Minutes – Planning and Conservation Working Group – 16 September 2021
The agenda and papers for this meeting are available here: Planning and Conservation Working Group – 16 September 2021 – agenda and papers
The minutes of this meeting are presented below.
You can also download a PDF copy of the minutes here: Minutes – Planning and Conservation Working Group – 16 September 2021
NOTES OF THE VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION WORKING GROUP HELD ON THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2021 AT 2.00PM
PRESENT:
- Councillors Plowman (Chairman), Gaskin, Gershater
EX-OFFICIO:
- The Mayor (Councillor J Hughes), Councillor Apel (Chairman of the Community Affairs Working Group)
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE:
- Planning Adviser, Member Services Support Officer, Councillor Sharp, Councillor Simon Oakley (West Sussex County Council), Mrs Kerry Simmons, Genesis Town Planning (for CC/21/01354/FUL), Mr and Mrs Ogilvy, applicants for CC/21/01354/FUL)
APOLOGIES:
- The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Joy), Councillors Scicluna and Quail
41. MINUTES OF MEETING OF COMMITTEE HELD ON 19 AUGUST 2021
AGREED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 AUGUST 2021 having been printed and circulated be approved and be signed by the Chairman as a correct record at a later date.
42. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
As recorded above.
43. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE IN MATTERS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING
The following Personal Interests were declared:
- Councillor Plowman and Councillor Apel as members of Chichester District Council.
- Councillor Plowman as a member of the CCAAC.
44. APPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION
(i) AMENDED PLANS
CC/21/01354/FUL 10 Lavant Road Chichester PO19 5RQ
The applicants, Mrs and Mrs Ogilvy, were in attendance for this item and invited questions from members should they wish.
Mrs Kerry Simmons of Genesis Town Planning, (agent for the applicant) was also in attendance but would not be addressing the meeting.
Recommendation: After discussion, in light of the amended plans, the objection was withdrawn.
Week 32 – 11 August 2021
CC/21/02094/FUL – Case Officer: Steve Harris
Wrenford Centre Terminus Road Chichester West Sussex
Demolition of all existing buildings and structures on site and development of the land to provide 4 no. industrial units in use class E(g)(iii)/B2/B8, with associated car parking, cycle parking and refuse stores.
No objection. In the interests of local ecology, please retain the existing hedge along the front boundary as a priority, in addition to planting the new trees.
Week 33 – 18 August 2021
CC/21/02314/FUL – Case Officer: Maria Tomlinson
The Little Blue Door Ltd
1 Laburnum Grove Chichester PO19 7DL
Erection of single storey link side extension to children’s nursery with accommodation within roofspace; alterations to existing vehicular access and parking arrangements.
Recommendation: Strong objection. The proposal to reduce the parking by 3 spaces while employing an additional 4 staff and adding an additional 131sqm of floorspace for additional children would result in unacceptable harm to neighbouring amenity, highway safety and parking. The proposal would reduce the already very limited outdoor play space such that it may no longer be sufficient to support the number of children enrolled. The scale and position of the building would have an overbearing impact on the neighbour to the rear, unacceptably harming neighbouring amenity
Week 34 – 25 August 2021
No Committee items
Week 35 – 1 September 2021
CC/21/02349/FUL – Case Officer: Sascha Haigh
Chichester Rugby Football Club Sports Club Oaklands Park Wellington Road
Extension of balcony with the addition of 2 no. access stairs and alterations to the building.
Recommendation: No objection, however it is requested that consideration is given to a 2m opaque balustrade on the balcony’s northern side in the interests of the privacy and amenity of residents to the north
45. WHITE HOUSE FARM – FEEDBACK
The Chairman advised members that the developers had stated they would retain space for a medical centre for a period of three years in anticipation that the NHS may require it in the future. Members had previously expressed serious concerns at the NHS recent statements indicating a medical centre would not be required at White House Farm or provided for within already overstretched practices in and around the city with little potential for extension and very limited parking even for existing patients. The developer’s retention of this space for future medical use was therefore welcomed. This would not preclude accommodating a community use by the YMCA, as there is sufficient space for both purposes.
