Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair outlined the procedure to be followed at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

Apologies were received from Councillors Dodd, Renner-Thompson and Wallace.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committees held on Tuesday 2 November  2021, as circulated, be agreed as a true record and be signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 2 November 2021, as circulated, were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required to disclose any personal interest (which includes any disclosable pecuniary interest) they may have in any of the items included on the agenda for the meeting in accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council on 4 July 2012, and are reminded that if they have any personal interests of a prejudicial nature (as defined under paragraph 17 of the Code Conduct) they must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room. NB Any member needing clarification must contact the monitoring officer by email at monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

Councillor Reid advised that he had an interest in application number 21/01796/REM and would leave the meeting when the application was considered.

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.

Construction of a two platform railway station including: pedestrian lifts, stepped and ramped pedestrian access, upgrade of existing junction to provide signalised access to station; modifications to highways including pedestrian footways; provision of parking for buses, cars, electric vehicles, motorcycles, cycles, and taxis; works to public rights of way; construction of a pedestrian and cycle bridge, facilities ancillary to the station including, lighting, soft and hard landscaping, surface and subsurface drainage, utilities and other services, boundary treatment and other associated works.

Land South of Heather Lea, Errington Street, Bebside, Northumberland

Construction of a two platform railway station including: pedestrian lifts, stepped and ramped pedestrian access, upgrade of existing junction to provide signalised access to station; modifications to highways including pedestrian footways; provision of parking for buses, cars, electric vehicles, motorcycles, cycles, and taxis; works to public rights of way  ; construction of a pedestrian and cycle bridge, facilities ancillary to the station including, lighting, soft and hard landscaping, surface and subsurface drainage, utilities and other services, boundary treatment and other associated works.

Land South of Heather Lea, Errington Street, Bebside, Northumberland

G Halliday, Consultant Planner provided a comprehensive introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation outlining the key issues for consideration.  Updates were provided as follows:-

·       Following publication of the agenda Building Conservation had advised that they were in support of the application. 

·       The wording at the beginning of condition 10 should be changed to read:

“Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority development shall take place in full accordance with the mitigation measures detailed in the report …….”

A Heally, Planning Consultant on behalf of the applicant addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  Her comments included the following:-

·       The station was one of six new stations proposed as part of plans for the reintroduction of passenger services between Newcastle and Ashington with an anticipated half hourly service.

·       The application had been the subject of extensive consultations with officers and other stakeholders both before and after the planning submission.

·       A significant public consultation had also taken place with 215 representations specifically supporting the proposals at Bebside.

·       A foot and cycle bridge was proposed to provide connectivity from the station to the existing public right of way network and residential properties to the east which would minimise conflict for pedestrians and cyclists with other vehicles by avoiding the need to cross Bebside roundabout.

·       The applicant recognised the concerns raised by residents related to highways capacity and had undertaken an extended period of engagement with the local highways authority to ensure concerns were mitigated and additional modelling being undertaken during the determination of the application.  Highways Officers had considered the proposed highways improvements appropriate and were content to recommend approval subject to conditions as outlined in the report.

·       The station and wider scheme would deliver the transport infrastructure required to attract inward investment into Blyth and South East Northumberland and would support Blyth’s role as a key employment site.

·       Policies within both the adopted Blyth Valley Local Plan and emerging Northumberland Local Plan identified Bebside as a safeguarded location for a future railway station.

·       There were no objections to the application from statutory consultees and when balancing objections against the significant economic, social and environmental benefits of the scheme, the scheme should be approved.

In response to questions from Members of the Committee the following information was provided:-

·       The level crossing downtime would be shorter for passenger trains than that experienced for the freight trains currently using the rail line. Whilst there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

Variation of conditions : 3 (approved plans) pursuant to planning approval 16/00994/FULES

Land West Of St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland

Variation of conditions : 3 (approved plans) pursuant to planning approval 16/00994/FULES 

Land West Of St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland

T Wood, Senior Planning Officer provided an introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation.  Updates were provided as follows:-

·       A further email had been received from an original objector of the scheme, stating that whilst it was good to see an emphasis on the landscaping ecological corridor on the northern edge of the site there was nothing about the timing of the works.  There was nothing in conditions regarding noise mitigation during construction to protect adjacent residents and wildlife and it was noted that the construction management statement did not have anything about noise and it was wished that further conditions as outlined in the email be tabled and added to any permission granted. The Senior Planning Officer in response advised that conditions 45-47 dealt with screening along the western and southern boundaries and these conditions had been added to protect residents from noise and dust; condition 8 restricted the timing of construction to also protect residents; condition 19 regarding landscaping attached to the original consent and was transferred to this application regarding the timing of the landscaping and no amendments were proposed for this. Fencing had been discussed with the County Ecologist but not included as it was thought that this would inhibit wildlife flow across the site.

