Agenda and minutes

The committee is asked to note the following membership and terms of reference for the North Northumberland Local Area Committee which were agreed by Council on 17 May 2023.? 

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The membership is made up of the county councillors who represent the 13 electoral divisions in the North Northumberland area:? 

Chair: G Castle

Vice Chair: G Hill

Vice Chair (Planning): C Hardy

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Quorum - 4? 

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Terms of reference  

(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. 

RESOLVED that the Membership and Terms of Reference for the North Northumberland Local Area Planning Committee as agreed by Council at the meeting on 17 May 2023 be noted.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bridgett, Hunter, Mather, Pattison, Seymour, and Watson.

Minutes of the meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Council held on Thursday, 18 May 2023 as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.?? 

It was noted that there had been a typo in minute 168, and should have read “The next meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Committee is scheduled for Thursday, 22 June 2023”

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Committee held on Thursday, 18 May 2023, as circulated, were confirmed as a true record, and were signed by the Chair.? 

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting; 

1. Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

2. Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion  or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

3. Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being  (and is not  DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

4. Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

5. Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it. 

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk.  Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

sures at the rear of this agenda letter.

Councillor Thorne stated that he had a personal and prejudicial interest in planning application 22/02619/FUL and would leave the meeting.

Councillor Thorne left the meeting at this point.

Councillor Hardy, Vice-Chair (Planning) 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.?? 

Councillor Castle explained that a question may be asked through the chair to the public speakers however that would only be used for clarity on a subject. Any questions should be answered by the planning officers in the first instance.

RESOLVED that this was noted.

Retrospective Change of Use of White Cottage to Services Accommodation in Association with the Joiners Arms

White Cottage, The Inn Road, Newton-By-The-Sea, Northumberland, NE66 3EA

Retrospective Change of Use of White Cottage to Serviced Accommodation in Association with the Joiners Arms

White Cottage, The Inn Road, Newton-By-The-Sea, Northumberland, NE66 3EA

J. Sharp – Senior Planning Officer, introduced the application to members with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, there were no updates.

P. Goodfellow spoke in objection to the application and gave the committee the following information:

·       The applicant continued to push the boundaries of planning law to facilitate commercial development by repeatedly developing areas then seeking retrospective permission.

·       Original plans had been submitted for the Shepherds Hut in the rear garden of White Cottage in April 2020, there was no mention of development of the cottage itself to provide extra accommodation.

·       Neighbours had witnessed noise and disruption from the rear of the premises, including loud music and shouting until the early hours of the morning.

·       Concerns over traffic congestion on a busy junction.

·       The application shows car parking spaces that did not exist, five spaces at the front of the pub and two in the rear garden of White Cottage.

·       The applicant had not mentioned the alterations to the drainage/sewerage for the site. Building regulations/planning were required to ensure it was adequate.

·       The application was setting a precedent which was concerning for residents of High Newton.

W. Pattison had registered to speak as the Local Member and submitted a speech to be read out by an officer at the meeting, in accordance with the Public Speaking Protocol. The committee were given the following information:   

·       Cllr Pattison objected to the application and noted that it did not differ from the application submitted under 20/04267/FUL

·       The application was an overdevelopment in a crowded area of the village.

·       There was no adequate parking provision for the property.

·       The application had not taken sustainability into account.

·       Light pollution and the overdevelopment of a small village lying within the AONB was a huge concern.

J. Roper spoke on behalf of Newton-by-the-Sea Parish Council and gave the committee the following information:

·       The Parish Council agreed with the statements by The Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership.

·       The change of use from dwelling house to serviced holiday accommodation was not supported.

·       The extension to the Joiners Arms was considered an overdevelopment in the small rural village set in an AONB.

·       The application was fundamentally flawed by a serious mistruth on the number of parking spaces provided.

·       A planning application for installing a shepherd hut in the rear of the garden of White Cottage was granted by the Planning Authority in April 2020 on the strict condition that two dedicated parking spaces were provided for the huts in the rear curtilage of White Cottage and should not be used for any other purpose.

·       The application included the use of the two parking spaces as part of the three to be dedicated to White Cottage.

·       The provision for White Cottage was therefore only one space which failed to satisfy NCC’s minimum requirements.

·       The introduction of outdoor hot tubs at the rear of White Cottage were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

For Members’ 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 this was noted.

For Members’ information to report the agreement monitoring and collection of s106 contributions in the planning process. This is a monthly report and relates to agreements throughout Northumberland during the previous 2 months  

RESOLVED that this was noted.

The next meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Council is scheduled for Thursday, 20 July 2023 at St James URC, Pottergate, Alnwick, NE66 1JW

The next meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Planning Committee was scheduled for Thursday, 20 July 2023 at St James URC, Pottergate, Alnwick, NE66 1JW 

RESOLVED that this was noted.