Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF

Contact: Nichola Turnbull 

Items
No. Item

There were 3 members of the press/public in attendance.

1.

MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS OF REFERENCE

The committee are asked to note the following membership and terms of reference for the Tynedale Local Area Council which were agreed by Annual Council on 26 May 2021.

 

The membership is made up of the county councillors who represent the 13 electoral divisions in the Tynedale area:

 

Chair: T Cessford

Vice-Chair: CR Homer

Vice-Chair (Planning): A Scott

 

Quorum – 4

 

Conservative

Labour

Independent Group

Liberal Democrat

Green Party

Ind Non-Grouped

T Cessford

A Scott

D kennedy

A Sharp

N Morphet

A Dale

CR Homer

HR Waddell

 

 

 

 

CW Horncastle

 

 

 

 

 

I Hutchinson

 

 

 

 

 

N Oliver

 

 

 

 

 

JR Riddle

 

 

 

 

 

G Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terms of reference

 

1.      To enhance good governance in the area and ensure that the Council’s policies take account of the needs and aspirations of local communities and do not discriminate unfairly between the different Areas.

2.      To advise the Cabinet on budget priorities and expenditure within the Area.

3.      To consider, develop and influence policy and strategy development of the Council, its arms-length organisations, and other relevant bodies, to ensure that they meet local requirements and facilitate efficient and transparent decision making.

4.      To receive information, consider and comment on matters associated with service delivery including those undertaken in partnership agencies, affecting the local area to ensure that they meet local requirements, including matters relating to community safety, anti- social behaviour and environmental crime.

5.      To consider and refer to Cabinet any issues from a local community perspective with emerging Neighbourhood Plans within their area, and consider local planning applications as per the planning delegation scheme.

6.      To consider and recommend adjustments to budget priorities in relation to Local Transport Plan issues within their area, and to make decisions in relation to devolved capital highway maintenance allocations.

7.      To engage, through the appropriate networks, with all key stakeholders from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors to facilitate the delivery of area priorities. This will include undertaking regular liaison with parish and town councils.

8.      To inform, consult and engage local communities in accordance with Council policy and guidance, through the appropriate networks.

9.      To, as appropriate, respond or refer with recommendations to local petitions and councillor calls for action.

10.   To make certain appointments to outside bodies as agreed by Council.

11.   To determine applications for grant aid from the Community Chest, either through Panels for individual Local Area Councils, or through the Panel of Local Area Council Chairs for countywide applications.

12.   To refer and receive appropriate issues for consideration to or from other Council Committees, and as appropriate invite Portfolio Holders to attend a meeting if an item in their area of responsibility is to be discussed.

13.   To exercise the following functions within their area:-

a)    the Council’s functions in relation to the survey, definition, maintenance, diversion, stopping up and creation of public rights of way.

b)    the Council’s functions as the Commons Registration Authority for common land and town/village greens in Northumberland.

c)    the Council’s functions in relation to the preparation and maintenance of the Rights of  ...  view the full agenda text for item 1.

Minutes:

The Membership and Terms of Reference, as agreed by Council at the meeting on 26 May 2021, had been circulated for information.

 

The Chair welcomed the new Members and invited all members and officers to introduce themselves.

 

RESOLVED that the Local Area Council’s membership and terms of reference, as agreed by Council on 26 May 2021, be noted.

2.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 182 KB

Minutes of the following meetings of the Tynedale Local Area Council, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

 

a.      9 March 2021

b.      27 April 2021

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the following minutes of the meetings of Tynedale Local Area Council, as circulated, be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair:

 

a)      9 March 2021

b)      27 April 2021

3.

DISCLOSURE OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required to disclose any personal interest (which includes any disclosable pecuniary interest) they may have in any of the items included on the agenda for the meeting in accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council on 4 July 2012, and are reminded that if they have any personal interests of a prejudicial nature (as defined under paragraph 17 of the Code Conduct) they must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

 

NB Any member needing clarification must contact Legal Services Manager atmonitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

Minutes:

Councillor Oliver declared a personal and prejudicial interest in planning application 21/00357/FUL as his wife was the former Chair of Governors at Corbridge Middle School and he was friends with the applicant.  He stated that he would leave the meeting whilst the application was discussed.

 

Elizabeth Sinnamon, Development Service Manager, declared a personal and non-prejudicial interest as it was the local school.

DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

Councillor Cessford then vacated the Chair, for Planning Vice-Chair Councillor Scott to chair the development control section of the agenda, as was the arrangement for all Local Area Councils.

4.

DETERMINATION OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS pdf icon PDF 94 KB

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

 

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.

5.

20/02180/FUL pdf icon PDF 273 KB

Conversion, extension and alteration of existing coach house buildings to create a new wedding venue with associated demolition of existing outbuildings, new access, parking and landscaping (as amended)

Linnels Coach House, Fellside, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1TS

Minutes:

The Principal Planning Officer introduced the application with the aid of a powerpoint presentation.  He reported that an additional consultee response from Highways Development Management had been circulated by email to all members earlier in the afternoon.

