amended 29.11.2021) (amended red line boundary 03.02.2022)  (description amended 04.05.2022)

JH Laidler Storage Yard, Double Row, Seaton Delaval, NE25 0PP.

Retrospective: Siting of upcycled shipping containers, installation of 2 no. Areas with tented roof covering and installation of a fixed roof with timer clad walls to provide a mixed use of land with bar, seating, toilet facilities and a venue for entertainment including live music (sui generis) (as amended 29.22 21) (amended red line boundary 03.02.2022) (description amended 04.05.2022)

J H Laidler Storage Yard, Double Row, Seaton Delaval, NE25 0PP

R Laughton, Planning Officer provided updates on the recommendations:-

Update 1 – Car parking Plan 

For condition number two in the report, it was recommended to include an additional plan to ensure the disabled car parking bays, cycle parking and electric points are secured. The reference number was LM-PL- 012 Rev C.

Update 2 – Opening hours

The report did not acknowledge the opening hours of the establishment therefore it was recommended to impose an additional condition if the application was approved. 

The premises hereby approved shall not be open for business outside the following hours:

Sunday – Thursday 12pm –11pm

Friday and Saturday 12pm –12am 

Reason: In the interests of amenity and in accordance with the NPPF.

Update 3

After discussion with the highways team, it was also considered appropriate to impose a condition for a crowd management strategy for highway safety purposes. The condition would read as:

“Within 1 month of the date of this permission, an external areas crowd management strategy shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The crowd management Strategy shall set out all matters pertaining to the external areas which will be used for ancillary purposes associated with the use. The approved crowd management Strategy shall then be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

In the interest of highway safety to ensure unfettered use of the public highway”

Update 4

To ensure the compliance of the noise levels of condition 10, it was recommended to also secure a noise verification report if approval is granted, to read as:

With 3 months of the date of this permission, a noise verification report shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The report must detail the findings of an acoustic monitoring exercise which will determine the venues compliance with Condition 10  during all hours of operation. The Sound Level Meter must conform to the requirements of Section 5.1 of BS 4142: 2014+A1:2019. In the event that the report identifies a breach of the requirements of Condition 10 the report shall detail a scheme of suitable mitigation for approval within the report. Once approved the mitigation measures must be retained for the lifetime of the development unless varied in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:?To safeguard the amenities of the occupiers of nearby properties.

Mr Laughton then introduced the application with the aid of a presentation..

Councillor Henderson, Seaton Valley Community Council was in attendance and her comments included the following:-

Seaton Valley Community Council objected to the proposed development as it conflicted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

For Member’s information to report the progress of planning appeals.  This is a monthly report and relates to appeals throughout all 5 Local Area Council Planning Committee areas and covers appeals of Strategic Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that the information be noted. 

A short recess was held at this point. 

(Councillor Ferguson left the meeting at 5:06 pm)

To reply to any questions received from members of the public which have been submitted in writing in advance of the meeting. Questions can be asked about issues for which the Council has a responsibility. (Public question times take place on a bimonthly basis at Local Area Council meetings: in January, March, May, July, September and November each year.)

As agreed by the County Council in February 2012, the management of local public question times is at the discretion of the chair of the committee.

Please note however that a question may possibly be rejected if it requires the disclosure of any categories of confidential or exempt information, namely information:

1. relating to any individual;
2. which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual;
3. relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person
4. relating to any labour relations matters/negotiations;
5. restricted to legal proceedings
6. about enforcement/enacting legal orders
7. relating to the prevention, investigation of prosecution of crime.
   
   

And/or:

?      is defamatory, frivolous or offensive;

?      it is substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of this or another County Council committee in the past six months;

?      the request repeats an identical or very similar question from the same person;

?      the cost of providing an answer is disproportionate;

?      it is being separately addressed through the Council's complaints process;

?      it is not about a matter for which the Council has a responsibility or which affects the county;

?      it relates to planning, licensing and/or other regulatory applications

?      it is a question that town/parish councils would normally be expected to raise through other channels.

If the Chair is of the opinion that a question is one which for whatever reason, cannot properly be asked in an area meeting, he/she will disallow it and inform the resident of his/her decision.

Copies of any written answers (without individuals' personal contact details) will be provided for members after the meeting and also be publicly available.

Democratic Services will confirm the status of the progress on any previously requested written answers and follow up any related actions requested by the Local Area Council.

(Councillor Swinburn in the Chair )

No questions had been submitted in writing.  

K Dalton, Bedlington asked why no information had been divulged to the public in relation to a report from the police regarding Arch which was in the public interest.

The Chair requested more information about the report and would seek further information from the relevant person and a written answer would be sent to Mr Dalton.

Councillor Robinson believed the report referred to be a KPMG audit report.  He had asked the same question at Full Council and had learned that the report was not going to be made public but had been reported to the Audit Committee.  The Chair reiterated that a written answer would be forwarded to Mr Dalton.

This item is to:

(a)      Receive any new petitions: to receive any new petitions. The lead petitioner is entitled to briefly introduce their petition by providing a statement in writing, and a response to any petitions received will then be organised for a future meeting.

i.           An extension/amendment to existing speed limit and extent of the road safety scheme in Seaton Sluice.

Extend current 30 mph past the properties at Seafield Mews to look at a range of traffic calming measures including the potential to relocate the fixed camera speed site further to the north as the current location is potentially affected by the signalised control crossing point (to the Astley Arms Public House) which was installed after the speed camera.

Seafield Mews has no calming features.  Improve the crossing point at Seafield Mews and improve safety with traffic calming measures.

(b)      Consider reports on petitions previously received.

(c)      Receive any updates on petitions for which a report was previously  considered: any updates will be verbally reported at the meeting.

A petition had been received requesting an extension/amendment to the existing speed limit and extent of the road safety scheme in Seaton Sluice.

A report would be presented to the Committee at the meeting of 20 July.

RESOLVED that the report be received.

To receive a verbal update from the Area Managers from Technical Services and Neighbourhood Services in attendance about any key recent, ongoing and/or future planned Local Services work for the attention of members of the Local Area Council, who will also then have the opportunity to raise issues with the Area Managers.

The Area Managers have principal responsibility for highway services and environmental services, such as refuse collection, street cleansing and grounds maintenance, within the geographic boundaries of the Local Area Council.

To make appointments to outside body organisations within the Local Area Council’s remit.  A list of outside bodies is attached to the agenda for consideration. 

Members considered a list of appointments to outside bodies for 2022/23.?? 

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RESOLVED that the following list of appointments be confirmed:?? 

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Details of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Members Local Improvement Schemes for the period 2022-23 are provided for information only.

Details of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Members Local Improvement Schemes for the period 2022-23 were provided for information.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

To note the latest version of agreed items for future Local Area Council meetings (any suggestions for new agenda items will require confirmation by the Business Chair after the meeting).

The latest version of the agreed items for future Local Area Council meetings was circulated.   

Councillor Wilczek had still not received a response to her questions submitted in relation to the Bedlington Town Centre Update.  Democratic Services to follow up with relevant officer. 

RESOLVED that the information be noted. 

To note the dates of the meetings for the ensuing year:-

22 June 2022

20 July 2022

17 August 2022

21 September 2022

19 October 2022

23 November 2022

21 December 2022

*17 January 2023 (Tuesday)

*21 February 2023 (Tuesday)

*21 March 2023 (Tuesday)

19 April 2023

The dates of the meetings for the ensuing year were noted.