Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall. View directions

Contact: Lesley Little 

Items
No. Item

27.

PROCEDURE AT PLANNING COMMITTEES pdf icon PDF 184 KB

To outline the procedure to be undertaken at Planning Meetings.

Minutes:

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

 

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

28.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors Wallace and Watson.

29.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS pdf icon PDF 285 KB

The Minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on 1 November 2022, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on 6 September 2022, as circulated, were agreed as a true record and were signed by the Chair.

 

30.

DISCLOSURE OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS

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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Robinson advised that he was the Ward Member for applications 22/0182/RENE and 21/04298/REM and he lived in Phase 1 of the development at land south west of Glebe Farm, however after taking advice from the Solicitor stated he was happy to sit as a Committee Member.

 

Councillor Oliver stated that whilst he was not part of the Committee, in the interests of transparency, and following advice from the Monitoring Officer, as he was speaking as Ward Councillor on behalf of residents and Anick Parish Council who had objected and highlighted the risk of flooding, advised that his own property had flooded in 2015.

 

31.

DETERMINATION OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS pdf icon PDF 181 KB

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

 

Minutes:

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.

 

The Chair advised that a short break would be held after item 8 on the agenda.  He thanked officers for accompanying Members of the Committee on the site visits held in relation to all the applications the previous day advising that they had been well attended and he had found them very useful.

 

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

 

32.

21/02505/CCMEIA pdf icon PDF 983 KB

Extraction and processing of 5.8 million tonnes of sand and gravel and the phased restoration of the site to a lake and associated wetlands

Land North East of Anick Grange Haugh, Anick Road, Hexham

Minutes:

Extraction and processing of 5.8 million tonnes of sand and gravel and the phased restoration of the site to a lake and associated wetlands

Land North East of Anick Grange Haugh, Anick Road, Hexham

 

K Tipple, Senior Planning Officer provided a very comprehensive and detailed introduction to the report with the aid of a power point presentation. 

 

J Halliday addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.  His comments included the following:-

 

·       The site was within the Green Belt and any operation within it must preserve its openness and not conflict with the purposes for which it was included. The NPPF included the following purpose for Green Belt “to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns”.  This Councils strategic approach to Green Belt specifically states that they will be protected to preserve the setting and special character of Hexham, Corbridge and Morpeth.

·       This scheme fails to comply with both national and local policies.

·       There was a growing trend to refuse quarry applications in Green Belts with Councillors often voting against the advice of their officers.

·       In 1990 there was a similar application related to Anick Grange which was refused on appeal with the Inspector giving two reasons.  With a 10 year land bank at that time he could see no present need, the current north east land bank was 15 years.  He also said that the Grade II agricultural land of which there was only 3% in Northumberland was a national resource which should be protected.  These reasons for refusal were still sound now. 

·       Wheat was needed rather than sand or gravel and it could be produced with a fraction of the emissions caused by the haulage of minerals.  The local family who have farmed the land for generations should be allowed to continue to make their valuable contribution to the Community.

·       The application also failed to meet the cornerstone of the NPPF, sustainability. One economic test asked if it is the right type of land in the right place at the right time, this was not, it was in a Green Belt on a flood plain which was known to flood disastrously and the time was not right as there was no present need.

·       Asthma was on the increase among the young and parents were worried about the effects of wind borne silica on their children.

 

M Jordan also spoke in objection to the application and her comments included the following:-

 

·       She was speaking as Chairman of the Corbridge Flood Action Group representing 85 dwellings in the flood zone of Corbridge 2 miles south of this development.

·       The report had not addressed the removal of the soak away upstream from this community and the embankments to stop water going into the Tyne not the other way round which had been suggested in the report.

·       Following Storm Desmond the Environment Agency (EA) had told residents of the farmers who were allowing their land to be used as soak away for flood communities yet here in Flood Zone  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

33.

