Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notices of appointment of substitute.

Apologies were received from Cllr M Farrell with Cllr G Czapiewski substituting.

To receive any questions relating to items on the agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

Note:   A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

There were no public questions.

To record any interests on agenda matters.

Members were reminded of the need to declare any interests where appropriate.

·         Cllr S Clist referred to Plan List 1 Application No. 23/00510/FULL and declared that he had an Other Registerable Interest as it was his Cabinet portfolio area but he had not been involved with this application.

To consider whether to approve the minutes as a correct record of the meeting held on 14^th February 2024.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 February 2024 were agreed as a true record and duly signed by the Chairman.

         To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make. 

The Chairman made the following announcements:-

·         Today the Committee would be using the new Audio Visual System and he hoped that everyone would enjoy using it and would see a great improvement from the previous system.

The Chairman stated that item 10 – Access to Information – Exclusion of the Press and Public would be brought forward as he wished to propose that Agenda item 11 Enforcement Notice did not go into Part 2 for discussion as this should remain in the public domain.  It would also give members of the public attending the opportunity to read the report should this be agreed.

Discussion with regard to the next item, may require the Planning Committee to pass the following resolution to exclude the press and public having reflected on Article 12 12.02(d) (a presumption in favour of openness) of the Constitution. This decision may be required because consideration of this matter in public may disclose information falling within one of the descriptions of exempt information in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The Planning Committee would need to decide whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption, outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Recommended that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 2 and 3 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

The Chairman proposed that item 11 Enforcement Notice did not go into Part 2 for discussion as this should remain in the public domain.

This was AGREED by the Committee.

To report any items withdrawn from the agenda

There were no withdrawals from the Plans List.

To consider the planning applications contained in the list.

The Committee considered the applications in the *Plans List.

Note: *List previously circulated and attached to the minutes.

a)    23/00510/FULL - Erection of 2 dwellings with associated vehicular and pedestrian access, parking, landscaping and associated works at Land at NGR 306315 112571, College Green, Uffculme.

The Planning Officer outlined the contents of the report by way of a presentation and highlighted the following:-

·         This application was required to be considered at Planning Committee as Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) were the land owners.

·         The proposal was for the construction of 2 single story 1 bedroomed dwellings with 3 dedicated parking spaces which would form part of MDDC’s housing stock.

·         The proposed materials would match those of the surrounding properties through the use of painted render and with some red brick cladding on the elevations.

·         The current site was situated at the top of College Green and had 2 garages, which were rented by College Green residents and some areas of hard surfacing for parking.

·         It was proposed to demolish the garages which were not being used for vehicle storage.

·         Solar panels would be fitted to each dwelling and the energy produced would meet the proposed energy requirements for the 2 dwellings.

·         The application would also include the erection of a 1.8m high timber fence around the eastern, northern and western boundaries of the site.

Discussion took place regarding:-

·         The impact the works would have on wildlife such as bats, hedgehogs and badgers.

·         Disabled access and who the properties would be most suitable for.

·         Parking issues for neighbouring residents.

·         Whether the application had been advertised in the usual way whereupon the officer confirmed that it had been advertised by way of notices displayed locally and in newspapers.

It was therefore RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to conditions.

(Proposed by Cllr G Duchesne and seconded by Cllr S Robinson)

Reason for the Decision – as set out in the report.

Notes:-

(i)            Amy Cooper spoke as the Applicant.

(ii)          Cllr N Letch abstained from voting and wished this to be noted.

To receive a list of major applications and potential site visits.

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, a list *of major applications with no decision.

The Committee agreed that the applications remained as per the report, with the addition of arranging a site visit for application No. 24/00250/MFUL Variation of Condition 2 and Removal of Conditions 24 and 25 of planning permission 21/00128/MFUL - Erection of 86 dwellings to include public open space, landscape planting, pedestrian, cycle and vehicular links; and associated infrastructure – to allow self build units (plots 195-199) to be open market units.

Note:  *List previously circulated, copy attached to the minutes.

To receive a verbal update on the Performance Dashboard from the Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager.

The Group were presented with the Performance Dashboard for quarter 3 showing performance against target in the current year to date.

Discussion took place regarding:-

·           The length of time for planning applications to be determined were due to different applications having different deadlines.

·           Due to only having 1 Enforcement Officer this meant that more enforcement cases were open than closed.

·           The Section 106 full annual monitoring statement could be viewed on the MDDC website which gave a full detailed breakdown.

·           The possibility of a new indicator showing enforcement cases that had been closed.

Note: * Performance Dashboard previously circulated.

To consider the items contained in the Enforcement List.

Consideration was given to the cases in the *Enforcement List.

Note: *List previously circulated and attached to the minutes

Arising thereon:

a)    Bell Cottage, Woodland Head, Yeoford EX17 5HF

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Place and Economy.

Discussion took place regarding:-

·         The process for a Compulsory Purchase Order.

·         The damage to the property and to the neighbouring property.

It was therefore RESOLVED that the Committee support the serving of an Urgent Works Notice to be served under Section 54 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 in respect of Bell Cottage, Woodland Head, Yeoford EX17 5HFto make it safe and prevent collapse, preventing water ingress into the adjacent property, Cree Cottage.

(Proposed by Cllr S Clist and seconded by Cllr F Letch)