Agenda item

Proposal to demolish a later addition garage and build a greater quality replacement

Espley Hall, Espley, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3DJ

Proposal to demolish a later addition garage and build a greater quality replacement 

Espley Hall, Espley, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3DJ

There were no questions in relation to the site visit videos which had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

The application was introduced by J Murphy, Planning Area Manager - Development Management, with the aid of a power point presentation.  She advised that there was an error in paragraph 7.18 of the officer’s report and the third last sentence should read … it was considered that, on balance, there would not be sufficient grounds to refuse the application ….

A written statement in objection to the application from Russell Emmerson was read out to the Committee by G Horsman, Principal Planning Officer.  A copy of the statement would be filed with the signed minutes of the meeting and would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

A written statement in support of the application from Michael Hepburn, Lichfields, was read out to the Committee by R Soulsby, Planning Officer.   A copy of the statement would be filed with the signed minutes of the meeting and would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

Councillor Dickinson joined the meeting at 4:16pm after the Officer’s presentation on the application it was confirmed that he would take no part in the deciding of this application.

The Planning Area Manager provided clarification on the full dimensions of the proposed development.  The Director of Planning advised that this was a Green Belt site and therefore any development needed to satisfy the legal test of very special circumstances and that Members should look at the application in these terms rather than as a balancing of harm versus benefit. 

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

·       The application had been assessed as a stand-alone building under paragraph 145 of the NPPF which stated that the replacement of a building should not be materially larger than the one it replaced.  The applicant was asking for it to be considered from the permitted development perspective and how much bigger the new building would be from the permitted development, however Officers had assessed it on the existing garage.

·       Whilst it was welcomed that the applicant had wished to improve the design over the permitted development, the Director of Planning advised caution as there could be differing options under permitted development rights and not just what had been shown from the applicant. 

·       Paragraph 79 of the NPPF which allowed support for schemes of exceptional architectural design must also significantly enhance its immediate setting, and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.  The proposed development did not meet this criterion.

Councillor Dodd proposed acceptance of the recommendation to refuse the application as outlined in the officer report, which was seconded by Councillor Foster. A vote was taken and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the application be REFUSED for the following reason:

1.    The proposed garage by virtue of its scale and massing was considered to be inappropriate development within the Green Belt and the open countryside. The proposal failed to meet any of the exceptions within paragraph 145 of the NPPF and no very special circumstances had been demonstrated. As such, the proposal did not comply with policies C1, C16 and C17 of the Castle Morpeth District Local Plan, Policies Set1 and DES1 of the Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan and paragraph 145 of the National Planning Policy Framework.