Agenda item

            That planning permission be granted subject to the additional condition detailed in the late observations and the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning in respect of this application which had been the subject of a site visit on 23 July 2012.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.  Additional comments received since the preparation of the report were circulated at the meeting.

            By way of introduction the officer explained that this application and the next one on the agenda were both deferred from the Planning & Development Control Committee meeting on 20 June 2012 to allow for a site visit to take place.  He said that both applications were linked and were complimentary to each other.  Councillor P.G. Heesom felt that the applications should not be discussed together and the Democracy & Governance Manager advised that there would be a debate and a vote on each application but that it was at the discretion of the Chairman as to whether the presentation by the officer could cover both applications.  The Chairman agreed that an overview on both applications could be presented together and that the applications would be debated and voted on separately.  

            The officer said that on this application, the applicant operated a school on the existing site for children/young adults aged 8 to 25.  The proposal was to provide an additional residential block to encourage independent living for those aged 16 to 25.  The next application on the agenda was by a separate applicant and proposed to erect an education facility for adults and it was proposed that the development would take place on the lower part of the site. 

            Councillor P.G. Heesom proposed the recommendation for approval for this application which was duly seconded.  He said that he felt that this application was unrelated to the next application on the agenda. 

            Councillor R.B. Jones referred to 12 draft conditions and queried why there were only 10 conditions in the report.  The officer responded that one of the draft conditions had been duplicated and the Democracy & Governance Manager referred Members to the additional condition in the late observations on the facilities for parking, turning and unloading of vehicles.   

            Councillor A.M. Halford highlighted paragraph 7.02 where it was reported that the site lay within an open countryside location and queried why the application was reported for approval.  The Interim Team Leader (Policy) explained that applications in the open countryside were controlled but that Policy GEN 3 criteria ‘g’ and ‘j’ permitted development in the open countryside in certain circumstances which this application complied with.  Councillor Halford also asked for further information on paragraph 7.12 and in response the officer said that historically permission had been granted under reference 045395 for additional residential educational blocks but as the site was not in the applicant’s ownership at the time, the facility could not be made available. 

            Councillor Heesom said that the school had previously been a hotel and reiterated his concerns that both applications should be kept separate. 

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission be granted subject to the additional condition detailed in the late observations and the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning.