Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillors Reid and Renner-Thompson.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 3 October 2023 as circulated, to be agreed as a true record and be signed by the Chair.

The Minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on 3 October 2023, as circulated, were agreed as a true record and were signed by the Chair.

To request the Strategic Planning 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 not circulated with the agenda but are available on the Council’s website at  http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning.aspx

The report outlined the procedure to be followed and 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.

Construction of a solar farm and battery energy storage facility (BESS) together with all associated work, equipment and necessary infrastructure.

Land South of Broadway House Farm, Church Lane, Bedlington

Construction of a solar farm and battery energy storage facility (BESS)

together with all associated work, equipment and necessary

infrastructure.

Land South of Broadway House Farm, Church Lane, Bedlington

An introduction to the report was provided by G Halliday, Consultant Planner with the aid of a power point presentation.  An addendum report had been circulated and uploaded to the website in advance of the meeting which provided details of new guidance and an additional condition to be added to any permission granted. 

Councillor A Hogg from West Bedlington Town Council addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  His comments included the following:-

·       The developer had discussed this application with the Town Council over a number of meetings and had listened to the concerns of residents regarding  construction traffic using Church Lane.  This had been addressed via the provision  of the temporary construction route off Hartford Road, which was welcomed by residents in the area.

·       The Town Council supported the environmental gain and increased biodiversity of the site as a result of this application and a reduction in the towns overall carbon footprint.

·       The Town Council also welcomed any community gain from this application.

·       The Town Council was grateful that the applicant had considered the views of residents and the Town Council and he asked that the application be supported.

Jonathan Selwyn, Managing Director of Bluefield Renewable Developments addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  His comments included the following information:-

·       The Bluefield Group was a UK based business developing, building and operating  solar farms on behalf of the stock market listed Bluefield Solar Income Fund. The group had over 150 staff based in London and Bristol with field operators across the Country.  The Fund had invested over £1m in solar energy since 2013 and owned over 110 solar and battery projects, providing up to 3% of the daytime electricity generated. 

·       The owner of the land had been contacted some years ago by Bluefield regarding the building of a solar and battery storage facility, but had decided to go with a different developer.  Following this Committee’s approval of two other projects last year the landowner contacted Bluefield asking them to take over the project which had already secured a grid connection.

·       This was agreed as it was an ideal site for solar and battery storage as it was consistent with planning policy, was a well screened site with good topography, a supportive landowner and a secured grid connection and was not used for food production.

·       It was a site of substantial former open cast coal mining and consultations had taken place with the Coal Authority to ensure that the construction of the infrastructure was not close to the previous high walls of the open cast site.  There were no rights of ways or statutory designations over the land and the project had been designed to enhance existing wildlife habitat and biodiversity of the site. 

·       A good construction access had been secured which meant that traffic did not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

Change of use of agricultural land and construction of solar PV panels, associated electrical infrastructure, small operational and battery energy storage buildings, security fencing, CCTV, access tracks, landscaping, and other ancillary works.

Land Southwest of Quotient Sciences, South of Taylor Drive, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2DH

Change of use of agricultural land and construction of solar PV panels, associated electrical infrastructure, small operational and battery energy storage buildings, security fencing, CCTV, access tracks, landscaping, and other ancillary works.

Land Southwest of Quotient Sciences, South of Taylor Drive, Alnwick, Northumberland

NE66 2DH

D Love, Senior Planning Officer provided an introduction to the report with the aid of a power point presentation.  An addendum report had been circulated to Members and uploaded to the website in advance of the meeting.  The addendum advised of changes to conditions and the recommendation following responses from National Highways and the County Archaeologist.

It was clarified that National Highways now had no objection to the application subject to additional conditions which had also been agreed by the Developer.

Councillor Swinbank proposed acceptance of the recommendation to approve the application with the conditions as outlined in the addendum report which was seconded by Councillor Hutchinson.

