Minutes of the Planning Committee of the 29th July 2013
Birdham Parish Council
Minutes of the Planning Committee of Birdham Parish Council
held on Monday 29th July 2013
at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall
Present: Cllr Grafham, Cllr Barker, Cllr Hamilton and Cllr Ayton
Ex-Officio: Cllr Cobbold (Vice Chairman)
Apologies: Cllr Finch (Chairman).
In attendance: The Clerk
P1-13 Election of Chairman:
It was duly resolved that Cllr Grafham be elected Chairman of the Planning Committee for the ensuing year.
P2-13 Declarations of Interests:
There were none.
P3-13 Planning Applications – To be decided upon:
i) BI/13/01701/EXT Houseboat Eloise, Chichester Marina
This is an application for a further extension to a previously granted planning permission. There is no variation to the existing extant application therefore Birdham Parish Council does not object to this extension
ii) BI/13/01808/P3JPA Opal Building, Premier Marinas Limited, Chichester Marina
This is an application to convert an office building on their marina site to residential use using the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) order 2013.
Whilst in general the Parish Council accept that the building is already in existence the conversion to residential use flies in the face of NPPF 115 and 116 as the site is outside of the existing SPA and well within the boundary of the Chichester Harbour Conservation Area AONB. The harbour is of national and international importance for nature conservation. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a wetland of international importance, a Special Protection Area for wild birds and a candidate Special Area of Conservation. The Harbour is of particular significance for wintering wildfowl and waders some of which are internationally important.
Development in an AONB is covered very clearly in the NPPF sect 11 para 115. NPPF Sect 11 para 116 quite clearly says that permission should be refused except in exceptional circumstances and where it can be demonstrated that development would be in the public interest.
In the opinion of the Parish Council there is no evidence to suggest that the site has been advertised to determine the viability of the building as an existing Class B1 site.
The application currently makes no mention of affordable housing or a contribution towards affordable housing and shows no detail of the car parking area or the proposed decking area. Currently the area surrounding the building is used as amenity area by boat owners and visitors to the marina is this to be lost?
Equally it is not disclosed whether these flats will be for sale or lease as full residential units or as holiday lets with the usual caveats in terms of months of use? Are they to be for the use of berth holders or are they open market properties?
The Parish Council is also concerned that should this change of use be permitted then a precedent will have been set allowing the adjacent building to be converted in the same vein.
Birdham Parish Council Objects to this application for change of use until it can be demonstrated that all of the questions above have been properly answered.
iii) BI/13/01960/FUL Mr & Mrs Eade (The BarnYard Ltd) Birdham
This is a retrospective application to vary condition 3 of granted permission BI/10/04094/FUL to allow for the sale of perishable goods.
At its Planning Meeting on the 29th July Birdham Parish Council supported this application saying that in their opinion it met the needs of local residents and visitors as well as providing valuable competition to other businesses without imposing building impact on the surrounding area and the AONB.
Birdham Parish Council raises No Objection to this application
It was resolved to authorise the Clerk to inform DC Planning of the decisions made.
P4-13. Decisions – To be noted.
i) BI/13/00389/DOM Mr S Grant Coppice Barn Church Lane Birdham
Replacement of redundant outbuilding with new studio and games room. PERMIT
ii) BI/13/01683/TCA Mr Bob Hudson West Bell House Bell Lane Birdham
Notification of intention to fell 1 no. Willow tree. NOT TO PREPARE A TREE PRESERVATION ORDER
P5-13 Date of next meeting - TBA
There being no further business to discuss the meeting closed at 8.15pm
Signed ___________________________ Dated ____________________
Chairman