Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Remote Meeting

Contact: Nichola Turnbull 

Items
No. Item

184.

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED AT A VIRTUAL PLANNING COMMITTEE pdf icon PDF 243 KB

Minutes:

The Chair advised members of the procedure which would be followed at the virtual meeting and of the changes to the public speaking protocol.

185.

LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PROGRAMME 2021-22 AND HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE INVESTMENT IN U AND C ROADS AND FOOTWAYS PROGRAMME 2021-22 pdf icon PDF 196 KB

The report sets out the details of the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) programme for 2021-22 and the draft Highway Maintenance Investment in U and C Roads and Footways programme for 2021-22 for consideration and comment by the Local Area Council, prior to final approval of the programme.  (Report enclosed as Appendix A).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Local Area Council received a report which set out the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) programme for 2021-22 and the draft Highway Maintenance Investment in U and C Roads and Footways programme for 2021-22 for consideration and comment prior to final approval of the programme.  (A copy of the report is enclosed with the minutes as Appendix A).

 

The Service Director – Local Services explained that the programme had been devised following discussions with Town and Parish Councils along with Local Ward Members, to tackle issues of local concern.  Confirmation of the settlement from Department for Transport funding was awaited; but a programme totalling over £19 million had been assumed, based on the allocation received the previous year and additional unallocated funds received for highways maintenance.  £5 million had also been allocated as part of a three-year investment to improve U and C roads and footway maintenance from the Medium Term Financial Plan.  The funding was divided across four keys areas: Walking and Cycling; Safety Works; Road Maintenance Improvement Schemes and Bridges, Structures and Landslips.

 

The following information was provided in response to questions from Members:

 

·       Discussions were in progress with the Planning Department regarding Section 278 agreement regarding the new development on Corbridge Road, Hexham.

·       An update would be obtained regarding the status of plans to introduce 20 mph around the middle school and high school in Hexham.

·       £80,000 was included within the maintenance programme to make improvements on roads leading to the new high school which were deteriorating with use by HGV construction vehicles.

 

Members made the following comments:

 

·       Work on a feasibility study for a cycle route between Corbridge and Hexham and Haydon Bridge and Hexham, be progressed, prior to works commencing for sand and gravel extraction at the Anick Grange site.

·       Funding allocated for Park Lane, Prudhoe be utilised where work was required more urgently.

·       There was a lack of understanding by members of the public regarding delivery of projects on the LTP Programme.

·       Ditching and drainage work continued to be of high importance to prevent flooding and further deterioration of the road network.

·       Appreciation for progress of schemes that had been delivered.

·       Replacement signage would be required at West Woodburn.

 

Updates on schemes would be obtained for Councillors Cessford, Gibson, Oliver, Sharp and Stewart, as requested.

 

The Chair and members expressed their gratitude to officers involved in the preparation and delivery of the LTP programme.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

a)    The report be received and noted.

b)    Members’ comments be considered in the finalisation of both the LTP Programme for 2021-22 and the Highway Maintenance Investment in U and C Roads and Footways Programme for 2021-22.

186.

DETERMINATION OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS pdf icon PDF 91 KB

To request the committee to decide the planning applications attached to this report using the powers delegated to it.  (Report enclosed as Appendix B.)

 

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

Minutes:

The committee was requested 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.

 

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

187.

20/01708/FUL pdf icon PDF 250 KB

Construction of 17 dwellings at a mix of 3 three bed properties, Ten 4 bed properties and 4 three bed affordable homes

Land North And East Of Ashlynd House, Church Lane, Wark, Northumberland

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Construction of 17 dwellings at a mix of 3 three bed properties, Ten 4 bed properties and 4 three bed affordable homes

Land North and East of Ashlynd House, Church Lane, Wark, Northumberland

 

There were no questions arising from the site visit videos which had been circulated prior to the meeting.

 

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application with the aid of a powerpoint presentation.  She advised that Wark Parish Council had written a letter of support which had been received after the report had been published and circulated to members the previous day.

 

At 14.47 the meeting was halted for a few minutes during the officer’s presentation to resolve technical difficulties with the YouTube broadcast.

 

A statement in objection to the application from Mr Keep was read out by K Blyth, DM Area Team Manager (West), and would be attached to the signed minutes and uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

A statement made by Councillor Gibson is attached to the signed minutes and uploaded to the Council's website.

