Agenda, decisions and minutes

The minutes of the meetings held on 17^th May 2018 and 20^th June 2018, copies of which had been circulated, were taken as read, and having been approved were signed as a correct record of the proceedings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sue Osborne and Martin Wale.

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 Mike Best, Angie Singleton and Martin Wale.

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.

There were no declarations of interest made by Members.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area West Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 15^th August 2018 at 5.30pm at The Guildhall, Chard.

Members noted that the next meeting of the Area West Committee would be held on Wednesday 15^th August 2018 at 5.30pm at The Guildhall, Chard.

This is a chance to ask questions, make comments and raise matters of concern.

Parish/Town Councils may also wish to use this opportunity to ask for the District Council’s support on any matter of particular concern to their Parish/Town.

Anyone wishing to raise matters in relation to items on the agenda may do so at the time the item is considered.

The Committee were addressed by three members of the public regarding the proposed closure of the Cresta swimming pool in Chard.  They made the following points:-

·         It was not easy for the public to travel to the next nearest pools in Crewkerne or Ilminster.

·         The Cresta pool had over 1,500 casual swimmers per month not including swimming club members and there were 350 children in the learn to swim programme.

·         The SSDC proposals for a new pool complex would not be ready for 5 years so potentially Chard would be without a pool for 5 years. 

·         Volunteers would step forward to help to run the pool as they did in Crewkerne, so consideration should be given to look at ways to keep it open for longer.

·         Ilminster swim club had over 200 members who used the Cresta pool.

·         Could SSDC help to retain the pool until a new facility was built?

Councillor Amanda Broom said she had attended the Somerset County Council meeting that morning and had asked for additional time for the responses to questions raised by herself and the public to be allowed before any closure of the pool was made.  She asked for the Area West Committee to write to SCC to reaffirm that time would be allowed.

Councillor Mike Best noted this was not a district council issue although it did put pressure on the district council to deliver its proposed new pool complex. 

Councillor Ric Pallister, as Leader of Council, noted that SCC were in a difficult financial position but the pool facility did not belong to SSDC and so they had no ownership or authority over it.  He said he had been advised that the accelerated shut down was due to health and safety reasons and the cost of new plant.  But the SSDC focus was to provide a new pool in Chard and there was not the funding to build one whilst keeping open the other.  He said SSDC would seek information on the issues surrounding the proposed closure of the Cresta pool.

During discussion, several members voiced their concern at the proposed closure and said SSDC officers would work with SCC to see if it was possible to keep the pool open.  At the conclusion of the debate, the Chairman thanked the public for attending.

The Chairman advised that the Chard Regeneration Programme had now been launched and the first meeting of the Board would be held on 31^st August 2018.

The Neighbourhood Development Officer advised the proposed grant was towards a portable toilet block for the Avishayes Junior Football Club.  The life span of the toilet block was expected to be 10 to 15 years and a community use agreement meant that Avishayes School, on whose grounds the block would be situated, would maintain and have use of it during school hours.  

The Ward Member, Councillor Garry Shortland, said this was a thriving club and he urged Members to support the grant application.

During a brief discussion, it was confirmed that the cost of a permanent block would be in the region of £20,000 to £25,000 and the proposed temporary block was portable if the Club ever decided to move site.

At the conclusion of the debate, Members unanimously confirmed the grant of £3,842.50 to Avishayes Junior Football Club towards a new toilet block.

(voting: unanimous in favour)

The Communities Lead reminded Members of the two LEADER Programmes operating across Area West; Making it Local and Heart of Wessex.  She noted that the Heart of Wessex scheme was now closed to new applications but the Making it Local

scheme was open until 30 July 2018.   Six projects within Area West had benefitted from funding from the Making it Local scheme and two had benefitted from the Heart of Wessex scheme as detailed in the report. 

There was no debate and Members were content to note the contents of the report.

The Communities Lead advised that a briefing note on the Chard Regeneration Scheme had been circulated to Councillors and a full report would be presented to the Committee in September 2018.  The outcomes from the workshop held that day to discuss future Area West priorities would be circulated shortly and further evidence about the needs that underpin them would be assembled to firm up the priorities.  A further workshop would be held to discuss the emerging Economic Development Strategy.  The Annual Police Report would be added to the Forward Plan for December 2018.

A representative of Donyatt Parish Council spoke regarding the planning appeal decision for Manor Farm, Donyatt.  She regretted the process which had resulted in the loss of two affordable houses in the village.

The Senior Planning Adviser also regretted the process but he said that generally the level of discount for affordable housing was 80% of market rent where the scheme had proposed 20% so the level of discount was not sufficient.  However, he said the planning office would be happy to discuss this with the applicant again.

Members noted the report which outlined the details of appeals that had been received, allowed and dismissed.

Members noted the schedule of planning applications to be determined as outlined in the agenda.

Application Proposal: Application to vary condition 02 (approved plans) of planning permission 12/02295/FUL to amend site layout

The Planning Officer reminded Members they had deferred the application from the previous meeting to request that planning and County Highway officers discuss with the applicant the re-siting of the air source heat pump and lowering the height of the front wall to plot 1 to improve visibility.  She noted that when work commenced on site it was not in accord with the approved plans and the houses were constructed approximately 1 metre closer to Crow Lane.  SCC had been notified of the intention to build on their land.  The boundary wall to the side of plot 1 had now been removed and it was proposed to move the heat pump to the front elevation and screen it.  Work was ongoing with BT to move phone lines to a new pole so the existing one would be removed.  The Highway Authority had said that lowering of the boundary wall at the front of the property was not necessary to improve visibility.  Additional comments had been received from the Parish Council supporting the moving of the heat pump but expressing concern at the remaining pole and requesting an investigation of the drains in the lane.  Her recommendation was to approve the application. 

In response to questions from Members, the Planning Officer confirmed that SCC had no objections to selling their land to the applicant but they required a Land Registry compliant plan to complete the sale.

A representative of Donyatt Parish Council questioned the visibility when exiting Crow Lane onto the highway and the visibility distance required.  She also felt that objectors should have been included in the negotiations with officers and the applicant following the previous Area West meeting.  She also noted that the restricted width of Crow Lane only gave limited access to the SCC tenant farmer to his land at the end of the lane.

Two members of the public spoke in objection to the proposal.  Their comments included:-

·         Uncertainty over ownership and position of drains in Crow Lane

·         The heat exchange pump had not yet been moved

·         Crow Lane had originally been 8.2m wide but was now only 4.1m wide

·         The 2012 planning application misrepresented the land ownership

·         6 out of 10 vehicles had to enter the highway to be able to see sufficiently to exit Crow Lane safely

The Agent for the applicant confirmed that lowering of the front wall of plot 1 would not affect visibility for vehicles exiting Crow Lane, the heat source pump would be relocated, the road gully underneath plot 1 had been removed and the distance from the gable of plot 1 to the property opposite was 6m.

The applicant said he had bought the site in good faith and began work in 2015 but ownership issues had been raised in 2016 which were legal matters which would shortly be resolved.  He was in constant contact with BT to move the phone wires so  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.