Agenda and draft minutes

To note the Member and Terms of Reference for Strategic Planning Committee as agreed by Annual Council on 17 May 2023.

Membership

16 members (8:5:2 Ind Gp, 1 LD, 1 Min Gp) (1 Con place given to ING)  

Quorum - 4

Chair: T. Thorne

Vice Chair: M. Robinson

Terms of Reference and Powers

(a) To exercise the powers and duties of the Council as Planning Authority in relation to development management under the Town and Country Planning Acts and other associated/related legislation and in particular, but not limited to, those functions listed in Schedule1 to the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000, including the following matters which specifically require a decision by the Strategic Planning Committee:

minerals and waste planning

development concerning major energy and physical infrastructure proposals such as wind farms

planning applications involving more than 100 houses and/or more than 1,000 sq metres of commercial floorspace

planning applications involving less than 100 houses and/or less than 1,000 sq metres of commercial floorspace which raise significant strategic planning policy issues, and

any other planning applications which represent a significant departure from the Development Plan

Decisions involving formal enforcement action, when requiring Committee approval, will fall to be determined by Local Area Committees.

All applications are to be determined by the Chief Planning Officer in accordance with the powers set out in the internal scheme of delegation except for the following which fall to the Committee to determine:

Applications submitted by or on behalf of elected Members of the Council or by their spouses/partners

Applications involving land and/or premises in the ownership or under the control of elected Members of the Council or their spouses/partners

Applications in which any senior officer* of the Council has a personal and prejudicial interest

Determination of applications submitted by or on behalf of the Council (or by or on behalf of companies controlled by the Council); or of applications relating to land in which the Council (or company) has a significant interest (NB council to refuse such applications is delegated)

Approval of applications where, in the opinion of the Relevant Officer, such an approval would constitute a departure from the approved Development Plan and would require a reference to the Secretary of State

Any application which an elected Member of the Council requests should be considered by the Committee, provided the request is in writing, is received within 21 days of the application appearing on the weekly list, and is supported by bona fide planning reasons (which will be reported to the Committee together with the Members name)

Any application which the Relevant Officer considers should be determined by the Committee because of special planning issues or considerations it raises including significant local interest, and

Determination of  ...  view the full agenda text for item 1.

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

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

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

Apologies had been received from Councillors Darwin, Flux, Foster and Watson.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 7 February 2023 2022, as circulated, to be agreed as a true record and be signed by the Chair

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on 7 February 2023, as circulated, were agreed as a true record and were signed by 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.

Hybrid application - Full application - distribution of primary aggregates on site via railhead and distribution out by road, recycling plan for inert construction/demolition waste to secondary aggregates/soil materials; and addition of pumphouses, weighbridge, and wheel wash. Outline application for erection of office, workshops, and security office (amended description 6th April 2023).

Butterwell Disposal Point, Longhirst, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 3NF

Hybrid application - Full application - distribution of primary aggregates on site via railhead and distribution out by road, recycling plan for inert construction/demolition waste to secondary aggregates/soil materials; and addition of pumphouses, weighbridge, and wheel wash. Outline application for erection of office, workshops, and security office (amended description 6th April 2023).

Butterwell Disposal Point, Longhirst, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 3NF

D Love, Senior Planning Officer provided an introduction to the report advising that there were a number of errors within the report where information had not been reproduced correctly and information was provided as follows:

·       Information under section 3, planning history – these were references to the planning history of the site and had no material bearing on this application.

·       Paragraph 7.25 – The site contains areas of ‘open mosaic habitat on previously developed land’ which is a Habitat of Principal Importance as listed on Schedule 41 of the NERC Act (2006). The proposals will result in a minor reduction in this habitat’s area but continue to be within the minimum threshold, so this would be considered a not-significant negative impact on Local scale.

·       Informative for Ground Gas Protection – Our adopted guidance provides a guide to what should be included in a gas protection proposal and is included in Appendix 2 of the YALPAG Technical Guidance – Verification Requirements for Gas Protection Systems, Version 1.1 Dec 2016, which can be accessed in the “related documents for environmental protection in development” section at https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Protection/Pollution /Advice.aspx. 

Verification of the gas protection should be proposed to address the first gas condition, once the buildings are erected to floor level then the second gas protection condition can be discharged, and the verification should match what is proposed but should broadly consist of the items listed in Appendix 3 of the above guidance document.  ……..

The full report would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

An addendum report had also been circulated to Members prior to the meeting and it was confirmed that all Members had read the report prior to attending the meeting.  A copy of the addendum report had also been uploaded to the Council’s website.

Councillor Towns addressed the Committee speaking as the local Ward Member.  His comments included the following:-

·       He along with other residents had no objection to the principle of recycling and he recognised the attractiveness of this site for those operations. However just because the site had cost saving attributes to the applicant it did not mean that the Council should allow industrial processes to recommence in what was a very rural area especially given the sensitive nature of the environment and ecology. 

·       The objection raised by the Northumberland Rivers Trust was significant. The River Line Restoration Project, which included this Council as a partner, had been running for a number of years.  The Trust noted in its objection that the river Lyne had failed its water framework directive assessments and was regarded by the Environment Agency as a priority river. This application appeared to utilise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Variation of conditions 2 (approved plans), 5 (details of boundary treatment), 7 (scheme of intrusive investigations), 8 (signed statement), 12 (detailed landscape scheme), 14 (details of car park bays), 23 (scheme of CCTV), 32 (maintenance and adoption of SuDs features) and  34 (detailed lighting design, of planning permission 21/02253/CCD to enable the phased construction of railway station car park including associated minor changes to internal layout, circulation area and landscaping.

Land South East Of Delaval Court, Astley Road, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland

Variation of conditions 2 (approved plans), 5 (details of boundary treatment), 7 (scheme of intrusive investigations), 8 (signed statement), 12 (detailed landscape scheme), 14 (details of car park bays), 23 (scheme of CCTV), 32 (maintenance and adoption of SuDs features) and  34 (detailed lighting design, of planning permission 21/02253/CCD to enable the phased construction of railway station car park including associated minor changes to internal layout, circulation area and landscaping.

Land South East Of Delaval Court, Astley Road, Seaton Delaval,

Northumberland

G Halliday, Consultant Planner provided an introduction to the report and a power point presentation.   An addendum report which detailed changes to condition 8 had also been circulated to Members in advance of the meeting and uploaded to the Council’s website.  It was confirmed that Members had received and had read the report.

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

·       The forecast for the use of the car park looked at how the rail station was predicted to be used and the car parking phasing was now based on that.  The level of car parking would be increased when needed and would not be at an arbitrary date. 

·       Since the scheme had been given permission construction costs had increased and the Council was in talks with the Government regarding funding.  In relation to the car parks, the question was now being asked if the level of parking was required to be provided at the outset when it was not known how the use of the stations would develop and phasing was being considered to cut costs.  Similar applications  had  been made for Newsham and Bebside stations, but the station at Bedlington was different in that the car parking was split between two separate sites.  It was likely that an application would be submitted to defer the construction of the Liddle’s Street car park, however as the site might be required in the future, discussions were taking place regarding its retention and safeguarding for use by the Northumberland Line scheme.

·       If required the provision of the second phase could be accelerated if there was a sudden spike in demand for spaces.  It had never been envisaged that all the spaces would be required immediately and what was now being proposed should be sufficient for 5 years but the actual trigger point would depend on the take up of spaces. 

·       The location of the footpaths had been agreed with the Public Rights of Way Officer and temporary diversions were all in place with no changes required to those arrangements due to these proposals. The reason for fencing being provided around the site was not known and discussions had taken place on who would be responsible for the maintenance of the Phase 2 land before it was required for car parking and it seemed likely that it would be the Council.

·       It was clarified that a value engineering exercise in construction was where there was an original design and once the costings had been provided then an exercise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Variation of condition 5 (restoration) of approved planning application 13/01492/VARCCM in order to allow for the restoration of the site to be completed as amended on 26 February 2021 and 16 June 2021

Halton Lea Farm, Brampton, Northumberland, CA8 7LS

Variation of condition 5 (restoration) of approved planning application 13/01492/VARCCM in order to allow for the restoration of the site to be completed as amended on 26 February 2021 and 16 June 2021

Halton Lea Farm, Brampton, Northumberland, CA8 7LS

An introduction to, and power point presentation on the report was provided by D Love, Senior Planning Officer. 

There were no questions from Members of the Committee.

Councillor Hutchinson proposed acceptance of the recommendation to approve the application as outlined in the report with changes to Condition 5 (c) and (d) to state that grazing/livestock should be cloven hoofed animals or that it did not include horses.  The precise wording of the condition be delegated to the Director of Planning in consultation with the Ecologist.  This was seconded by Councillor Stewart.

It was clarified that as this was restoration land that the LPA could be prescriptive on the type of uses on it. 

A vote was taken on the proposal as outlined above and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the application be GRANTED for the reasons and with the conditions as outlined with the amendment to Condition 5 (c) and (d) to state that grazing/livestock should be cloven hoofed animals or did not include horses and that the precise wording of the condition be delegated to the Director of Planning in consultation with the Ecologist.

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 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 2 months.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.