 

A statement in support of the application from the agent Mr Milburn was read out by K Blyth, DM Area Team Manager (West), and would be attached to the signed minutes and uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

The Director of Planning drew Member’s attention to the following points for consideration:

 

·       The existing now out of date plan did not allow schemes in the open countryside but did not set out a settlement boundary.

·       A decision from the Planning Inspectorate regarding the soundness of the Northumberland Local Plan which was expected imminently.  It did set a settlement boundary and Wark was identified as a service village and a focus for future growth.

·       The site had not been included within the settlement boundary when housing sites had been identified, due to access issues, however these been addressed as part of the detailed scheme.

·       The applicant had engaged well with officers and had provided an extremely high-quality scheme.  However, the existing local plan did not support this scheme.  If this scheme was interpreted as providing a high-quality scheme which met local need and was desired, more weight could be attached to the benefits it delivered providing quality housing.  A strictly consistent approach following the strategic policy where additional housing numbers were not required in the county, would see it refused.

·       The decision was finely balanced and would fall where members placed the most weight.

 

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

 

·       This application differed to a recent decision regarding a planning application for a site in Longframlington, which was the second phase and adjacent to a site which had been allowed on appeal.

·       The previous appeal decisions within the village of Wark were in different parts of the village.

·       There had been significant local opposition to the application in Longframlington whereas this application had some local support, including from the Parish Council which gave added weight to an exception site.

·       A decision by the Planning Inspectorate had been required on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 187.

188.

20/00242/FUL pdf icon PDF 177 KB

Proposed development of 1 no. dwelling house

Development At The Barn Sparty Lea, Allenheads, Hexham, Northumberland

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposed development of 1 no. dwelling house

Development at The Barn Sparty Lea, Allenheads, Hexham, Northumberland

 

There were no questions arising from the site visit videos which had been circulated prior to the meeting.

 

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application with the aid of a powerpoint presentation.  There were no updates.

 

Councillor Horncastle addressed the Local Area Council as the Ward Councillor and expressed his surprise that the application was recommended for refusal.  A copy of his statement is attached to the signed minutes and uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

A statement in support of the application from the agent Ms Wafer, who had written on behalf of the applicants, was read out by K Blyth, DM Area Team Manager (West), and would be attached to the signed minutes and uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

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

 

·       Allendale Parish Council previously had no objection to the scheme.  They had then submitted a further response which confirmed that they supported the application.

·       The planning history of the site was documented between 1988 – 2006 which confirmed that the former building was in existence during that period with photographic evidence.  The Council’s records indicated that the property had collapsed approximately 10 years previously.

·       The officer had not dealt with the planning applications for the sites referred to by the local Councillor and therefore was unable to comment on the materials used on those buildings.

·       Timber cladding was used for chalets and shepherds’ huts but traditionally not on other buildings within the AONB.  The AONB design guide had been reviewed when considering this application.

·       The principle of development accepted the construction of a replacement building on this site and reference was made to the permission which had been granted for the conversion of the previous building, which had collapsed.  However, the policy being relied upon within the Allendale Neighbourhood Plan was the rebuilding of a collapsed building with the inference that the replacement building should reflect the former building as much as possible.  Officers had tried to resolve the design issues that were in dispute, such as the removal of the dormer windows, which were not a traditional feature of a barn structure.

·       Officers had to be careful that there was not ‘design creep’ resulting in buildings which did not reflect the character of the area.  The previous permission had been more similar to the characters of a barn.

·       The scale of the proposed dwelling and position on the site were acceptable, however officers wished to see changes regarding the dormer windows, cladding and car port which were not traditional features of the former building.  There had been some small changes to the original application, but they were not considered sufficient to recommend approval of the application.  Suggestions included the removal of the dormer windows, use of stone on the building and doors on the garage.  The applicant had wanted to test whether the proposed scheme would be approved as it was.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 188.

189.

PLANNING APPEALS UPDATE pdf icon PDF 164 KB

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. (Report enclosed as Appendix C.)

Minutes:

A report was received which provided an update on the progress of planning appeals received.  (A copy of the report is enclosed with the minutes as Appendix C).

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

190.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 9 March 2021 at 2.00 p.m.

Minutes:

The next meeting would be held on Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 2.00 p.m.