Special planning meeting 12 August

Notes from special meeting of the planning committee 12.8.09

(Subject to confirmation at the Parish Council in September)

PRESENT: Delise Ball, Roger Baker, Alan Bastable, Ken Matthews, Peter Meadows, Roy Phillips, Laurence Pollock, John Savill, Jo Stannage.

18 members of the public in attendance

Apologies: Don Allan, Phil Bates, Sue Clark, Alan Morris, Jill Milnthorpe, Rosie Davey-Hunt.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: Peter Meadows, Jo Stannage (both health centre proposal).

Mrs Ball, chairing, allowed 15 minutes for members of the public to speak. Issues raised included access to the Home Farm site and low cost housing. Mrs Ball stressed that in planning terms the accesses, via Lodge Road and High Street into the Goodman land area were set in stone. But the Parish Council was working with Persimmon to change this.

1. General planning matters

CB/09/05410/FULL

Create new ditches and pond facilities at land at Home Farm as an off-site surface water drainage scheme for the Home Farm development.

Decision: No objection but following conditions

1. That works are carried out within normal working hours to reduce disturbance and noise.

2. That vehicles do not access Lodge Road at any time and do not use Court Road until after school has opened (9.15 am) and not between between 3 pm and 4 pm (school closure and pick-up time).

3. That a full ecological survey be carried out on the land to be crossed by the scheme.

4. That further trees be planted and other landscaping, including walkways, be put in round the stilling pond and lakes to improve the look of the area.

CB/09/05504

Reserved matters application for a house consisting of two flats at 187A High Street in front of the three fast food outlets.

Decision: To object on the grounds that the parking at the back together with the very limited parking for the fast food outlets will inevitably lead to excess parking on both the access road to the new development and the nearby part of the High Street. The Parish Council fears the planned new house will make it difficult to see the fast food outlets from the High Street and this will mean further applications for some form of signage.

CB/09/05541/FULL

Two storey side extension at 77 Bedford Road.

Decision: Not to object to the revised application.

CB/09/05615/FULL

Extension to the car park on land adjoining building 243 at the University to provide 85 new car parking spaces.

Decision: Not to object, as we welcome existing car parking spaces on the campus as we have commented in the past on parking problems there, but to ask that a biodiversity survey be carried out on the meadow in case any protected species may be disturbed in the construction of the new car parking area.

2. Home Farm development adoption

Members agreed IN Principle, to adopt the proposed green spaces and neaps and leaps at Home Farm as proposed by Woods Hardwick subject to the following provisos:

1. Colour and materials of play equipment at Parish council discretion

2. The provision of satisfactory commutation sum

3. Further discussion on relocating the pavilion

4. Provision of a suitable sum for the Parish Council to acquire its own public art

5. Further discussion on adoption of the community building

6. Seek guidance from RoSPA on risk assessment and safeguarding childen in relation to a pond on the land for adoption.

It was agreed to invite both Woods Hardwick and Persimmon to attend a parish council meeting or meetings in September.

3. GP Surgery

It was agreed on behalf of the Parish Council to merge submissions from Sue Clark and Laurence Pollock and emphasise:

1. Opposition to proposals for a library, café and other non-health functions as detrimental to the expansion of health facilities. The Parish Council would like to see the building purely for health purposes with other facilities such as a public library, elsewhere in the village.

2. Need for a users group representative of the community as a whole.

3. Need for a walk-in minor injury facility.

4. Need for adequate parking as bus services generally unsuitable.

5. Need for space for visiting GPs from other surgeries (if they will come) and visiting consultants