18/03394/REM pdf icon PDF 552 KB

Reserved Matters Application relating to 16/00078/OUT - Development of Phase 1 of proposals which include Trunk Road Service Area, Hotel and Innovation Centre plus associated access, parking, landscaping, and other associated infrastructure

Land West of Lancaster Park, Pinewood Drive, Lancaster Park, Morpeth

Northumberland

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Reserved Matters Application relating to 16/00078/OUT - Development of Phase 1 of proposals which include Trunk Road Service Area, Hotel and Innovation Centre plus associated access, parking, landscaping, and other associated infrastructure

Land West of Lancaster Park, Pinewood Drive, Lancaster Park, Morpeth

Northumberland

 

D Love, Senior Planning Officer introduced the report to the Committee with the aid of a power point presentation. An addendum report had also been circulated to Members in advance of the meeting and had been uploaded on the Council’s website.  He advised that this was the first of two applications in relation to the reserved matters from outline permission reference 16/00078/OUT. Updates were provided as follows:-

 

·       A response had now been received from Public Protection on the submitted Air Quality Assessment (AQA) and requested an additional condition for a construction environment management plan (CEMP).  It is proposed to add the standard CEMP condition with the addition of the AQA mitigation requirements as set out by Public Protection. 

·       Subject to the above amendment, the recommendation should be changed to approval subject to conditions as outlined in the addendum report and additional conditional regarding the CEMP.

·       It was clarified that there was to be a restaurant / bar area open to hotel guests and the public, the location of which was shown on the presentation.

·       Since the outline application was permitted, the exact boundaries of the Green Belt around Morpeth had been confirmed through the adoption of the Northumberland Local Plan. Following the adoption of the plan, application 18/03394/REM (for service area/innovation centre) was confirmed not to be located in the Green Belt. Most of the housing on application 19/01362/REM was also confirmed to be outwith the Green Belt. However, 25 dwellings were confirmed to be located in the Green Belt, as was much of the country park. 

·       When the outline application was approved, the housing element located in the Green Belt was considered in the context of Green Belt policy. While, in accordance with national policy, it was considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, however officers and members accepted that harm to the Green Belt and other harm, was clearly outweighed by other considerations, and that therefore the development should be supported as Very Special Circumstances existed.

·       The amount and location of the housing in the Green Belt in 19/01362/REM, and the number of jobs supported by 18/03394/REM were broadly aligned with those presented in the outline application. Therefore, given that the applications were largely the realisation of the original outline approval, there was no need to revisit Green Belt considerations including VSC as part of the assessment of these reserved matters applications and therefore members were asked to disregard paragraphs 7.9 to 7.17 of the officer report relating to 19/01362/REM and paragraphs 7.14 to 7.22 of the officer report relating to 18/03394/REM.

·       Members were advised that the original approval was gained on the basis that the commercial aspect could only be achieved off the back of the housing development and a number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

34.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

Minutes:

During the discussion of the previous item and as the time approached 5.00 pm it was proposed, seconded and unanimously

 

RESOLVED that Standing Orders be suspended to allow the meeting to continue. 

 

35.

19/01362/REM pdf icon PDF 624 KB

Reserved matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for proposed 150 residential dwellings (use class C3) including 30% affordable housing, countryside park including car park, pursuant to approved outline planning application 16/00078/OUT (revised description 8th August 2022).

Land West of Lancaster Park, Pinewood Drive, Lancaster Park, Morpeth, Northumberland

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Reserved matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for proposed 150 residential dwellings (use class C3) including 30% affordable housing, countryside park including car park, pursuant to approved outline planning application 16/00078/OUT (revised description 8th August 2022).

Land West of Lancaster Park, Pinewood Drive, Lancaster Park, Morpeth, Northumberland

 

Whilst this application was linked to the previous application which had been refused and therefore there was no permission for any access road into the site Members were advised that the application would still need to be determined.  An addendum report was circulated and time given for Members to read. 

 

D Love provided an introduction to the report with the aid of a power point presentation.  Updates were provided as follows:-

 

·       An updated response on Air Quality had been received from Public Protection and as such there are no objections on these grounds with an additional requirement under point 12 to condition 33. 

·       In light of the refusal of the previous application, the recommendation had now changed to refuse the application as there was no legitimate means of access as the access relied on the previous application and the red line boundary did not extend to the St. Leonards junction.

