Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies of absence.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 14 October 2020.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Planning Committee held on 14 October 2020 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chairman used the Chairman’s announcements to inform the Committee how he intended to run the Virtual Planning Committee meeing.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

The Committee received a deputation from the following in respect of the applications indicated and were thanked accordingly.

To consider a report by the Director of Planning and Regeneration on development control matters, including information regarding new planning appeals and decisions.

The Committee noted a report by the Director of Planning and Regeneration on the development control matters, including information regarding new appeals and decisions.

The Committee received the deputation referred to in Minute 5 above.

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Update Report which contained the following information:-

No formal response has yet been received regarding the Appropriate Assessment from Natural England regarding this application. Therefore, the recommendation to the application needs amending to include the following requirement:

‘9.1 GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION subject to:

i)             the receipt of comments from Natural England in response to consultation on the Council’s Appropriate Assessment and delegate to the Head of Development Management in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council to make any minor modifications to the proposed conditions or any subsequent minor changes arising after having had regard to those comments; and

ii)            the following Conditions.’

(as per the existing Committee Report).

Upon being proposed and seconded, the officer recommendation to grant planning permission subject to:

(i)            the conditions in the report;

(ii)          the receipt of comments from Natural England in response to consultation on the Council’s Appropriate Assessment and delegate to the Head of Development Management in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council to make any minor modifications to the proposed conditions or any subsequent minor changes arising after having had regard to those comments; and

(iii)         the amendment to condition 12 to include the wording “in consultation with Southern Water”

was voted on and CARRIED.

(Voting: 9 in favour; 0 against)

RESOLVED that subject to:

(i)            the conditions in the report;

(ii)          the receipt of comments from Natural England in response to consultation ont he Council’s Appropriate Assessment and delegate to the Head of Development Management in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council to make any minor modifications to the proposed conditions or any subsequent minor changes arising after having had regard to those comments, and

(iii)         the amendment to condition 12 to include the wording “in consultation with Southern Water.”

PLANNING PERMISSION is granted.

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Update Report which contained the following information:-

Natural England have provided an updated consultee response regarding the Appropriate Assessment:

If members resolve to grant Planning Permission the following conditions are recommended in addition to those in the report:

1.    Prior to the first occupation of the dwellings hereby approved, a record of nitrate credits/savings achieved through water efficiency measures by way of (a) upgrades to Fareham Borough Council housing stock, and/or (b) demolition of existing Fareham Borough Council housing stock, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, to demonstrate that sufficient nitrate credit headroom has been created. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and no dwelling shall thereafter be occupied until sufficient nitrate credit headroom as set out in the ‘Former Coldeast Scout Hunt Nutrient Neutrality Statement’ prepared by Fareham Housing and submitted with the planning application, has been created to serve the entire development hereby permitted.

REASON: To demonstrate that sufficient headroom has been created to offset the proposed development from the impact of nitrogen loading on the European Protected Sites.

2.    No development shall take place until details of the surface water drainage works based on the principles within the submitted Drainage Strategy Report (Bright Plan Civils, July 2020) to serve the development hereby permitted must have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. None of the dwellings hereby permitted shall be occupied until the drainage works have been completed in accordance with the approved details.

REASON: In order to ensure appropriate drainage is provided to serve the permitted development which will avoid any adverse effect on the integrity of the European Protected Sites.

Upon being proposed and seconded, the officer recommendation to grant planning permission, subject to the conditions in the report and the Update Report was voted on and CARRIED.

(Voting: 9 in favour; 0 against)

RESOLVED that, subject to the conditions in the report and Update Report, PLANNING PERMISSION be granted.

The Committee received the deputations referred to in Minute 5 above.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Miss S Bell addressed the Committee on this item.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor S Cunningham addressed the Committee on this item.

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Update Report which contained the following information:-

Since the Planning Committee agenda was published on 10^th November a further seven sets of comments in objection to the proposed development have been received. The comments raised no further material planning considerations other than those already includes in the Officer report.

One comment makes reference to paragraph 8.62 of the Officer report which states that vehicular access into the housing development over Cams Bridge would be prevented for all but emergency vehicles. In actual fact, the Planning Committee resolution to grant planning permission for the improvements to Cams Bridge, which was passed at the meeting in January 2019, was made subject to the applicant confirming that any reference to use of the bridge by emergency vehicles be deleted from the application. The applicant duly provided such confirmation in May 2019 prior to the application being permitted (planning application reference P/18/0001/OA).

Upon being proposed and seconded, the Officer recommendation to grant planning permission, subject to the conditions in the report, was voted on and LOST.

(Voting: 4 in favour; 5 against)

A motion was then proposed and seconded to refuse to the application and was voted on and CARRIED.

(Voting: 5 in favour; 4 against)

RESOLVED that PLANNING PERMISSION be REFUSED.

Reasons for Refusal

The development would be contrary to Policies CS5 of the adopted Fareham Borough Core Strategy 2011 and Policy DSP40 of the adopted Local Plan Part 2: Development Sites and Policies Plan, and Paragraphs 109 and 110 (c) of the National Planning Policy Framework, and is unacceptable in that:

The proposal would result in a material increase in vehicular and pedestrian movements along Down End Road across the road bridge over the railway line. The works to the bridge as shown on drawing no. ITB12212-GA-051D (titled “Downend Road Bridge – Proposed Signal Arrangement With Footway General Arrangement”) would unacceptably affect the operation of the highway because of the vehicle queuing and driver delay that would arise and would result in unacceptable harm to the safety and convenience of users of the highway. Furthermore the application does not make acceptable pedestrian crossing provision on Down End Road for future residents of the development.

The Committee received the deputations referred to in Minute 5 above.

Upon being proposed and seconded the officer recommendation to grant planning permission, subject to the conditions in the report, was voted on and CARRIED.

(Voting: 9 in favour; 0 against)

RESOLVED that, subject to the conditions in the report, PLANNING PERMISSION be granted.

The Committee noted the information in the report.

The Update Report was circulated prior to the meeting and was considered along with the relevant agenda item.