To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 March 2023 (Appendix ‘A’).

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2023 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Apologies were received from Cllr P. Snow.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registrable and non-registrable interests in items on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made.

The planning applications listed below were considered by the Committee. All representations received on the applications were reported and copies had been made available for inspection by Members before the meeting. The Addendum had also been published on the Council’s website on the day of the meeting. Objectors and applicants and /or their agents addressed the Committee on the applications specified.

Resolved that –

the following applications be determined as indicated.

Proposal: Full planning permission for redevelopment and erection of commercial buildings consisting of flexible light industrial uses (Use Class B2 or E) and/or storage floorspace (Use Class B8), landscaping, car parking and associated works.

Several Members were keen to seek clarification on the noise assessment that had been carried out at the location, particularly for overnight hours due to the applicant’s intended potential 24/7 usage. 

The Assistant Development Manager confirmed that both day and night-time surveys had been undertaken and compared against likely activities associated with the development. 

The survey had subsequently considered proposed mitigation, including the building fabric to ensure the building provided appropriate acoustic value, the 5m acoustic fencing would help mitigate any increases in noise, along with the fact that offloading from HGVs would take place inside the development.

It concluded that when assessing the proposal based on its worst case scenario it was unlikely to result in any material increase in noise at any time above the normal background level.  Officers had therefore concluded that the proposed mitigation was consistent with the Council’s policies.

Furthermore, it was highlighted that the proposal was for flexible use, meaning the buildings could be occupied by different users, so 24 hour access was being requested to make them more viable and increase the prospect of their full utilisation and meet modern needs.  Limiting the hours of use would reduce the appeal to potential tenants and was not what was being applied for by the applicant. 

In order to impose any additional conditions with regard amenity and noise disruption the council would need to demonstrate evidence that the likely usage would cause undue harm, however the Assistant Development Manager reiterated that officers’ view was that the proposed mitigation was acceptable and therefore additional conditions would be difficult to justify at this time.

Additionally, Environmental Health officers had their own powers in statutory noise complaints, which was a function that sat outside of the planning process and if issues arose these could be separately enforceable under EH powers.

The Corporate Head of Development Management and Building Control explained to a Member that it would not be appropriate to impose any temporary permissions on the basis that the application was for a permanent set of buildings and it would be unreasonable to require the applicant to change substantive parts of the scheme, it was considered that the conditions imposed were sufficient for this development particularly giving regard to previous permissions.

The boost to the local economy by the creation of jobs was highlighted as a positive aspect of the application, and the Assistant Development Manager advised that the method for estimating the number of jobs was based on a central government metrics that projected both the number of jobs created from the site along with jobs from construction and other associated sectors as part of the process.

The Assistant Development Manager clarified the current position with the objection from Environment Agency (EA), explaining that the EA were working with the applicant to ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 668a

The Committee thanked Cllr Jim Broadhead, who had served on Planning Committee for twenty years and would be standing down as a Councillor at the upcoming election.