Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room (Area East) - Churchfield. View directions

Contact: Kelly Wheeler, Case Services Officer (Support Services) - 01935 462038  Email: kelly.wheeler@southsomerset.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

18.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 13th March 2019.

Minutes:

The minuntes of the previous meeting help on Wednesday 13th March 2019, copies of which had been circulated, were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

The Chairman advised that the minutes of the previous meeting detailed that Committee had requested that the Development Control Team provide a response to concerns raised at the March meeting in relation to specific enforcement cases within Area East. He was disappointed that no response had been received, however he advised that the Lead Specialist (Planning) would be happy to discuss the issue after the meeting.  

 

The Chairman also asked whether a letter had been sent to RNAS Yeovilton to request that the flooding issues around Bridghampton, close to the airfield, were addressed. The Locality Team Leader advised that the letter had now been resent to the correct address.

 

One member advised that a road traffic accident had occurred close to an enforcement site in Pitcombe and explained that the Parish Council would be keen to receive an update on the current situation of the enforcement case in Pitcombe where an unauthorised field access had been made.

19.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

An apology of absence was received from Councilor David Norris.

20.

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 Regulation Committee

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

Councillors Tony Capozzoli, Nick Weeks and Colin Winder.

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:

There were no declarations of interest.

21.

Date of Next Meeting

Members are asked to note that the next scheduled meeting of the committee will be at the Council Offices, Churchfield, Wincanton on Wednesday 12th June at 9.00 am.

Minutes:

Members noted that the date of the next meeting of the Committee would be at the Council Offices, Churchfields, Wincanton on Wednesday 12th June at 9am.

22.

Public Question Time

Minutes:

A member of the public addressed the Committee to explain issues which he was experiencing in Mudford due to an on-going enforcement complaint. He explained that he had last attended an Area East Committee meeting on Wednesday 14th February 2018, shortly after a decision had been made by the Planning Inspectorate to refuse an extension period to allow the use on the site to continue. At that meeting, members agreed that the business owner should be given a 4 month deadline to allow him to relocate and cease operations on the site. This was to avoid any financial loss to the business owner. He further explained that, as suggested at the meeting in February 2018 by the Development Control team, the additional four months extension period would allow the team to work with the Legal team to prepare all the necessary paperwork to avoid any further delay in taking enforcement action.

 

He asked several questions to include,

 

-       Why hadn’t the paperwork been prepared within the four months time extension?

-       Why had further planning applications been considered on the site and why it had not been recorded in the minutes that no additional planning applications should be considered on the site?

-       When can he expect a reply to his letter dated 10th  August 2018?

-       Is diversification of the business and the condition of the road monitored?

 

He added that he had CCTV footage which shows the dangerous use of the road, should members wish to view it. A copy of his letter dated 10th August 2018 was passed to Case Service Officer, who agreed to circulate this to members.

 

The Chairman pointed out the this would be the last meeting of the Committee before the district elections being held in May. He wished luck to all of those that were standing in the elections and also thanked those that were not standing again.

 

Another member thanked the Chairman for his support and for chairing the meetings and thanked the other members of the committee for any work which they have taken on.

 

 

 

 

23.

Chairman Announcements

Minutes:

There were no announcements from the Chairman.

24.

Reports from Members

Minutes:

There were no reports from members.

25.

Citizens Advice South Somerset (CASS) pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Angela Kerr, Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Advice South Somerset (CASS) to the meeting. 

 

With the aid of a PowerPoint presentation she informed members of the work and future development of Citizens Advice South Somerset.  Points mentioned during her presentation included the following:

 

·         There was an advice service held weekly in Wincanton. Two advisers provided advice for one day a week.

·         CASS were spending a large amount of time supporting clients in Area East who were struggling to have their personal independence allowances renewed.

·         Clients struggling and dealing with debt issues was also a common problem.

·         People were able to get advice and support through e-mail, phone, texting and face to face. Face to face advice continues to be valuable.

·         The service has increased its involvement with elderly and vulnerable clients due to more people living independently for longer.  The types of issues being dealt with included financial safeguarding, management of money and mate crime.  She advised that a conference had been held this year to encourage ‘joining up people on the ground’.

