Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillors Flux, Foster and Renner-Thompson. 

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 5 December 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 5 December 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 Hill advised that whilst there had been some contact between the applicant and herself over concerns on the length of time take for the application to come to Committee, she still had an open mind and would take part in the decision.

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.

Reserved matters application for access, appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for 110 dwellings relating to planning permission 14/01295/VARYCO

Land East of Springhill, Sunnyside, Tweedmouth, Northumberland

Reserved matters application for access, appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for 110 dwellings relating to planning permission 14/01295/VARYCO

Land East of Springhill, Sunnyside, Tweedmouth, Northumberland

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 in advance of the meeting which provided Members with information on the recent publication of the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) by the Government which had been issued on 21 December 2023.  Members were further advised that it was important that any decision made was compliant with national policy on the date a decision was made.  The addendum report confirmed that the changes to the NPPF did not alter the officer recommendation.  Further updates were provided as follows:-

·       Paragraph 7.21 referred to 100 houses and it should state 110.

·       The consultee response in relation to Education just stated comments, however they had requested a commuted sum of £365,000 however this was not possible on a REM application.

·       Details of the total S106 contributions were outlined as follows:-

o   Facilities contribution maintenance of £146 per unit and provision of £622 per unit (total £21,900 + £93,300 = £115,200)

o   Overall transport contribution of £100,000

o   Phase 1 to be transferred to a Registered Social Landlord

o   Update to include £67,650 Coastal Mitigation Strategy

o   Total financial contribution of £282,850 with Phase 1 as 100% affordable

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

·       The first application had been subject to a full road safety audit on the provision of 150 houses and was part of that separate consent and therefore details had not been provided in relation to this application.  Highways had not raised any objections in relation to either this or the previous application however it was understood that there were proposals to extend the current 30 mph limit.

·       It could not be confirmed what the £100,000 transport contribution in the original S106 agreement would be used for but details could be provided to Councillor Hill after the meeting.  

·       In relation to S106 contributions towards Coastal Mitigation it was clarified that Natural England had placed a holding directive on any development within a 10 mile strip of the coast of Northumberland and therefore in order to prevent each individual scheme having to negotiate with Natural England on its contribution it had been agreed that a set formula would be used on all schemes.   Not all areas benefitted from contributions made in their specific area but events providing details on how the funding was used were informative and generally well attended by members of the public.  Information had also been provided at the North Northumberland Local Area Committee on a number of schemes.  A link to the website providing information would be circulated to Members, however a short report would also be provided to a future meeting.  The work being undertaken within Northumberland was viewed as international best practice and attracted visitors from both Europe and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

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.