Minutes of the Planning Committee of the 11th February 2013
Birdham Parish Council
Minutes of the Planning Committee of Birdham Parish Council
Held on Monday the 11th February 2013
At 8pm in Birdham Village Hall
Present: Cllr Tilbury (Chairman), Cllr Barker, Cllr Grafham, Cllr Cobbold (Vice Chairman).
Ex-Officio: Cllr Finch (Chairman of Council)
Apologies: There were none.
In attendance: The Clerk, Cllr R Marshall (CDC) and 6 residents.
P12-12 Declarations of Interests:
There were no declarations of interest
P13-12 Planning Applications:
i) Applications to be decided.
BI/12/04564/FUL Moorings, Westlands, Birdham
This is an application to use alternative materials, thus varying conditions 2 and 3 of the grant of permission BI/1202739/FUL on this development which lies outside the Birdham SPA but within the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, facing the Birdham Channel.
The essential difference lies in the substitution of cut stone ashlar with fine joints and some horizontal rustification in place of render and timber cladding.
The only issue is appearance. It is impossible for us to determine whether this stone cladding would be intrusive into the landscape at this position more than the render and cladding. We have concerns about this and how the new stone would weather over time. This does not provide us however with sufficient grounds to object to the application. We shall monitor the ageing process as an example to be used in any future applications.
The Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/13/00069/DOM Palmers, Pescotts Close, Birdham
This is a replacement application to BL/12/01570/DOM which was refused by the LPA on the grounds of impact on existing dwellings, neighbourhood amenity and the effect on the surrounding area which is within the Birdham SPA and the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chichester Harbour Conservancy in particular commented that the west elevation, when viewed from Crooked Lane, would be disharmonious with neighbouring buildings in the area. Subsequent pre-application advice and a planning site-visit highlighted six matters for attention, including a reduction in the ridge heights and setting in of the rear mansard and eaves.
While we accept that the conjunction of the various roofs is not ideal we believe that this pattern was set by the original plan to Pescotts Close on this site and has not been improved by piecemeal extensions to adjacent properties since then. We do not believe that this is sufficient to oppose this application, especially as reasonable efforts have been made to satisfy the previous criticisms. The Council therefore has NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/13/00039/DOM 9 Longmeadow Gardens, Birdham
This is an application to widen an existing garage by one metre and to widen the driveway around the extension by a similar amount. The site is within the Birdham SPA and the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The issue are loss of amenity to the neighbours and overdevelopment of the site. We see no problem in either respect and therefore have NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/13/00155/DOM The Snipe, Lock Lane, Birdham
This is an application to convert the existing conservatory into a garden room. The site lies outside the Birdham SPA and within the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty overlooking the Birdham Channel adjacent to Salterns Lock, and therefore at a sensitive spot in the landscape.
The proposed garden room is attached to the west elevation of the main dwelling which dates from about 1820.
The issue is whether this modern design is in keeping with the Georgian building which has been much altered and restored to some coherence by external alterations since 2001. There would be an increase of 8% in the footprint of the building (a 40cm extension on the west elevation of the garden room) which is negligible. The site is well-screened and there is no loss of amenity issues with neighbours to the west. The amount of glass (and therefore of possible glare when viewed from the water to the north) is reduced from the present relatively modern conservatory.
The Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/12/04411/FUL (Substitute Plans) Tate House, Main Road, Birdham
This Council objected to the original application which was to seek a variation of condition 17 (Landscape Buffer) against application BI/07/03486/FUL due to the encroachment and reduction in the buffer zone, coupled with a lack of information concerning the method of maintenance and by whom.
We have now seen evidence of the creation of a management company to ensure the maintenance of the buffer zone and the enshrinement and continuity of the maintenance into covenants against each of the properties in this development which satisfies our original objections.
The Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
ii) Delegate decisions to be noted.
BI/12/04484/FUL Mr David Standen Eastview Church Lane Birdham
Replacement dwelling and double garage. PERMIT
BI/12/04147/OUT Rydon Homes, Land at Tawny Nurseries, Bell Lane, Birdham
Outline application for 30 dwellings, new access road, parking & associated garaging, open space and play area (incorporates 12 affordable dwellings). REFUSE
P14-12 Planning Application Consultation changes
The Clerk reported that a possibility of changes to the Planning Consultation process was currently being trialled by a number of Parishes. The changes, if proposals go ahead, are to completely do away with paper plans and to work digitally. It is recognised that approximately 50% of all applications are now submitted to the Planning Authority (CDC) digitally thus reducing paper usage and cost to the applicant, whilst the Planning Authority is still having to produce paper plan copies, at CDC expense, to satisfy the requirement of the Parish Councils.
The problems identified by the Clerk and other Parishes are that most Parishes do not have sufficient equipment or digital communications to cope with the additional workload. It would require that Birdham Parish Council purchase a laptop computer, projector and screen, a broadband dongle or hard wired broadband system into the Village Hall plus an increase in the Clerks hours. The cost would have to be met, initially, from the reserves of approximately £3000.00 to meet this new way of working which has not been budgeted for and would mean an increase to a Band D taxpayer of £6.37 or 13% above the current rate.
Councillors felt that whilst they understood the cost impact to the Planning Authority (CDC) the impact on Parishes had not been recognised by CDC. Equally the timing was felt to be at odds with the budgeting process that Parishes had to deal with to meet the timetable imposed by CDC. The conclusion was that Birdham Parish Council should not be forced into this new way of working unless some financial assistance was made by CDC to the Parish Council to defray costs. And for the foreseeable future Birdham Parish Council would require paper plans and would oppose the move to digital.
It was resolved that the Clerk be instructed to write to the Planning Authority outlining the difficulties and expense of the Parish Council moving to a digital format and requesting that until further notice all planning applications submitted to Birdham Parish Council should be in full paper format.
P15-12 Date of next meeting.
To be advised
There being no further business to discuss the meeting closed at 9.10 pm
Signed ___________________________ Dated ____________________
Chairman