The Country Park was required by the Phase 1 application to be completed by August 2021 but no confirmation of this had been received to date.
In respect of Phase 2, following the recent consultation, the southern access route debate continues and the outline application is awaited in due course. Prior to submission of an application, any further information or representations about the southern access route or any other aspect of Phase 2 may be emailed to the developer’s planning agent, Nick Billington at Nick.Billington@tetratech.com.
46. LOCAL PLAN
The Chairman took this item next – not in order on the agenda.
The Chairman explained that significant highways concerns were delaying progress on the Local Plan. The existing highway infrastructure, and the potential improvements which are likely to be able to be funded by all available sources (such as CDC, planning contributions and Highways England) are insufficient support to serve the level of use, particularly as a result of housing targets increasing the local population using these roads beyond their capacity.
Negotiation is ongoing with Highways England to determine what type of road improvements can likely be implemented during the plan period, the funding for this and what level of population such improvements would likely support. This information will then be presented to central government with a view to reconsideration of housing targets to a level which does not significantly exceed highway capacity, unless the target housing numbers can be provided far enough north within the district to avoid significant impact on A27 use. This is unlikely due to the rural nature of the north of the district and large areas of nationally designated landscape and environmental importance.
Councillor Oakley addressed the meeting with regard to the new housing. He said that Chichester District Council needed to obtain from Highways England a more up-to-date position on the existing by-pass. Southern Gateway was also mentioned regarding the GP provision and the medical hub at the Southern Gateway. The current thinking being that this could be situated on the former Boys High School site.
The Chairman said that a great deal of discussion was taking place regarding local provision.
Councillor Gershater expressed confusion at the current housing allocations. He said that there seemed to be pockets of plans which were undetermined.
The Chairman commented that the housing numbers had not changed and were currently 635 per annum but with the current infrastructure these were not sustainable.
Councillor Gaskin made reference to resilience and adaptation and that there needed to be a change of thinking regarding climate breakdown and how we would be affected.
47. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN – AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS
Members were advised of a meeting taking place on 27 September 2021 to discuss the PLACE studies and how these will be taken forward within the Neighbourhood Plan. Joined up thinking will be prioritised alongside key planning principles of sustainability and permeability as well as greening the city. Following this, on Friday 29 September 2021 the Steering Group would meet again to look at the next stages of the plan. Details of the meetings and minutes would be published on the City Council’s website in the normal manner.
Councillor Gershater raised concern about Southern Water’s dumping of raw sewage into Chichester Harbour which is a nationally designated environmental site. Councillor Oakley advised that this was allowed by the Environment Agency under their environmental permitting scheme. The Chairman suggested that the City Council could approach the Environment Agency to attend a future Planning and Conservation meeting to advise on this.
It was therefore AGREED that the Environment Agency be approached to attend a future Planning and Conservation meeting to advise on Southern Water’s dumping of raw sewage into Chichester Harbour.
48. A27 – NOISE ISSUES
Councillor Sharp had previously circulated a paper outlining the noise issues, particularly in relation to the A27. She addressed members and proposed that a new working group be put together to tackle the issue of anti-social road use, including excessively loud engine noise (to which there are legal limits), in the City and, in particular along the A27. The local police had advised that to assist with any investigation, local people should put together information about patterns of such road use, including observations of specific locations and times. The proposed new group would assist in providing police with this information. Members were supportive of the proposal and hoped the group could address noise, speed and tractors issues. Members also felt this would be a Community Affairs issue.
It was therefore AGREED to RECOMMEND to Full Council on 29 September 2021 that a new Working Group be set up to tackle the issue of anti-social road use including excessively loud engine noise (to which there are legal limits), in the City and, in particular along the A27.
49. ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED ON AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING
- Neighbourhood Plan – update
- White House Farm – update
- Local Plan
50. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday 14 October 2021 at 2.00pm.
The meeting closed at 3.36pm.