·       It was clarified that the Deed of Variation mentioned in paragraph 7.37 of the report was required to be dealt with as part of this application rather than afterwards and therefore a revised recommendation was proposed as follows:

“That this application be GRANTED permission subject to conditions in the report and a S106 Deed of Variation to reflect the amendments to Plans.”

M O’Brien, Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England and Ian Cansfield, Planning Consultant for Homes England addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  Their comments included the following:-

·       Homes England, the Government’s national housing agency, was increasingly taking a master developer approach to the delivery of major sites whereby it sought to invest significantly in upfront infrastructure to open up the site, to set a benchmark of quality design and to facilitate the acceleration of housing delivery.

·       Homes England also had a renewed focus on design quality and a review of the proposals was taken on this site following the granting of planning consent in 2018.  This concluded that there were opportunities to enhance design quality and create a stronger sense of place drawing upon the local character of Northumberland’s towns and villages.

·       A revised masterplan had been developed for the site which a specific focus on capturing opportunities to enhance design quality whilst aligning the masterplan with a master developer approach. 

·       The design of the site’s highways infrastructure had been revisited to achieve a less heavily engineered and more organic arrangement, giving greater priority to pedestrians and cyclists whilst better integrating highway design with landscaping features.

·       Homes England would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

Reserved Matters application for site wide infrastructure only, for approval of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale on approved application 16/00994/FULES, as amended by application  21/01619/VARYCO

Land West Of St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland

Reserved Matters application for site wide infrastructure only, for approval of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale on approved application 16/00994/FULES, as amended by application  21/01619/VARYCO

Land West Of St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland

T Wood, Senior Planning Officer provided an introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation.

In response to questions from Members of the Committee the following information was provided:

·       The landscaping and ecological management plan would ensure that management of the tree planting would be carried out throughout the lifetime of the development.  A condition would ensure that the landscaping around the Suds basins was planted and maintained and this would be a matter for enforcement if this was not carried out.

·       There would be no road link to King Edward VII scheme, Dark Lane or Cottingwood Lane as this would promote car use and the aim was to promote greener methods of travel such as walking or cycling.

Councillor Flux proposed acceptance of the recommendation to grant permission as outlined in the report which was seconded by Councillor Robinson.

A vote was taken and it was unanimously:

RESOLVED that the application be GRANTED for the reasons and subject to the conditions as outlined in the report.

Councillor Reid left the meeting at this point.

Phase 3 & 4 Reserved Matters application for appearance, layout, landscaping and scale for 152no. dwellings (Use Class C3) on approved application 14/03016/FUL

Land South of Aiden Grove and Lynemouth Road, Lynemouth Road, Ellington, Northumberland

Phase 3 & 4 Reserved Matters application for appearance, layout, landscaping and scale for 152no. dwellings (Use Class C3) on approved application 14/03016/FUL

Land South of Aiden Grove and Lynemouth Road, Lynemouth Road, Ellington, Northumberland

R Laughton, Senior Planning Officer provided an introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation. 

In response to questions from Members of the Committee the following information was provided:-

·       The number of affordable housing units had been reduced in line with the reduction in the number of dwellings on the site, as the total number of units to be provided was a percentage of the overall scheme.

·       The condition in relation to the provision of affordable housing had been imposed in order to ascertain where these were to be provided on the site and this has not yet been decided.

·       Ascent Homes was a Council owned company.

Councillor Flux proposed acceptance of the recommendation to grant permission as outlined in the report which was seconded by Councillor Robinson. 

Councillor Ball expressed her disappointment in the reduction in the number of affordable homes on the site, as she considered that the Council should lead by example.

A vote was taken on the proposal to grant permission as follows: FOR 11; AGAINST 1; ABSTENTIONS 0. 

RESOLVED that the application be GRANTED permission subject to the agreement of a S106 agreement securing a contribution for the Coastal Mitigation Scheme and conditions as outlined in the report.

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

Councillor Robinson questioned the outcome of the hearing for application 20/02488/FUL as he indicated that the site was now being built upon.  Mr Murfin would ascertain the current situation and report back.

RESOLVED that the information be 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 monthly period.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.