Agenda and minutes

Any Member attending as an approved substitute to report giving his/her name and the name of the Member being substituted.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies of absence were received from Councillor John Hinton.

Councillor Derek Davis substituted for Councillor John Hinton.

Members to declare any interests as appropriate in respect of items to be considered at this meeting.

Councillor Lee Parker declared a Local Non-Pecuniary interest in application DC/19/02345 as he was formerly the Ward Member for the area.

Councillor Alison Owen declared a Local Non-Pecuniary interest in application DC/19/03126 as she lived in Acton. The Planning Lawyer advised that Councillor Owen had consulted him and he was satisfied that she did not have a pecuniary interest.

To Follow.

It was resolved that the Minutes of the meeting from the 26 February 2020 were confirmed and signed as a true record.

None received.

In addition to any site inspections which the Committee may consider to be necessary, the Acting Chief Planning Officer will report on any other applications which require site inspections.

The provisional date for any site inspections is Wednesday 18 March 2020.

None requested.

An Addendum to Paper PL/19/27 will be circulated to Members prior to the commencement of the meeting summarising additional correspondence received since the publication of the agenda but before 12 noon on the working day before the meeting, together with any errata.

In accordance with the Council’s arrangements for Public Speaking at Planning Committee, representations were made as detailed below relating to the items in Paper PL/19/27 and the speakers responded to questions put to them as provided for under those arrangements.

It was RESOLVED

That subject to the imposition of conditions or reasons for refusal (whether additional or otherwise) in accordance with delegated powers under Council Minute No. 48(a) (dated 19 October 2004) decisions on the items referred to in Paper PL/19/27 be made as follows:-

120.1 Item A

Application          DC/19/03126

Proposal             Planning Application- Erection of 100 dwellings, vehicular access, open space and associated infrastructure. 

Site Location       ACTON – Land South of, Tamage Road, Acton, Suffolk

Applicant             Bloor Homes Eastern

120.2 The Case Officer presented the application to the Committee outlining the proposal before Members, the layout of the site, and the officer recommendation of approval.

120.3 Members considered the representation from Graham Round of Acton Parish Council.

120.4 The Parish Council representative responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the scale of the development compared to the size of the village, that the village did not have a Neighbourhood Plan, and that a housing needs survey had been done by the applicant but that it did not reflect the needs of the parish.

120.5 Members considered the representation from John Purser who spoke as an Objector.

120.6 The Objector responded to Members questions on issues including: flooding in the village.

120.7 Members considered the representation from Robert Eburne and Sophie Waggot who spoke as the Applicants.

120.8 The Applicants responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the deliverability of the site, the proposed clustering of Affordable Housing, the proposed parking measures for the site, the revisions that had been made to the proposal, that there were no bungalows proposed on the site, that the development did conform to NDSS, and the proposed Market housing on the site.

120.9 Members considered the representations from the Ward Members, Councillor John Nunn and Elisabeth Malvisi.

120.10 The Ward Members responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the sustainability of the proposal.

120.11 The Professional Lead- Housing Enabling advised Members regarding the Housing mix on the site.

120.12 Members debated the application on the issues including: the clustering of Affordable Housing, the sustainability of the development, the bus services in the area, that Acton was part of the functional cluster of Long Melford and Sudbury, the relevance of policy CS11 associated with the proposed site, the scale of the development compared to the current size of Acton, the weight of the Draft Joint Local Plan, the health provision in the area, the employment opportunities in the area, the response from the Education Authority (SCC).

120.13 Councillor Melanie Barrett proposed that the application be approved as detailed in the officer recommendation. Councillor Adrian Osborne seconded the motion.

120.14 by 4 votes to 7

120.15 The motion was lost.

120.16 Councillor David Busby proposed that the application be deferred for the following reasons:

-        Request provision of 2 – bed bungalows;

-        Reduction of 4-bed houses;

-        Reduce incidence of triple parking

-        Affordable Housing to be better distributed throughout the site;

-        Play area to be moved away from SUDS

120.17 Councillor Stephen Plumb seconded the motion.

120.18 RESOLVED

That the application was deferred for the following reasons:

-        Request provision of 2 – bed bungalows;

-        Reduction of 4-bed houses;

-        Reduce incidence of triple parking

-        Affordable Housing to be better distributed throughout the site;

-        Play area  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120.

121.1 A short comfort break was taken between 11:42-11:47 after the completion of DC/19/03126 but before the commencement of DC/19/02345.

121.2 Item A

Application          DC/19/02345

Proposal             Planning Application – Change of use from a mixed use of residential & bus depot/ workshop (sui generis use) to mixed use of B1 (business) and residential – retention of

Site Location       BURES ST MARY- Knowle House, Church Square, Bures St Mary, Bures, Suffolk, CO8 5AB

Applicant             Amobox

121.3 The Case Officer presented the application to the Committee outlining the proposal before Members, the layout of the site, the contents of the tabled papers, and the officer recommendation of approval.

121.4 The Senior Environmental Protection Officer advised Members of the history of the site from a planning enforcement perspective and outlined the surveys and measures that had been put in place by the applicant to mitigate harm.

121.5 Members considered the representation from Janet Aries of Bures St Mary Parish Council.

121.6 The Parish Council representative responded to Members’ questions on issues including: the previous use of the building as a Coachworks, restrictions on working hours, and concerns regarding fumes and noise.

121.7 Members considered the representation from Stephen Belcher who spoke as an Objector.

121.8 The Objector responded to Members questions on issues including: noise that had originated from the site in the early morning, and the types of sound that came from the site.

121.9 The Planning Lawyer advised Members that there was no fall back position regarding the application site apart from the sui generis use as a bus depot which was likely to be its current lawful use, however it appeared unlikely that this would be resumed.

121.10 Members considered the representation from the Applicant and Agent, Matthew Amodio and Robert Pomery.

121.11 The Applicant and Agent responded to Members’ questions on issues including: possible soundproofing to the site, that 50% of staff lived in the area, the reason for the application before Members, that the business would have to close in the short term if the application was refused, the investment in new quieter tools and practices of manufacturing, and the proposed hours of operation.

121.12 Members debated the application on the issues including: the retention of employment on the site, the residential amenity of local residents, the road traffic noise level, that the Councils Heritage team had not commented on the application, the proposed use of the site, the evidence provided regarding noise surveys that had been taken, and the Company Manual. 

121.13 Councillor Stephen Plumb proposed that the application be approved as detailed in the officer recommendation with the additional condition as detailed below:

-        Condition relating to Amobox Company Manual to be clarified to make it more specific to the current manual.

121.14 Councillor Adrian Osborne seconded the motion.

121.15 RESOLVED

That the application is GRANTED planning permission/listing building consent/other and includes the following conditions:-

· Approved Plans and Documents

· Personal Permission to the Applicant

· Removal of PD rights to permitted changes of use

· Work procedures to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 121.