Decision:
Approved.
Minutes:
The application before Members proposed to utilise the application site as a car park, to be used in conjunction with The Sanctuary health centre. The site would have thirteen car parking spaces. The site would utilise the existing access off Pea Lane, and would be surfaced in permeable gravel.
Members noted that the application had been called in by Councillor Linda Van den Hende on the grounds that the new application covered all the issues previously set out as reasons for rejection, primarily as it’s in the Green Belt. The car park was temporary, would be made of materials which could be easily removed and the land which was currently in the corner of a farmer’s field and unused for crops, could be returned to agricultural use. The planting of trees along the boundary of the area would shield the car park and indeed enhance an area which was currently unsightly and after the car park was returned to agriculture would be a lasting enhancement. It would improve the business of The Sanctuary and enable the existing car park close to the treatment rooms to be allocated exclusively for disabled parking.
With its agreement Councillor Linda Van den Hende addressed the Committee.
Councillor Van den Hende re-emphasised the points made in her call-in commented that the business had been in place since 1998 and had proved beneficial to the community. Councillor Van den Hende also commented that the proposal would be a safe secure area and that there would be no loss of amenity and asked that the Committee approved the granting of planning permission.
During the debate Members discussed the possible harm to the Green Belt and the proposal’s special circumstances.
Some Members felt that by granting planning permission on Green Belt land weakened the Council’s position when it came to refusing other applications that were on Green Belt land.
There was also mention of the alleviation of parking problems that the proposal would help with but again some Members felt that by granting planning permission a dangerous precedent could be set and that developing on Breen belt land was not the answer to solving a shortage of parking throughout the borough.
The report recommended that planning permission be refused, however following a motion to approve the granting of planning permission which was carried by 6 votes to 4 with 1 abstention it was RESOLVED to delegate to the Head of Regulatory Services to grant planning permission subject to a condition requiring that the car park use was to cease and the land be fully reinstated to Green Belt use and appearance in accordance with details to be submitted and agreed in writing and subject to any other conditions which the Head of Regulatory Services judged necessary.
The vote for the resolution to grant planning permission was carried by 6 votes to 4 with 1 abstention.
Councillors Misir, Crowder, White, Donald, Hawthorn, Whitney voted for the resolution to grant planning permission.
Councillors Kelly, Wallace, Nunn and Martin voted against the resolution to grant planning permission.
Councillor Williamson abstained from voting.