Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillor Renner-Thompson.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 2 January 2024, as circulated, to be agreed as a true record and be signed by the Chair.

The Minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on 2 January 2024, 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 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.

Outline permission (all matters reserved) for residential development of up to 186no. units and associated parking, open space, landscaping and access

Land West Of Wansbeck Road, Wansbeck Road, Ashington, Northumberland

This item had been withdrawn from the Agenda and the report had been removed from the website.

Reserved matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for 480 dwellings pursuant to planning permission 16/04305/OUT

Land South And South East Of James Calvert Spence College, Acklington Road, Amble, Northumberland

Reserved matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale for 480 dwellings pursuant to planning permission 16/04305/OUT

Land South And South East Of James Calvert Spence College, Acklington Road, Amble, Northumberland

An introduction to the report was provided by J Sharp, Senior Planning Officer.  An addendum report had been circulated to Members and uploaded to the website in advance of the meeting.   An additional late representation had been received with regard to concerns about the single access onto Acklington Road when taken into account with all other developments happening in that area.  Members were advised that the single access had been agreed as part of the outline permission and did not form part of the current application.  Concerns had been noted and had been taken into account within the transport assessment and Members were advised that due to issues regarding land ownership no access could be provided from Percy Park.

Mr T Lloyd addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.  His comments included the following:-

·       He wasn’t aware that the single access was not part of the application, however he felt it was still wrong to look at this particular application without considering the adjacent one on the Hauxley Moorhouse Farm which currently also had outline planning permission.

·       Clause 1.11 of the NPPF stated that development should only be prevented or refused on highways grounds if there would be an unacceptable impact on highways safety or the residual cumulative impacts on the road networks would be severe.  He believed that this development had both an unacceptable impact on highway safety and a residual severe cumulative impact on the Acklington Road and staggered crossroads where it met the A1068.

·       Acklington Road already served Gloucester Park and the Robsons Way developments and provided all vehicular access to JCSC and junior schools.  This Hopehouse Farm development funnels all residential and construction traffic wanting to get to the A1068 or the Amble shopping centre or Morrisons retail park from 480 houses, on top of the 185 currently being built on the Longstone Manor development, onto this road.  This would mean passing 2 major schools which would soon cover the full age range of 4 to 18 age range of commuting children; Amble Welfare Park, playground and skatepark which was well used all year round; Amble Football Club sportsground with all the current matchday parking problems; 36 homes with drives that cars reverse in and out of; 36 homes without drives with cars parked on the street; 7 junctions with residential roads; 6 bus stops,  none of which have a layby; and 2 sharp bends on junctions with limited visibility due to parked cars. 

·       All the additional traffic would clog the already busy staggered crossroads with no room for right turn lanes where traffic studies had already indicated waiting times in excess of 90 seconds with 52% of generated trips heading south along the A1068.   There would in the future be calls for 4-way light controlled which would cause further A1068 congestion  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

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