·         The CASS are continuing to distribute winter heating grants.

·         Funding had been secured from the Lloyds Foundation, a national trust.

·         There is a partnership with Yeovil College offering services for students.

·         A specialist service assisting people with acute mental health support needs during their recovery and resettlement was provided.

·         There was advice and service available for people living with cancer. CASS had a partnership with McMillan Cancer Support. Grants were often provided for travel expenses incurred during cancer treatment.

·         Employment and legal advice was being provided for clients and sometimes for employers.

·         The team help to address debt issues for clients in housing need in partnership with SSDC.

·         There are 55 volunteers within the team. These are fully trained and supervised at all times. Each provide on average 6 – 7 hours per week.

·         There had been some recent cuts to the core funding from Somerset County Council. This initially came as a huge setback, however the advice service has been remodelled and can continue to provide a service, through greater collaboration with other Citizens Advice teams.

·         Clients in need of benefit support through Universal Credit were facing delays in the first payment if they were new to the scheme or had a change in circumstance.   Help to Claim was a new service across the country funded centrally through the Citizens Advice Network.

 

She responded to questions from members. She agreed that transport and travel costs was a concern and that face-to-face support was a necessity for some clients.

 

The Chairman thanked her for attending the meeting. Members agreed that CASS provided an invaluable service and hoped that funding would continue from SCC and SSDC.  

 

26.

Planning Appeals (For Information Only) pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members noted the planning appeals which had been determined.

27.

Area East Committee Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members noted the Area East Forward Plan. Members also agreed that a Planning Enforcement report should be included on the Area East Forward Plan for the June meeting.

28.

Schedule of Planning Applications to be Determined by Committee pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the Schedule of Planning Applications to be determined by the Committee.

29.

18/03282/S73A - Land at Cabbage Lane, Horsington pdf icon PDF 404 KB

Minutes:

Application Proposal: Application to vary condition 6 of approval 16/04084/FUL to allow retail sales from the premises.

 

The Case Officer presented her report to Members. She explained that the application was to amend a condition of a previously approved permission to allow sales of goods from the premises.

 

She explained that her recommendation was contrary to the views of the Parish Council and some neighbours. She also advised that since the report had been published, a further letter of objection had been received. She further explained that she had suggested an amendment to condition 5 of the published report, to seasonally restrict sales from the premises; with sales occurring between March and October only. She added that this would make the condition more enforceable.

 

Using a PowerPoint presentation she provided slides to show the location of the site and photographs taken on and close to the site, including the access. She added that the site was situated approximately 0.8 miles from the A357. She also provided an image to show the proposed area of sales, which was indicated by a red hatched area on a site layout plan. This was a total area of 115 square meters. 

 

She informed members that permission had been granted in 2016 for two polytunnels, a shade tunnel, a barn and an access track. Condition 6 restricted retail sales in the interest of retail safety and sustainability.

 

She advised members that a letter of support had been received and 8 letters of objection. A petition, containing 21 signatures, had been received in objection to the application. The objections raised concern over highway safety and that the nursery could turn into a garden centre.

 

She explained that the applicants’ agent had provided a letter in which he specified that there would be between approximately 2 and 5 additional car movements to the site each day. On reviewing this, the highways authority had raised no objection to the application. She was recommending that the application be approved as detailed in her officer report, with an amendment to condition 5 to seasonally restrict sales from the site.

 

A member of the public spoke in objection to the application. His comments included;

 

·         The site was on a single-track road. There have been several traffic incidents.

·         On the 18th January, the highways authority wrote a letter saying that there should be no further traffic on Cabbage Lane. Following receipt of a letter from the applicant’s agent, which contained nothing new, the highways authority no longer objected.

·         The letter states that there will be 2-5 visits per day, however if this related to wholesale clients, then there is no mention of how many addition members of public will visit each day.

·         A large car parking area has recently been constructed. This will hold 20 or so cars. He suggested that this could be for retail purposes.

·         If the business is successful, there will be no restriction on the number of visitors.

 

The applicant addressed the Committee.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.