Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillors M Green and P 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 K Snape declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 as the County Councillor for the area concerned.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 23, 24, 25 and 29 June 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

A report was presented on the above application for amendments to the supporting structures for the advance direction signing of the remodelled northbound junction 34 diverge of the Heysham to M6 link road, Lancaster.

The report included the views of Highways England. 

The Development Management Officer, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing the site locations and an illustration of the sign design.

Resolved: That the details of amended motorway signage as set out in application ref Heysham DCO M6 05 be approved.

A report was presented on the above application for amendments to the general arrangements of Beaumont Gate retaining wall in accordance with drawing B1082600/31741/0001 revision C2 under requirement 4(2) of the confirmed Development Consent Order. Heysham M6 Link Road, Lancaster.

The report included the views of Lancaster City Council and National Grid Gas and Electricity.

The Development Management Officer, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing the site location and an illustration of the Beaumont Gate retaining wall.

Resolved: That drawing 5/3/ST18/IPC/01 showing the design of the Beaumont Gate Retaining Wall be replaced by drawing B1082600/31741/0001.

A report was presented on an application for a quarry extension at Brinscall Quarry, Twistmoor Lane, Withnell, Chorley.

The Committee members had visited the site and the local highway network on 13 July 2015. 

The report included the views of Withnell Parish Council, Chorley Borough Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Health and Safety Executive, the County Council's Developer Support (Highways), Landscape Service, Ecology Service and Archaeology Service and details of 234 letters of representation received.

The Development Management Officer, presented a PowerPoint presentation showing the location of the site, the nearest residential properties and the access road. The presentation also included an aerial photograph of the quarry from the 1960s and photographs of the site from various aspects including from Heather Lea Drive, Sandringham Drive and St Joseph's Primary School.

The Officer reported that an additional 8 representations had been received including one from the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside.  Further details of the representations together with the advice from the Officer was set out in the Update Sheet. (Copy attached at Annex A to the Minute Book).

The Committee was also informed that an e-petition with 371 signatories had been received objecting to the proposal.

The Committee heard representations from six individuals objecting to the application.  They reiterated the concerns raised in the committee report and on the update sheet in relation to the impacts on the landscape and ecology of the area.  Concern was also raised regarding a number of issues associated with HGV traffic and the impacts of such on local residents and highway safety. 

They also felt that:

·  An adequate supply of mineral for building stone and aggregate was available from elsewhere in the County. Therefore, the extension was not required.

·  A number of ecological concerns had not been addressed.

·  The application should be resubmitted as the withdrawal of the tree planting scheme considerably altered the application.

·  The proposal would impact on the wildlife corridor and intrude further into the moors which were earmarked for SSSI status.

·  The proposal would bring the quarry in close proximity to the '3 trees' and Cockers Folly which were of important significance to local residents. People had scattered ashes at the site and at Cockers Folly and it would be disrespectful to those memories.

·  No hydrological survey had been undertaken.

·  No consideration had been given to a similar application which had been refused planning permission in 1975.

The committee was informed that the majority of these concerns were addressed in the committee report and on the update sheet. The committee was also informed that the application which was refused in 1975 was for a much larger area, an extension to the southern boundary with traffic proposed to go through Withnell and Brinscall.

In response to concerns raised by the Committee, the officer advised that:

·  The removal of the tree planting scheme would not represent a significant change to the application.

·  The SSSI has been considered and the concerns raised by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

A report was presented on an application for the approval of details reserved by condition to planning permissions 6/13/0528 and LCC/2014/0122 relating to the construction of the Broughton Bypass, Preston.

The Development Management Officer reported that a letter had been received from the Broughton bypass review group who represent Broughton in Amounderness CE Primary School and Broughton St John Baptist Church.

The Review Group stated that they were still in discussions with the County Council regarding the details of landscaping and surface water drainage. The Review Group had noted several comments that had been made by the Inspector in her report into the CPO inquiry including the impacts of noise on the school / church, the details of the landscaping, design of the new car park and drainage arrangements. The Review Group therefore requested that a decision be deferred until such time as the Review Group had the opportunity to consider the submitted details.

Members were asked to note that the recommendation to the committee report required that the details be approved subject to no objections being received in the consultation period.  The consultation period on the submitted details ends on 29^th July which would provide the Review Group with time to consider the details and provision to make any further comments if they so wish.  In the circumstances, the committee was asked whether it wished to defer consideration of the application until the next meeting on 2 September.

It was therefore Moved and Seconded that consideration of the application be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee on 2^nd September 2015.

On being put to the vote the Motion was Carried. It was therefore

Resolved: That the application be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee on 2^nd September 2015.

A report was presented on an application for a proposed single storey extension to Lancaster Road County Primary School, Lancaster Road, Morecambe to provide six new classrooms, hall, storage, meeting rooms, new entrance, plant room and staff area, a further extension to the existing kitchen, new car parking area with 6 metre high lighting columns, new tarmac playground and new fencing and gates.

The Committee noted that no representations had been received.

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation which included an aerial photograph of the site and the nearest residential properties. The Committee was also shown an illustration of the proposed site layout plan and the elevations and photographs of the site from various aspects.

Following questions to the Officer with regard to the parking provision at the school it was:

Resolved: That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the committee.

It was reported that since the meeting of the Development Control Committee on the 20 May 2015, nine planning applications had been granted planning permission by the Head of Service Planning and Environment in accordance with the County 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 2^nd September 2015 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 2 September, 2015.