Agenda and minutes

The Committee was informed that County Councillor M Devaney had replaced County Councillor T Jones on the Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2014/15.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of County Councillor Paul Hayhurst.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

County Councillor P Buckley declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 5 as his wife is a member of the Borough Council for the area concerned.

County Councillor R Newman-Thompson declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda items 6 & 7 as a member of Lancaster City Council.

The committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 23 September 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

A report was presented on an application for an extension to quarry and restoration by means of infill with inert construction, demolition and excavation waste, the sorting, screening and export of recyclable material, the consolidation of existing permissions and the revision of approved working and restoration schemes at Tong Farm, Tong Lane, Bacup.

The committee was reminded that at their meeting held on 3 September, 2014 they had resolved to defer the application to allow a schedule of conditions to be drawn up. It was noted that in addition to conditions relating to hours of working, it was considered necessary to impose conditions controlling the operations reflective of those that were in place on existing planning permissions pertaining to the site.  It was also noted that  some conditions were proposed to be amended to control the materials recycling element of the proposal that was not currently permitted at the site, along with some additional conditions to control the operations on the site.

Resolved: That after first taking into consideration the environmental information, as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the committee.

A report was presented on an application for the construction of a bund with soils and inert waste at Ream Hills Farm, Mythop Road, Weeton.

The report included the views of Fylde Borough Council, the Environment Agency, National Air Traffic Control and the County Council's Developer Support (Highways).

The Head of Development Management, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing an aerial view of the site, a site layout plan and photographs of the site from various aspects.

The committee was advised that the proposed mound would detract from the character of the surrounding countryside, and increase the risk of flooding. 

Resolved: That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:-

1) Part of the proposed bund is located within an area having a high probability of flooding. The creation of the bund would result in a loss of flood storage capacity and unacceptably increase the risk of flooding elsewhere contrary to policy EP30 of the Fylde Borough Local Plan.

2) The development is not considered to be essentially required in order to support the continuation of the existing tourist facilities and by reason of scale and design would harm the character of the surrounding countryside. The development is therefore contrary to Policies SP2 and EP11 of the Fylde Borough Local Plan.

A report was presented on an application for four single storey extensions to provide 6 additional classrooms and extra resource areas, extension to the existing secondary car park to provide an additional 16 spaces and associated lighting columns, alteration of two windows to fire exits, re-alignment of 2.4 metre high rear boundary fencing and external works consisting of landscaping and disabled access paths, steps and ramps and, temporary fenced contractors' compound and associated access at Moorside County Primary School, Bowerham Road, Lancaster.

The committee was reminded that at their meeting held on 3 September, 2014, they had resolved to defer the application to allow the applicant to consider the construction of a drop off / pick up layby within the existing pavement / school frontage on Bowerham Road.

The Head of Development Management, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing an aerial view of the site, a site layout plan including one of the proposed layby and photographs of the site from various aspects.

It was reported orally that the applicant had submitted an email and drawing for the purposes of conditions 19 and 20 of the recommendation.

Condition 19 related to details of proposed works to the trees affected by the temporary access and details for the protection of the trees. The applicant had advised that whilst no works were proposed to trees along the route of the temporary access, the specification of a barrier to be constructed to British Standards would be provided to protect trees along the route of the temporary access.

Condition 20 related to details of tree and root protection measures around those trees and vegetation to be retained within the site. The applicant had advised that a barrier to British Standards would be provided along the northern and north-west boundaries of the school in the location of trees to be retained and protected. 

The committee was advised that in relation to Condition 19, the proposed type and location of the proposed protective barrier for existing trees along the route of the temporary construction access was considered acceptable for the purposes of the proposed condition. It was therefore proposed to amend condition 19 as follows to reflect such (reason to remain unchanged):

'19  No works shall be undertaken to the trees along the route of the temporary construction access along the shared pedestrian/ cycle path. The details and location of the protective barrier for existing trees along the route of the temporary construction access, as detailed on Drawing No. LA1 Rev. A – Protection of Existing Trees and Proposed New Tree Planting submitted with the application on 14^th October 2014, shall be implemented in full prior to the temporary access being brought into use and shall be maintained throughout the use of the temporary construction access. The barrier shall be removed on completion of the construction phase of the development.'

The committee was also advised that in relation to Condition 20, the proposed type and location of the protective barrier for those trees and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

A report was presented on an application to vary the approved drawings to allow an extended wingwall on the A6 Lancaster Road Bridge to be replaced with a landscaped embankment.

The report included the views of Lancaster City Council.

The Head of Development Management, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing an illustration of the proposed link road and the extended landscaped embankment.

Resolved:  a) That the proposed amendment to the design of the Lancaster Road bridge be accepted and that the replacement of drawing no. B1082600/6546/00001 by drawing B1082600/6546/0001 rev C1 be approved.

b) That the approved landscaping works for the lower part of the embankment at this location be carried out over the full area of the extended earthworks shown on drawing B1082600/6546/0001 rev C1.

It was reported that since the meeting of the Development Control Committee on the 3 September 2014, four planning applications had been granted planning permission by the Executive Director for Environment in accordance with the Council's Scheme of Delegation.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of urgent business.

The next meeting of the Development Control Committee will be held on Wednesday 10 December 2014 at 10.00 a.m. in Cabinet Room B - the Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.

Resolved: That the next meeting of the Committee be held on Wednesday 10 December 2014.