·       Since the outline application was permitted, the exact boundaries of the Green Belt around Morpeth had been confirmed through the adoption of the Northumberland Local Plan. Following the adoption of the plan, application 18/03394/REM (for service area/innovation centre) was confirmed not to be located in the Green Belt. Most of the housing on application 19/01362/REM was also confirmed to be outwith the Green Belt. However, 25 dwellings were confirmed to be located in the Green Belt, as was much of the country park. When the outline application was approved, the housing element located in the Green Belt was considered in the context of Green Belt policy. While, in accordance with national policy, it was considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, however officers and members accepted that harm to the Green Belt and other harm, was clearly outweighed by other considerations, and that therefore the development should be supported as Very Special Circumstances existed. The amount and location of the housing in the Green Belt in 19/01362/REM, and the number of jobs supported by 18/03394/REM were broadly aligned with those presented in the outline application. Therefore, given that the applications were largely the realisation of the original outline approval, there was no need to revisit Green Belt considerations including VSC as part of the assessment of these reserved matters applications and therefore members were asked to disregard paragraphs 7.9 to 7.17 of the officer report.

 

Peter Burchall addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application. His comments included the following:-

 

·       Residents still objected to the application and it had already been discussed that the outline approval for the housing development had been given because the applicant claimed that without an element of housing the commercial development was not commercially viable. 

·       Noise was a major issue for the residential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

36.

21/04298/REM pdf icon PDF 446 KB

Reserved Matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for final phases of development comprising of 315 dwellings on approved application 16/04731/OUT

Land South West Of Glebe Farm, Choppington Road, Bedlington, Northumberland

 

Minutes:

Reserved Matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for final phases of development comprising of 315 dwellings on approved application 16/04731/OUT

Land South West Of Glebe Farm, Choppington Road, Bedlington, Northumberland

 

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

 

·       An extra condition was required for Highways as follows:-

 

“Development shall not commence until details of the pedestrian links identified as part of 16/04731/OUT have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall then be carried out in accordance with the approved details to ensure that these links are adequate and implemented in accordance with the details to be approved in consultation with Highways Development Management.

Reason: In the interests of residential amenity and sustainable development, in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy TRA 1 of the Northumberland Local Plan.”

 

·       Condition 2 to be updated as follows:-

 

A) Engineering Layout (Phase 2) QD1837-03-01    from Rev F to Rev H

B) The Impermeable Areas Drawing (Phase 2); QD1837-03-02 - needs  to have Rev A added at the end of the drawing number.

C) The Flow Control Manhole plan S40 QD1531-08-02 needs Rev D to be changed to Rev E

D) The Engineering Layout (Phase 2) QD1797-03-01 needs to have  Rev B changed to Rev C

E) The Impermeable Areas Drawing (Phase 3) QD-1797-03-02 needs  Rev A added to it.

 

·       Condition 3 to be updated as follows:-

 

“Prior to the occupation of any dwelling, details showing the extent of new hawthorn hedging or other planting to be located on the site where tree Groups 6,5,14 and 4 are identified to be removed, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The new hedging shall then be planted in accordance with these approved details prior to the occupation of any dwellings with boundaries next to any of these groups, unless any other timing is agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and it shall be  maintained until established.

 

Reason: In the interest of protecting the visual amenity of the site and biodiversity, in accordance with Northumberland Local Plan Policy ENV2.”

 

·       Condition 4 to be updated as follows:-

 

“Notwithstanding the details contained on the approved planting plans prior to the occupation of any dwelling, details showing further tree planting along the streets, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These trees shall then be planted in accordance with these approved details prior to the occupation of any dwellings, unless any other timing is agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority and the trees shall be maintained until established.

 

Reason: In the interest of protecting the visual amenity of the site and biodiversity, in accordance with Northumberland Local Plan Policy ENV2.”

 

·       Condition 9 to be updated as follows:-

 

Need to add 2 more criteria :

 

1) details of working hours

2) details of construction delivery/collection  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

22/01082/RENE pdf icon PDF 636 KB

Construction of a solar farm together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure

Land East of Burnt House Farm, Netherton Road, Bedlington

 

Minutes:

Construction of a solar farm together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure

Land East of Burnt House Farm, Netherton Road, Bedlington

 

K Tipple, Senior Planning Officer introduced the report with the aid of a power point presentation.  It was requested that an additional condition be added to any permission granted in relation to glint and glare as follows:-

 

Prior to the installation of any solar photovoltaic panels, the site operator must provide contact details to the Local Planning Authority to be utilised in the event that the glare or glint of light from the development is causing detriment or annoyance within a residential dwelling or school in lawful existence at the time of this permission being granted. Over the lifetime of the development, should a Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) registered Environmental Health Officer determine that glare or glint from the development site is causing detriment to residential or educational amenity, within one month of being notified the operator shall submit to the Local Planning Authority for approval a scheme of mitigation to remedy the glare or glint which has been identified. Thereafter, the approved mitigation shall be installed and retained for the lifetime of the development.?

