Issue - meetings

Church Farm Ardeley

Meeting: 08/03/2023 - Development Management Committee (Item 391)

391 3/21/0498/FUL - Barn 1 - office accommodation, and 6 units of overnight accommodation (with 14 beds in total) for staff, volunteers and students working on the farm site (class E(g); Barn 2 - 12 self-contained holiday lodges, outbuilding for shower and laundry facilities (class C3 but occupation restricted to short stays only); Barn 3 - 3 retail/workshops (class E(a) / E(g)); Barn 4 - learning and meeting/events space with kitchen and two offices at first floor (Class F.1(a) / F.2(b) and Class E(g)); erection of 3 dwellings (class C3); widening of access and footpath and associated car parking provision at Church Farm, Moor Green Road, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7AH PDF 354 KB

Recommended for Approval

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Planning and Building Control recommended that in respect of application 3/21/0498/FUL, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report.

The Principal Planning Officer summarised the key features of the proposed development and presented a detailed series of plans and visuals in respect of the application site. He detailed the key features of the scheme and referred to there being a certificate of lawfulness for the residential caravans on the site.

The Principal Planning Officer said that a large tree referred to in the report was located in an area of open space that was close to the boundary of the application site and was within the grounds of a school. Members were presented with a proposed layout plan and the Officer set out the location of the main vehicle entrance and he detailed the existing uses of the site.

The Principal Planning Officer said that Ardeley was a category 3 village in the rural area beyond the green belt, in an area where housing development would not normally be permitted and this matter should be balanced against the need for the council to demonstrate a 5 years supply of housing land. He advised that the village was accessible to some services and the proposed development did include some employment floor space.

Members were provided a detailed summary of the key planning issues with a particular reference to policy GBR2 and Officers were of the view that the application was broadly in accordance with that policy in terms of supporting rural economy.

The Principal Planning Officer said that some concern had been raised in respect of the numbers of visitors coming into the village from the holiday accommodation. He said that there was a significant level of separation and Officers did not consider that there would too much noise nuisance as this would be a managed site.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the tree report had indicated that the condition of the tree close to the boundary of this site would be improved due to the removal of hardstanding in the application site. Members were advised that the overall appearance of the site would improve significantly due more areas of soft landscaping and a decrease in building footprints on the site.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the policy conflicts in respect of VIL3 were outweighed by the other considerations that had been identified. He said that the proposed parking provision was in accordance with what was required by policies and the application was also in accordance with the provisions of the development plan.

Members were referred to the additional representations summary with a particular reference to the comments from the local ward Member in support of the application and also a concern from a resident in respect of camping on the farm.

The Principal Planning Officer said that condition 24 had been amended at the request of the applicant to include a reference to volunteers as well as staff. The applicant had ... view the full minutes text for item 391