Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Dodd, Foster, Hill, Reid, Robinson and Wallace.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 7 November 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 7 November 2023, as circulated, were agreed 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.

Councillor Flux advised that his personal circumstances could lead to a perception of bias in connection with item 5 application 23/0287/FUL and as such he left the meeting at this point.

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 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.

Residential development of 94 new homes (Use Class C3), an 84 apartment extra care facility (Use Class C3), the preservation of the Water Tower, demolition of existing buildings and all associated infrastructure.

Former St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NS

Residential development of 94 new homes (Use Class C3), an 84 apartment extra care facility (Use Class C3), the preservation of the Water Tower, demolition of existing buildings and all associated infrastructure.

Former St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NS

A comprehensive introduction to the report was provided by T Wood, Principal Planning Officer with the aid of a power point presentation.  A sheet detailing minor revisions to a number of conditions in the report was circulated to Members at the meeting. This included the tightening of conditions, correct plan numbers being added, the deletion of two conditions and requesting further information to be provided such as the CMP and added trigger points.  A further condition was also to be added regarding the phasing plan.  Further updates in addition to those circulated were noted as follows:-

·       Revised Condition 10 – remove second sentence and add “completed in accordance with the approved plans for the signalisation of the junction.”

·       Paragraph 7.28 of the report at the third line down add “and apartment blocks” after extra care apartment complex.

The revisions to the conditions would be uploaded to the Council’s website.   R Murfin, Director of Housing and Planning stated that this was a very complex and strong scheme and whilst it would not deliver affordable housing in the usual sense it did provide 47% of additional housing units.

Jane Cadman addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the Committee.  Her comments included the following:-

·       She lived in Thorpe Avenue which was the older estate adjacent to the access road.  Whilst she did support the building of the homes, extra care facility and general site plan she partially opposed the transport statement and travel plan for the safety and wellbeing of residents of her estate which was the west of the St. George’s access road.

·       She asked that revisions be looked at for the changes to the junction of the St. George’s access road and the A197 and agreed with statements made that the junction could not take more traffic. Her issue was with the proposal for traffic lights and would prefer either widening the junction or a roundabout which would permit free flow of traffic.

·       She had been advised by users of Tommy’s field, opposite the junction, that the Council had already acquired land from this area for use as a roundabout.  She advised that there were currently temporary traffic lights at the junction which demonstrated the effect traffic lights had at that junction and on the surrounding areas.  She had tried to leave her road at 9.10 am on Monday morning after the school rush, but it was blocked as always.  The traffic queue caused by the traffic lights at that junction went through the town, past the Mafekin roundabout and up to the Sun Inn. 

·       She supported the transport statement where it suggested keep clear signs on the tarmac in front of Thorpe Avenue and Howard Terrace and urged that this be undertaken as quickly as possible so that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

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.