Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 25 January 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jo Roundell Greene and Gerard Tucker.

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, Tiffany Osborne 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.

Councillor Neil Bloomfield declared a personal interest for planning applications 16/04453/FUL and 13/01500/OUT as he is also a member of Martock Parish Council. He also declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest for 17/00104/FUL as the application was for his home address.

Councillor Graham Middleton declared a personal interest for planning applications  ...  view the full minutes text for item 145.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area North Committee meeting is scheduled to be held at 2.00pm on Wednesday 22 March 2017 at the Edgar Hall, Somerton.

Members noted the next meeting of Area North Committee is scheduled for 2.00pm on Wednesday 22 March 2017, at the Edgar Hall in Somerton.

There were no questions from members of the public.

The Chairman thanked members who had attended the Area North Parish meeting and also the staff for arranging the event which had been well received.

Councillor Sylvia Seal was pleased to announce that Darcy Bussell would be officially opening the Westlands Entertainment Venue in June, and advised members that tickets were selling quickly.

There were no updates to the Forward Plan. The Assistant Director (Communities) noted that a report from Highways would try to be arranged for the May meeting.

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

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

Proposal: Construction of on-farm Anaerobic Digester (AD) plant (revised application, part retrospective).

The Area Lead (West) introduced the application and reminded members why the application had been deferred at the December meeting of Area North Committee. He noted that a response had since been received from the Secretary of State  ...  view the full minutes text for item 153.

Proposal: The erection of 1no. dwellinghouse.

The Planning Officer presented the application as detailed in the agenda report, noting that the proposal was not considered to be something particularly in keeping with the local area. The principle of a modest replacement dwelling was not disputed, but the bulk, design  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154.

Proposal: Outline application for residential development for 35 dwellings.

The Area Lead introduced the application, noting that it had been brought back to committee as there was a resolution several years previously to approve the application subject to Section 106 obligations. There had been slow progress regarding the legal agreement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 155.

Proposal: Demolition of existing garage and sheds and the erection of a new garage.

The Planning Officer presented the application as detailed in the report, and noted the only reason the application was before members was due to the applicant being a member of staff who also had an input  ...  view the full minutes text for item 156.

Proposal: Erection of single storey pitched roof side extension.

The Planning Officer presented the application as detailed in the report, noting the only reason it was before councillors was due to the relationship of an elected member to the applicant.

At the end of a very brief discussion it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157.