 

?Reason: To protect residential and educational amenity from harmful light in accordance with Policy POL 2 of the Northumberland Local Plan.

 

J Selwyn, Managing Director of Bluefield Development addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  His comments included the following:-

 

·       The site visit undertaken the previous day had been welcome.

·       The Bluefield Group was a UK based business which developed, built and operated solar farms in the UK on behalf of the stock market listed Bluefield Solar Income Fund.  The Group employed 130 staff including field operative engineers operating from different sites around the Country.  The Fund had invested nearly £1billion in solar since its formation in 2013 and currently owned 107 UK solar projects with an aggregate capacity of 750 mw and in peak times in the summer provided 3% of the UK’s energy.

·       As the solar farms were owned and operated by the Group they sought to develop good relationships with local authorities and residents in those areas.

·       Solar power was required due to the climate emergency, cost of living and energy crisis and these were all linked by how energy was generated, supplied and used. There was an urgent requirement to generate electricity from new low cost, low carbon sources.  Solar was the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources and was currently 1/9th cost of gas and could be deployed in less than 1 or 2 years.

·       Solar was already making a difference in this Country and in June this year solar often provided up to 25% of the day time electricity and today an overcast day in November it was providing 8% of the UKs electricity. 

·       The Government’s energy security strategy proposed a 5 fold increase in solar by 2035 and this could only be achieved by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

22/01153/RENE pdf icon PDF 710 KB

Construction of solar farm together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure

Land to the North East of Low Horton Farm, Blyth, Northumberland

Minutes:

Construction of solar farm together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure

Land to the North East of Low Horton Farm, Blyth, Northumberland

 

K Tipple, Senior Planning Officer introduced the report with the aid of a power point presentation.  It was requested that an additional condition be added to any permission granted in relation to glint and glare as follows:

 

Prior to the installation of any solar photovoltaic panels, the site operator must provide contact details to the Local Planning Authority to be utilised in the event that the glare or glint of light from the development is causing detriment or annoyance within a residential dwelling or school in lawful existence at the time of this permission being granted. Over the lifetime of the development, should a Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) registered Environmental Health Officer determine that glare or glint from the development site is causing detriment to residential or educational amenity, within one month of being notified the operator shall submit to the Local Planning Authority for approval a scheme of mitigation to remedy the glare or glint which has been identified. Thereafter, the approved mitigation shall be installed and retained for the lifetime of the development.?

 

?Reason: To protect residential and educational amenity from harmful light in accordance with Policy POL 2 of the Northumberland Local Plan.

 

J Selwyn, Managing Director of Bluefield Development addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  His comments included the following:-

 

·       Power generated from this site would power approximately 15,000 homes with the census showing that there were 16,961 households, so the power generation would be quite close to the number of houses in Blyth.

·       The application had generally been well received from the public with only 7 comments received including 3 objectors. 

·       There were now over 500 solar farms in the UK with the majority of them providing 49.9 mw due to the scale needed to have a viable project with the grid costs and were now being built with no Government subsidy.

·       98.6% Of the land on this site was Grade B, was adjacent to the former New Delaval Colliery and had coal seams running under the site. 

·       There would be minimum impact to footpaths and the bridleway and good engagement had been undertaken with the British Horse Society to retain access around the edges of the solar farms. 

·       Construction would be via the A192 and a new permissive footpath would be provided which meant that the footpath would not end at the A189.

·       The site belonged to an Estate which had recently acquired land of a similar size which the tenant farmer was to farm.  The Estate believed that the solar farm would diversify their income, meet their longer term objectives, provide sustainability and would complement the wind turbine already on the site.

·       Sheep would be grazed on the solar farm and the land kept in agricultural use. Biodiversity net gain on this site would be 65.6% in habitat units and 76.1% gain  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

39.

APPEALS UPDATE pdf icon PDF 271 KB

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.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

 

40.

S106 AGREEMENTS UPDATE REPORT pdf icon PDF 287 KB

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. 

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the information be noted.