Agenda item

Recommended for Approval.

Paul Atton addressed the Committee against the application.  Peter Warren spoke for the application.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that, in respect of application 3/13/0204/FP, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report now submitted.

The Director referred Members to additional representations from objecting neighbours that had been summarised in the late representations summary.  Councillor W Ashley, as the local ward Member, stated that Brickendon was a category 2 village.  He also stated that the boundary of the village was undefined.

Councillor Ashley questioned the statement by Officers in the report that this site was located within the village boundary of Brickendon.  He stated that, if the site was outside the village boundary, then green belt policies applied and no special circumstances had been demonstrated as to why this application outweighed green belt policy.

Councillor Ashley queried whether the size of the proposed dwellings could be classed as small scale given that the proposed size of each dwelling was 191 square metres.  He stated that Brickendon was currently working on a neighbourhood plan. 

Councillor Ashley concluded that residents in Brickendon also disagreed with Officers’ views regarding the village boundary and the small scale designation applied to the proposed units.  He urged Members to debate all aspects of this application and not reach a hasty decision.

Councillor P Moore stated that she had visited the site and could not see any reason why Members should not support the Officers’ recommendation for approval.  Councillor S Bull stated that this application was a finely balanced judgement but he had noted that the Conservation Officer had suggested the application should be approved.

Councillor Bull also stated that Affinity Water, the Countryside Access Officer, the Herts and Essex Wildlife Trust and the Ramblers Association were all supportive of the application.  He concluded that, given the support of all of these organisations, he was supportive of the Officers’ recommendation.

Councillor M Alexander stated that he would be voting against the application.  He stressed that the Committee had always prided itself on taking note of the comments of Parish Councils.  He stated that Brickendon Liberty Parish Council objected to the application on the grounds detailed at paragraph 4.1 of the report now submitted.

In response to comments from Councillors M Alexander, E Bedford, K Crofton, M Newman and G Williamson, the Director referred to Policy OSV2 stating that infill development in the Green Belt was acceptable within Category 2 Villages.  The Director also stressed that many of the matters raised by Members were matters of judgement and ultimately the Committee had to come to a view on this application.

Councillor M Alexander proposed and Councillor E Bedford seconded, a motion that application be refused on the grounds that the application constituted inapporpriate development in the Green Belt and was therefore be contrary to policy GBC1 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.  The Committee rejected the recommendation of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that in respect of application 3/13/0204/FP, planning permission be refused for the following reason:

1.           The site is considered to lie outside the built up part of the village and within the Metropolitan Green Belt as defined in the East Hertfordshire Local Plan wherein permission will not be given except in very special circumstances for development for purposes other than those required for mineral extraction, agriculture, small scale facilities for participatory sport and recreation or other uses appropriate to a rural area. no such special circumstances are apparent in this case, and the proposal would therefore be contrary to policy GBC1 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007.

Summary of Reasons for Decision

In accordance with the Town and Country Planning Development (Management Procedure)(England) (Amendment No.2) Order 2012, East Herts Council has considered, in a positive and proactive manner whether the planning objections to this proposal could be satisfactorily resolved within the statutory period for determining the application.  However, for the reasons set out in this decision notice, the proposal is not considered to achieve an acceptable and sustainable development in accordance with the Development Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

At this point (9.55 pm), the Committee passed a resolution that the meeting should continue until the completion of the remaining business on the agenda.