Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 January 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Tiffany Osborne.

In accordance with the Council’s current Code of Conduct (as amended 26 February 2015), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also “prejudicial”) in relation to any matter on the Agenda for this meeting. 

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest.  Where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council. 

Planning Applications Referred to the Regulation Committee

The following members of this Committee are also members of the Council’s Regulation Committee:

Councillors Clare Aparicio Paul, Neil Bloomfield and Sylvia Seal.

Where planning applications are referred by this Committee to the Regulation Committee for determination, Members of the Regulation Committee can participate and vote on these items at the Area Committee and at Regulation Committee.  In these cases the Council’s decision-making process is not complete until the application is determined by the Regulation Committee.  Members of the Regulation Committee retain an open mind and will not finalise their position until the Regulation Committee.  They will also consider the matter at Regulation Committee as Members of that Committee and not as representatives of the Area Committee.

Councillors Neil Bloomfield and Graham Middleton each declared a personal interest for planning application 17/03874/OUT, as they are also members of Martock Parish Council which had commented on the application.

Councillors Adam Dance and Crispin Raikes both declared a personal interest for planning application 17/04125/FUL, as they are also members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area North Committee meeting is scheduled to be held at 2.00pm on Wednesday 28 March 2018 at a venue to be confirmed.

Members noted the next meeting of Area North Committee was scheduled for 2.00pm on Wednesday 28 March 2018, at a venue to be confirmed.

There were no questions from members of the public.

The Chairman made no announcements.

There were no reports from members.

Inspector Coombe of Avon and Somerset Constabulary introduced himself and Sergeant Wells, and they provided an overview of some of their concerns and crime trends in the area. They noted they had seen an increase in crime relating to farms, with agricultural trailers, rotavators and other farming equipment being a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 122.

The Communities Lead reminded members that as the Council progressed through Transformation, the Forward Plan would focus on items that required a decision or member lead. She had no updates to the Forward Plan as detailed in the agenda.

Members noted the report that detailed planning appeals which had been lodged, dismissed or allowed.

One member referred to the Lyndhurst Grove appeal in Martock, and commented he disagreed with many aspects of the Inspector’s decisions. He briefly outlined his thoughts on the Inspectors decisions and expressed his disappointment that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 124.

Members noted the report for information about SSDC Welfare Advice work in South Somerset.

Members noted the schedule of planning applications to be determined at the meeting.

Proposal: Outline planning application for the erection of 10 No. bungalows (incorporating details of access) and associated works including drainage infrastructure and highway works.

The Planning Officer introduced the application and advised members of some typos in the report – these being: on page 58 there was reference to ‘Martock  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127.

Proposal: Alterations and the change of use and conversion of existing workshop into a dwelling.

The Area Lead (South) presented the application, noting that the workshop had not been constructed as per approved plans as additional windows had been added. She outlined the key considerations and referred to a break  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

Proposal: The erection of 1 No. detached dwelling.

The Planning Officer presented the application, and highlighted what had now been built on the wider site. He noted this was the first of two side by side applications. He briefly reminded members of the extant consent on the original site. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.

Proposal: Application to vary condition no. 2 (approved plans) of 17/00167/FUL for the re-siting and design of dwelling.

The Planning Officer presented the application as detailed in the agenda, and noted there were slightly different issues to consider compared to the previous application just considered by members. He explained that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.