Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors John Clark, Karl Gill, Mike Lock, Pauline Lock, Alan Smith and Rob Stickland.

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.

Councillors Gina Seaton and Nicola Clark wished to state that as Coker Ward members for this committee they had attended various parish council meetings where planning application 15/01000/OUT* has been discussed, they will however consider this application with an open mind.

There were no questions from members of the public.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

This is an opportunity for Members who represent the Council on outside organisations to report items of interest to the Committee.

There were no reports from representatives on outside organisations.

15/01000/OUT*: Outline application for development of Sustainable Urban Extension to comprise up to 800 dwellings, 2.58 hectares of employment land (Use Classes B1), neighbourhood centre (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, D1, D2 and B1), a 65 bed nursing /care home, community hall, health centre, children's nursery, primary school, play areas and formal sports provision and open space and landscaping, drainage infrastructure and associated highway works (GR 355021/114140)

The Senior Planning Advisor introduced the report and referred to the information document that had been circulated to the members of the committee and members of the public, which provided photographic and plan illustrations of the overall outline application.

Notwithstanding this recommendation, he explained that there was a holding direction on the application.  Should SSDC support approval, the scheme would need to wait for the Secretary of State to decide if the application was going to be “called in” for a Ministerial decision, (via a public inquiry) or if the Secretary of State was going to allow SSDC to proceed with the approval.

He also clarified further updates to the report, which included:

·         Request from the Somerset Ecology Service for an additional ‘ Walkover Ecology Survey’ regarding concerns on the impact from proposed new northern access tree felling.

·         Email from the LLFA who confirm they are happy for the scheme to go ahead as long as secured by conditions 6 and 7.

·         Further objections had recently been received from East Coker and Barwick and Stoford Parish Council’s via a second consultant’s report regarding traffic flow, trip rates, northern access Junction and Quicksilver Roundabout.

·         Submission received from Councillor Gina Seaton with documentation showing that most of application site is Grade 1 agricultural land.

With the aid of a comprehensive powerpoint presentation, he proceeded to explain the site in detail, covering:-

·         Local Plan Allocation of the Keyford Site

·         Site Pictures and Views of the site

·         Site Design – existing and proposed, including proposed cycle routes and bus gate.

·         Key Planning Policies for the Site including :

o   Formal Strategic Site Allocation.

o   Land uses, Infrastructure and Development Tests including acceptance of 15% proposed affordable housing and 33-40% open green space.

o   Policy Guidance YV2 and YV5.

·         Key Objections, Officer Responses and Updates including:

o   Highways and Transport including concerns at Keyford, Quicksilver and  Horsey Roundabouts and impact on Church Lane. Also concerns regarding proposed Hendford Hill cycle path.

o   Drainage and Flooding

o   Wildlife and loss of Grade 1 agricultural land.

o   Design and Landscape including impact on the character and landscape of the area.

o   Housing, Employment and New Neighbourhood

o   S106 – Community Benefit/Impact

The Senior Planning Advisor also clarified:

·         The trees to be removed at the proposed new entrance of the site, confirming no trees would be disturbed with prospective ecology potential.

·         Inclusion of the Additional informative as requested by LLFA.

·         Objections from East Coker and Barwick and Stoford Parish Council based on traffic flow and trip rates. SSC Highways have re assessed these and conclude that this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 153.