Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Cath Rawcliffe  Tel: (01772) 533380, Email:  cath.rawcliffe@lancashire.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

Membership of Committee

 

It was reported that County Councillors J Eaton and A Kay had replaced County Councillors M Barron and J Marsh on the Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

 

Temporary changes

 

County Councillors S Holgate, B Dawson and M Salter replaced County Councillors M Dad, M Pattison and J Eaton on the Committee respectively.

 

 

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

None received.

 

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

County Councillors Crompton and Hayhurst declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 4 as members of Preston City Council and Fylde Borough Council respectively.

 

County Councillor Holgate declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 as the electoral division member for the area.

 

3.

Minutes of the last meeting held on 11 July 2018 pdf icon PDF 95 KB

The committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on 11 July 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chair of the Committee.

 

4.

Preston City and Fylde Borough: Application number. LCC/2016/0046
Development of new highways including Preston Western Distributor Road, Cottam Link Road and East West Link Road. The development includes a new motorway junction to the M55 together with temporary soil storage and contractor areas, cycle track alongside all highways, water attenuation ponds, diversion/stopping up of public rights of way, landscaping and ecology mitigation areas, construction of two bridges, two viaducts, two underpasses and a cattle creep.
Land in Lea, Cottam and Bartle and to the west and north of the existing built up area of Preston pdf icon PDF 213 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that the application had been be deferred.

 

It was proposed that the application be considered at a special meeting of the Development Control Committee to be held on Wednesday 3 October 2018 at 1.30pm at County Hall, Preston.

 

Resolved: That the application be deferred and considered at a special meeting of the Development Control Committee to be held on 3 October 2018 at 1.30pm.

 

5.

Ribble Valley Borough: Application Number. LCC/2017/0087
Retrospective application for the importation of soil materials for use in ground stabilisation and landscaping works associated with a consented residential development. Land off Chatburn Old Road, Chatburn. pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was presented on a retrospective application for the importation of soil materials for use in ground stabilisation and landscaping works associated with a consented residential development on land off Chatburn Old Road, Chatburn.

 

The report included the views of Ribble Valley Borough Council, the County Ecology Service and details of two representations received.

 

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint Presentation showing an aerial view of the site and the nearest residential properties. The Committee was also shown a location plan of the housing development and tipping area, an ecology survey and photographs of the site from various aspects.

 

The Officer reported orally that a further letter had been received on behalf of the applicant. The applicant stated that the original surveys of the ecology on the site had been revised using more modern software to produce a more accurate figure as to the area of habitat that had been lost and which required compensation. The applicant considered that the area of proposed compensation was equal to the area that they had measured through their survey. An illustration showing the area was circulated at the meeting. The applicant also reiterated his proposals for recreating calcareous grassland habitat on the compensation area including seeding, lime treatment, seeding and management.

 

In response, the officer advised that the comments of the applicant were noted. Nevertheless, the county council still considered that the area of habitat lost to the development was considerably greater than the area of proposed compensation. The applicant's proposed works to the surface of the tipped material were noted but it was considered that they would not allow for the development of habitats of the same quality as those lost.

 

Mr Jackson, the applicant, addressed the committee and spoke in support of the application. He explained that it had been necessary to address ground level differences on the site by using additional soil materials to provide an even gradient.  It was during this process that an area of unimproved grassland areas and semi improved calcareous grassland had been lost. He had since agreed to recreate this habitat but disputed the size of the area lost and the proposed area for compensation.

 

Members of the Committee discussed the application and agreed that the mitigation measures did not provide adequate compensation for the ecological impacts of the development. Members also raised concerns with regard to the retrospective nature of the application.

 

Resolved: That planning permission be refused for the following reason:

 

The development results in a loss of unimproved calcareous grassland which is a Habitat of Principal Importance for conservation in England (Section 41 Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006). The application does not provide for the adequate mitigation for the loss of such habitat and is therefore contrary to paragraph 175 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Policy EN4 of the Ribble Valley Local Plan and Policy DM2 of the Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

 

6.

Chorley Borough: Application Number. LCC/2018/0029
Erection of new classroom block. Astley Park School, Harrington Road, Chorley pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was presented on an application for the erection of a new classroom block atAstley Park School, Harrington Road, Chorley.

 

The report included the views of LCC Highways Development Control and details of one letter of representation received.

 

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint Presentation showing an aerial view of the site and the nearest residential properties. The Committee was also shown an illustration of the new development and photographs of the former building on the site.

 

The Head Teacher of the school, Mr Welsh, addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application. He informed the Committee that the proposed classroom block would replace a previous building on the site. He explained that the floor plan of new building was slightly larger than the previous building due to a change to building regulations and government guidance for classroom sizes for children with multiple needs.  Mr Welsh confirmed that the new development would not lead to an increase in pupil numbers at the school.

 

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

 

7.

Planning Applications determined by the Head of Planning and Environment in accordance with the County Council's Scheme of Delegation pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Minutes:

It was reported that since the last meeting of the Committee on 11 July 2018, eleven 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

 

8.

Urgent Business

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.

Minutes:

There were no items of Urgent Business.

 

9.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Development Control Committee will be held on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at 10.00 a.m. in Committee Room B - the Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

The Chair announced that a special meeting of the Development Control Committee would be held on Wednesday 3 October 2018 at 1.30pm to consider application LCC/2016/0046.

 

It was also announced that the next ordinary meeting of the Development Control Committee and all future meetings of the Committee, would commence at 10.30am.

 

Resolved: That:

 

i)   A special meeting of the Development Control Committee be held on Wednesday 3 October 2018 at 1.30pm.

 

ii)  The next ordinary meeting of the Development Control Committee be held on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at 10.30am.