Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Becky Capon on 01483 743011 or email  becky.capon@woking.gov.uk 

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Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 14 January 2020 as published.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 January 2020 be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

2.

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor L Lyons.

3.

Declarations of Interest

(i)    To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary and other interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

(ii)   In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, any Member who is a Council- appointed Director of a Thameswey Group company will declare a non-pecuniary interest in any item involving that Thameswey Group company. The interest will not prevent the Member from participating in the consideration of that item.

(iii)   In accordance with the Officer Procedure Rules, any Officer who is a Council- appointed Director of a Thameswey Group company will declare an interest in any item involving that Thameswey Group company. The interest will not prevent the Officer from advising the Committee on that item.

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Minutes:

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Councillor L Morales declared a pecuniary interest in minute item 6b. 2019/1017  23 Gloster Road, Old Woking - as the applicant for the Planning Application. The interest was such that Councillor L Morales would leave the chamber for consideration of this item.

 

In accordance with the Officer Procedure Rules, Peter Bryant, Head of Democratic and Legal Services declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 5. Planning and Enforcement Appeals arising from his position as a Council appointed Director of the Thameswey Developments Ltd, who was the applicant for one of the reported Appeal decisions. The interest was such that it would not prevent the Officer from reporting on or advising on the item.

 

4.

Urgent Business

To consider any business that the Chairman rules may be dealt with under Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

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Minutes:

There were no items of Urgent Business.

5.

Planning and Enforcement Appeals pdf icon PDF 55 KB

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Minutes:

The Committee received a report on the planning appeals lodged and the appeal decisions.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

6.

Planning Applications pdf icon PDF 51 KB

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Minutes:

The Committee determined the following applications subject to the conditions, informatives, reasons for refusal or authorisation of enforcement action which appear in the published report to the Committee or as detailed in these minutes.

 

7.

2018/0798 Little Ponds, Mount Road, Woking pdf icon PDF 111 KB

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Minutes:

[NOTE 1: The Planning Officer advised the Committee that three additional letters of objection had been received which mainly reiterated the comments already summarised within the representations section of the report.]

 

[NOTE 2: The Planning Officer advised the Committee of an additional informative as detailed below;

 

‘The applicant is advised that in the event the finished levels, as shown and annotated on the approved plans listed within condition 02 of this notice, alter for any reason that further planning permission is likely to be required. In such event advice should be sought from the Local Planning Authority at the earliest opportunity’.]

 

The Committee considered an application for the erection of a two storey detached dwelling (3 x bedroom) on land south of Little Ponds. The proposal included an associated vehicular access onto Mouth Road along with three off-street parking spaces and landscaping.

 

The Chairman queried whether the flooding and pond ecology issues had been considered appropriately. The Planning Officer confirmed that the Case Officer had been in close contact with the applicant on these issues and that the applicant had agreed to make a financial contribution towards the Great Crested Newt pilot project in accordance with the Woking Borough Natural Woking Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Strategy (2016). It was noted that the Surrey Wildlife Trust had raised no objections. The Councils Drainage and Flood Risk Engineer also raised no objections subject to a condition securing a sustainable drainage scheme.

 

Councillor S Ashall, Ward Councillor, raised concern that the proposed plots would be too small and contrary to the density of 5-10dph specified in policy BE1 of the Hook Heath Neighbourhood Plan. The Planning Officer advised that there was some commentary in the report on plot shape and size under paragraph 4. It was noted that The Planning Inspectorate comments on a recent appeal decision for an application nearby had referenced Policy BE1 which stated ‘where possible’ plot sizes should be similar to those adjacent and in other cases within 5-10dph. The Inspector had taken the word ‘where possible’ to determine that this would not be achievable in all cases and that there would be cases where differing from this would occur. The Planning Officer advised that this application was only slightly below the plot size threshold and that it was unlikely that refusal would stand up on appeal. It was also important to consider how an Inspector would be likely to interpret Neighbourhood Plan Policy. Councillor S Ashall commented that the Hook Heath Neighbourhood Plan would be undermined on the approval of this application although agreed with the Planning Officers view that refusal of the application was unlikely to stand up on appeal.

 

RESOLVED

 

That planning permission be granted subject to conditions, additional informative as noted in these minutes and S106 Agreement.

8.

2019/1017 23 Gloster Road, Woking pdf icon PDF 52 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[NOTE: The Planning Officer advised the Committee of an update to Condition 2 (approved plans) as detailed below;

 

Remove text:  ‘East Elevation (showing proposed), unnumbered, undated and rec’d by the LPA on 14.01.2020’

 

Replace with text: East Elevation (showing proposed), unnumbered, undated and rec’d by the LPA on 03.02.2020’.]

 

The Committee considered an application for the erection of part two storey rear/side extension and single storey front porch. Insertion of obscure-glazed first floor side-facing (east) windows.

 

It was noted that this item had been referred to the Committee for consideration as the applicant was an elected Member of the Council.

 

RESOLVED

 

That Planning permission be granted subject to conditions and updated condition as noted in these minutes.