 

The updated comment followed a review of the impacts of the proposed development on the local highway and community having regard to the anticipated traffic movements, as well as the proposed parking provision and requirements for such a scheme.  Highways now advised that the development would result in an unacceptable impact in highway capacity and safety terms.

 

For the reasons set out below, it was now recommended that consideration be given to an additional refusal reason on highway grounds, as follows:

 

‘The development would result in an unacceptable impact in highway capacity and safety terms due to a lack of adequate parking provision on-site resulting in an unreasonable level of parking needing to occur off-site which has not been demonstrated as safe or acceptable on the public highway, part of the classified rural road network within the vicinity of the site.  The proposal would therefore be contrary to Policies GD4 and GD6 of the Tynedale Local Plan, Policy GD4 of the Tynedale Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework.’

 

The Development Service Manager reminded new and previous members of the assessment of planning applications, how this was set out in the officer’s reports and key areas.

 

Mr. D Young and Mr. S. Phillips spoke on behalf of the 7 neighbours who had objected to the application.  They highlighted the following:-

 

·        They agreed with the comments in the officer’s report that the tests for approval of development in the Green Belt had not been satisfied.

·        Highways required that parking be contained within the site.  The site was 2 miles from the nearest town with no public transport or footpath with most guests arriving by car.

·        The area had many traffic issues due to its location in a steep valley with tightly bending roads.  The adjacent Linnels Bridge was a single-track arched bridge, at right angles to the road, with no visibility from one side to the other.  This often resulted in vehicles meeting on the bridge and one having to back up.

·        They could not envisage how 110 guests could arrive in a short period of time without causing major traffic problems and gridlock.

·        A similar country wedding venue had suggested that parking spaces for approximately half the number of attendees was necessary.  The proposals for this application were much less.  Any parking on nearby roads resulted in traffic disruption.

·        Despite signposting, unsuitable large vehicles using sat nav systems frequently approached and were unable to cross Linnels Bridge, a fragile listed ancient monument with a 5-ton weight limit.  Extracting long or heavy vehicles was a major undertaking which required them to reverse a considerable distance up steep and winding roads.  Turning a coach arriving with other wedding traffic would be virtually impossible.

·        The duration and frequency of noise associated with a wedding venue,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

20/03388/FUL pdf icon PDF 242 KB

Change of use from dwellinghouse and cottage (C3 use) to guest accommodation (C1 use); single-storey rear extension to form wedding venue; and car parking (As amended).

Shildon, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5PY

Minutes:

The Chair reported that the application had been withdrawn from the meeting.

7.

21/00357/FUL pdf icon PDF 150 KB

Installation and siting of 3 x garden room teaching pods, measuring 3.5m x 3.5m in floor area and a height of 2.8m

Corbridge Middle School, Cow Lane, Corbridge, NE45 5HY

Minutes:

Councillor Oliver, having previously disclosed a personal and prejudicial interest, left the meeting during consideration of the following application.

 

The Planning Officer introduced the application with the aid of a powerpoint presentation and updated members as follows:

 

‘Following a query received from Councillor Morphet regarding the sourcing of sustainable materials, the applicant had confirmed earlier that day that the materials would preferably be sourced from UK Western Red Cedar cladding and would not be from any old growth forest, or indeed Ancient Woodland; this had also been confirmed by the supplier.’

 

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

 

·        The lifespan of the pods had not been confirmed.

·        The pods were to be used to support the Covid-19 catch up work with pupils following missed education as a result of the pandemic over the previous 12 months.  This would have been the priority and driver for the type, model and design of the proposed buildings within a finite budget.

·        Discussions had been held with Strategic Estates regarding proposals for new buildings on county council owned land and sustainability credentials.  They had confirmed that they were looking at ways of carbon reduction, improved heating system and a range of other methods to tackle the climate change emergency.

·        The emerging Local Plan, which was out to consultation, made modifications to the policy to strengthen arguments for sustainable design and construction, the lifetime and sustainability of products being used.

·        Some of the proposed materials were more sustainable than others such as the use of larch and redwood although it was acknowledged that some aspects were not recyclable or long term sustainable.  Cost, use and budget were all factors to be taken into consideration.

 

Councillor Homer proposed acceptance of the officer recommendation to approve the application for the reasons set out in the officer’s report which was seconded by Councillor Cessford.

 

Upon being put to a vote the proposal was unanimously agreed.

 

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

8.

PLANNING APPEALS UPDATE pdf icon PDF 168 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 B.)

Minutes:

The report provided information on the progress of planning appeals.

 

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

On the conclusion of the development control business Councillor Scott vacated the Chair.  Councillor Cessford returned to the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.

9.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 13 July 2021 at 4.00 p.m.

Minutes:

The next meeting would be held on Tuesday 13 July 2021 at 4.00 p.m.

 

Councillor Oliver returned to the meeting.

The Chair congratulated Hexham Town Councillor Stephen Ball who had recently been awarded an MBE for his services to rural charities.