Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil.

Contact: Jo Boucher, Case Services Officer (Support Services) - 01935 462011  Email: jo.boucher@southsomerset.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

91.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Gubbins, Andy Kendall, Graham Oakes, Alan Smith and Rob Stickland.

92.

Declarations of Interest

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 District Council’s Regulation Committee

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

Councillors Peter Gubbins, Tony Lock, David Recardo and Andy Soughton.

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.

Minutes:

Councillor Gina Seaton declared and personal and prejudicial interest in Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID as she is well known to the landowner’s family.  She would listen to the officer’s presentation and then leave the meeting before consideration of that item.

 

Councillor Peter Gubbins a personal interest in Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID as he is a member of the Yeovil Refresh Board and a member of Yeovil Town Council.

 

Councillor Pauline Lock and Mike Lock wished to make a statement that there is no truth linking them to one of the applicant’s and there are no business deals between themselves and the Abbey Manor Group. They declared a personal interest in Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID that they were members of Yeovil Town Council.

 

Councillor John Clark declared a personal interest in Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID as he is a member of the Yeovil Refresh Board and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Commercial Strategy.

 

Councillor Nicola Clark wished to state that she had attended Parish Council meetings where Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID had been discussed but would consider this application with an open mind.

 

Councillor Tony Lock declared a personal interest in Item 6 Planning Application 17/02805/HYBRID as he is a member of the Yeovil Refresh Board, Portfolio Holder for Protecting Core Services and Yeovil Town Council.

 

It was also declared that:

 

·         Councillors David Recardo, Wes Read, Andy Soughton, Karl Gill and Kaysar Hussain were members of Yeovil Town Council.

·         Councillors Peter Seib and Jeny Snell were members of Brympton Parish Council.

·         Councillors Pauline Lock, Mike Lock were members of Yeovil Without Parish Council.

 

93.

Public question time

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the public.

94.

Chairman's announcements

Minutes:

The Case Services Officer (Support Services) updated members that the Council Plan Workshop was now going to take place following the close of Area South Committee on Wed 3rd July 2019.

95.

Schedule of Planning Applications to be Determined by Committee pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the Schedule of Planning Applications.

96.

17/02805/HYBRID - Land at Bunford Park, Bunford Lane, Yeovil pdf icon PDF 753 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Application Proposal: Hybrid mixed-use planning application on 21.6 hectares of land known as Bunford Park, (EIA Proposal):

 

1)            FULL APPLICATION for formation of new road access, erection of 2,040sqm gross Class B1 offices and light industrial/Class B8 storage and distribution unit and erection of 8,443sqm gross Class A1 foodstore, petrol filling station, car parks and related infrastructure and landscaping.

 

2)         OUTLINE APPLICATION for formation of remainder of a 56,051sqm gross business park including erection of Class B1 office and light industrial and Class B8 storage and distribution uses, secondary road access off Bunford Hollow, other related infrastructure and landscaping and all other matters reserved for future consideration.

 

(Councillor Gina Seaton left the room after the Officers presentation of this Item)

 

The Senior Planning Advisor presented the application and explained to members the Hybrid planning application which includes both a Full and Outline application as detailed in the agenda report and as an Environmental Impact Assessment Development is considered under Environmental regulations.   

 

With the aid of a power point presentation he then proceeded to give a comprehensive presentation as detailed in the agenda report showing the site including detailed site plans and the proposed development plans.

 

He advised members of the following main issues to consider with regard to this application:

 

·         Location, Traffic, Design and Land Management

·         Employment and Economic Development

·         Impact on Yeovil Town Centre

·         Sequential Preferred Town Centre Site

 

The Senior Planning Advisor said members have been asked to make an important choice between supporting

a)    employment land development or

b)    town centre vitality and viability

 

He concluded that after considering all of the responses and advice, as outlined in the agenda report, on balance his recommendation was to refuse the application on the grounds of:

1.    failing to meet the sequential test and support the national and local policy of town centre first, and

2.    causing a significant adverse impact on the vibrancy of the town centre because of trade draw away for the town centre and likely erosion of investor confidence in the town centre.

 

The Senior Planning Advisor and Lead Specialist - Planning then responded to members’ questions on points of detail which included the following:

 

·         Accepted that the Cattle Market Site ‘A’(which contains the Car parks at Court Ash and North Lane, Old cinema and Auction centre) as detailed in the presentation plans was not available, but argues a significant amount of Cattle Market Site ‘B’ (traditionally know as the Cattle Market area) is considered available and with an appropriately flexible approach to design a food superstore proposal could be built on this site.

·         Clarified the recommended reasons for refusal on the basis of a) the impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre and b) failure to meet the sequential test.  The LPA believes that the applicant makes clear that even a smaller sized food store which might be able to fit onto the Cattle Market, (all be it with constraints and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.