Agenda, decisions and minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 20^th March 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Marcus Barrett, Mike Best, Amanda Broom 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.

Councillor Sue Osborne declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 12 – Planning Application 18/03373/COU, as the Ward Member.

Councillor Linda Vijeh declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 12 – Planning Application 18/03373/COU, as the SCC Ward Member.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area West Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 19^th June 2019 at 5.30pm at The Guildhall, Chard.

Members noted that the next meeting of the Area West Committee would be held on Wednesday 19^th June 2019 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.

There were no questions from members of the public present.

The Chairman advised that a note of thanks had been received from Crewkerne Bowling Club following their successful grant application and an invitation was extended to all members of the Committee to attend a play bowls open day at the Club on Sunday 5^th May 2019.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

The Locality Officer advised that the report asked the Committee to adopt the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2019-2024 on behalf of SSDC.

He introduced Tim Youngs, AONB Manager, who advised that this was a 5 year review of the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan.  Wide public consultation had taken place which had resulted in a more concise plan.  He said once the plan was adopted, further annexes would be added before it was published. 

There was no debate and Members unanimously agreed to to adopt the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2019-2024 at Appendix A on behalf of SSDC.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

The Chairman noted that the Chard Regeneration Project Manager was unable to attend the meeting and asked that Members were happy to note the report.

It was commented that the public consultation event held the previous month had been very successful and highlighted the importance of the scheme to the town. 

During discussion, Members asked that a report on historic buildings at risk in the area be added to the Forward Plan.  It was also noted that a report on the Chard Regeneration Scheme at the first meeting in June would be helpful to new Councillors joining the Committee.

During a brief discussion it was noted that additional training for Members in the presentation of statements at planning appeal hearings would be helpful and welcome.

Members noted the report detailing two planning appeals, one which hand been allowed and one which had been dismissed.

Members noted the schedule of planning applications to be determine by the Committee.

Application Proposal:Change of use of existing transfer station site to aggregate storage/sales and parking of heavy goods vehicles

The Specialist – Development Management presented the application as detailed in the agenda and explained that the application was for the change of use of the former household waste recycling site to accommodate aggregate storage and sales and for the storage/parking of articulated vehicles.  Since writing his report, one further letter of objection had been received and one further letter from the applicants.  He concluded that it was considered a brownfield site and the proposed use was acceptable subject to conditions and so his recommendation was to approve the application. 

In response to questions from Members, the Specialist – Development Management confirmed:-

·         Many of the objections had centred on the impact of the business on neighbours but it was proposed to relocate their most popular product to a storage bay in the new site to reduce the impact.

·         The adjacent site had an existing road frontage access so it would be logical to use that rather than the more difficult access to this site.

·         It would be difficult to introduce a condition to monitor the impact of the heavy lorries on the nearby road bridge but this could be included as an informative if permission was granted.

·         There were no buildings on the new site so reference to buildings in condition 8 should be removed.

·         Reference to the applicants obligations under the Reservoir Act 1975 could be included as an informative.

·         No specific figures on traffic movements from when the site was operating as an HWRC compared to the proposed use had been submitted by the applicants.

·         It was possible to amend condition 10 to state that no system of public address, loudspeaker, amplifier, relay or other audio equipment, except vehicle fitted warning systems, should be operated on any part of the site at any time.

·         The proposed landscaping should help to mitigate the visual impact of the site.

The Committee were then addressed by 5 people in opposition to the application.  Their comments included:-

·         In 10 years of operation, the applicants had not complied with previous conditions of operation.  Concrete mixing, spray painting, soil riddling and excessive hammering still took place and residents complained of the noise and dust from the site.

·         Sprinklers at the site would help to reduce the dust but the noise of concrete mixing and soil riddling were unacceptable.

·         10 years ago the Chard Reservoir site was not as developed but now it was recognised as a local nature reserve and held Green Flag status.  With 700 new homes planned to be built in Chard, it would be used even more and the impact of the noise from the aggregate storage and associated works would have a greater impact.

·         Planning regulations appeared to assume that a once brownfield site for household recycling was still in force but permission for this use at this site would not be granted now. N The development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 155.