Members highlighted that the purpose of solar panels was to absorb light rather than reflect it and that the application site was within an urban service area of Alnwick rather than in a rural location and in this context would fit in well.  

In relation to a suggestion that an informative be added asking for the applicant to consider using the site as an educational resource for schools to visit and learn how the technology worked, Members were advised that this was not an appropriate use of an informative, however a conversation would be held with the applicant in respect of this suggestion. 

A vote was taken and it was unanimously:

RESOLVED that the application be GRANTED for the reasons outlined in the report and conditions as set out in the addendum report.

Demolition of existing buildings and construction of new secondary school with playing pitch provision, access, parking and landscaping

James Calvert Spence College Upper School, Acklington Road, Amble, Morpeth, Northumberland NE65 0NG

Demolition of existing buildings and construction of new secondary school with playing pitch provision, access, parking and landscaping

James Calvert Spence College Upper School, Acklington Road, Amble, Morpeth, Northumberland NE65 0NG

Members were advised that a joint introduction would be provided by J Sharp, Senior Planning Officer for both this application and 23/01680/CCD as they were very much intertwined, however separate votes would be required on each application. 

A power point presentation was shown and updates were provided as follows:-

·       On application 23/01680/CCD (Middle School site) Condition 18 in relation to dust management and the submission of a dust management plan had been recommended by the Public Protection team. This had now been submitted and Public Protection were happy with the content and the condition could therefore be amended to a compliance condition.  The same condition (condition 16) had been included on application 23/01677/CCD (High School site), however the information had not been submitted in relation to that part of the site so that condition remained as per the report.

·       Condition 34 on application 23/01677/CCD which had been requested by Northumbrian Water to secure details of foul and surface water drainage, an updated plan had now been received and Northumbrian Water had advised that they were happy and the condition could now fall away as the appropriate plan was secured by the approved plans condition.

Jen Patterson, Associate Director of DPP speaking on behalf of Northumberland County Council (NCC), the applicant.  Her comments included the following information:-

·       The replacement James Calvert Spence College (JCSC) and associated outdoor sport and play facilities and the repurposing of James Calvert Middle School (JCMS) building for two schools, Amble Primary School and Barndale Special School for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), would provide much needed improved education facilities for local children.  These type of development were supported by Planning Policy at both local and national levels.

·        NCC had identified the clear need to overhaul the education provision in the area and these developments would enable the provision of the highest education facilities and would support the move to two-tier education within the Amble area.

·       The proposals would bring a number of significant benefits to the local community through the provision of new high quality enhanced teaching and learning environments.   The SEND provision would accommodate pupils with Special Educational Needs including those with autism, social and emotional mental health, speech language and communication and moderate learning difficulties. There was currently no such specialist provision within the Coquet Partnership and all students who needed to attend a special school currently had to travel outside of the catchment.  Barndale School would address this gap in provision and would benefit families in the locality.

·       The development would also bring community benefits as the indoor and outdoor  facilities at JCSC would be made available by a community use agreement, supporting the health and wellbeing of local residents who would benefit from the facilities.

·       The developments would have acceptable impacts on residential amenity and the development would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

Demolition of former caretakers cottage and existing outbuildings, external alterations and extensions to the existing buildings, amended access and parking arrangements and associated landscaping

James Calvert Spence College, South Avenue, Amble, Morpeth

Northumberland NE65 0ND

Demolition of former caretakers cottage and existing outbuildings, external alterations and extensions to the existing buildings, amended access and parking arrangements and associated landscaping

James Calvert Spence College, South Avenue, Amble, Morpeth

Northumberland NE65 0ND

The introduction to the report, public speaking and questions were as above.

Councillor Flux moved the recommendation to approve the application in line with the report with the amendment to conditions as outlined above which was seconded by Councillor Hutchinson.  A vote was taken and it was unanimously:

RESOLVED that the application be GRANTED for the reasons and with the conditions as outlined in the report and as amended above.

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.