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Lewes and Eastbourne
Councils

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote meeting (via Microsoft Teams)

Contact: Committee Services on 01323 410000 

Note: This meeting is being held remotely using Microsoft Teams in accordance with section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and section 13 of the related regulations. You can view the meeting via the Council's You Tube page. 

Media

Items
No. Item

53.

Welcome and Introductions

Minutes:

The Chair introduced members of the Committee via roll call, and officers those present during the remote meeting.

 

54.

Apologies for absence and notification of substitute members

Minutes:

55.

Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) by members as required under Section 31 of the Localism Act and of other interests as required by the Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Diplock declared a personal interest in item 8 on the agenda - Land at Friday Street Farm, Stone Cross, as he had a relative who lived on Friday Street.

 

56.

Minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2021 pdf icon PDF 139 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2021 were submitted and approved as a correct record, and the Chair was authorised to sign them.

 

57.

Urgent items of business. pdf icon PDF 11 KB

The Chairman to notify the Committee of any items of urgent business to be added to the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were none.

58.

1 Ridgelands Close. ID: 200986 pdf icon PDF 205 KB

Minutes:

Planning application for the erection of 1.8m high close board fence UPPERTON.

 

The Committee was advised that there had been an error in the description of the application, this was corrected to read ‘erection of 1.8m high close boarded fence’.

 

A written representation against the proposal was read aloud by the by the Head of Planning First on behalf of Mr Enefer, objector.  The speech raised a number of concerns regarding the height, scale, style, stability, intrusion of the fence and the loss of trees and shrubs.

 

A written representation in support of the proposal was read aloud by the Head of Planning First on behalf of Mr and Mrs Mitchell, applicants.  The speech was in support of their application for a consistent level of fencing around the property and the proposed conditions for a planting scheme.

 

Members discussed alternative methods in which the fence could sit more sympathetically in its surroundings and agreed that officers speak with the parties involved to negotiate an agreeable solution.

 

Councillor Maxted proposed a motion to approve the application in line with the officers’ recommendation. This was seconded by Councillor Diplock and was carried. 

 

RESOLVED: (Unanimous) that Planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the report.

59.

Ocklynge Chalk Pit. ID: 200855 pdf icon PDF 413 KB

Minutes:

Outline application with all matters reserved for siting of 18 residential units

RATTON.

 

The Committee was advised by way of an addendum report that the consultation response from the County Ecologist would be reported at the meeting and of an amendment to Condition 10.9 - Arboriculture.

 

The Senior Specialist Advisor – Planning, informed the Committee that the comments of the County Ecologist had been received prior to the meeting, which raised no objection subject to an ecological impact assessment and reserved matters.  Consequently, the application was recommended for approval rather than for delegated authority for officers to determine the application following receipt of the recommendations of the County Ecologist.

 

A written representation against the proposal was read aloud by the by the Head of Planning First on behalf of Mrs S and Miss M Verrall, objectors.  The speech highlighted concerns about the destruction of biodiversity, health and safety risks, and the dangers of the concealed entrance to the site.

 

In discussing the application, Members raised concerns regarding the loss of trees, ground stability, flooding, sunlight, wildlife, site entrance and requested sight of the County Ecologist’s report. 

 

The Senior Specialist Advisor – Planning, explained that this was an outline application with all matters reserved. The principal considerations were ecology and trees. Details of the dwellings, flood measures and other impacts would be determined at the reserved matters stage.  Structural stability details would be determined by Building Control.

 

Councillor Murdoch recommended a site visit take place for members to view the site to decide if in principle it could accommodate 18 houses. 

 

Councillor Taylor proposed a motion to refuse the application for the following reason:  “The Council are not satisfied that the proposal can be accommodated at the site without causing material harm to the interest of ecological and arboricultural importance and in addition given the existing topography it is likely to result in an inhospitable living environment for the occupiers of any residential unit”. This was seconded by Councillor Metcalfe.   Councillor Taylor requested that there be a named vote and this was approved. The motion was lost by 3 votes for (Councillors Metcalfe, Murdoch and Taylor) and 5 votes against refusal (Councillors Diplock, Maxted, Miah, Vaughan and Murray).

 

Councillor Diplock proposed a motion to defer the application for the committee members to undertake a site visit in accordance with Covid-19 rules. This was seconded by Councillor Miah and was carried. Councillor Taylor requested that his vote against the motion to be recorded. 

 

RESOLVED: (by 7 votes for and 1 vote against (Councillor Taylor) that Outline planning permission be deferred, for members to undertake a site visit, in accordance with Covid-19 rules. 

 

60.

Land at Friday Street Farm, Stone Cross. ID: 190706 pdf icon PDF 155 KB

Minutes:

Outline planning application (Matter for approval: Access) for proposed new access from Pennine Way to serve development of Land at Friday Street Farm, for up to 250 residential dwellings (35% affordable), with associated car parking, together with the introduction of new access point from Pennine Way, and creation of a network of roads, footways, and cycleways throughout the site, and the provision of 1.6ha of public open space, further children's play areas, allotments, sustainable urban drainage systems, and landscape buffers on the site. Full proposal is being considered by Wealden District Council (Ref: WD/2020/1391/MAO) – LANGNEY.

 

The Committee was advised by way of an Addendum of supplementary comments from East Sussex County Council - Highways.

 

The Head of Planning First explained that the application was deferred at the Planning Committee meeting held on 26 January 2021 at the request of the members to explore the full funding arrangements for the strategic highways works which were required by East Sussex County Council (ESCC) Highways prior to commencement of the wider works at the site.He confirmed, as detailed in his report, that assurances had been received on the funding arrangements and any approval would be subject to a S106 Legal Agreement and the conditions listed in the report.

 

Councillor Shuttleworth, Langney ward Member, addressed the Committee.  He asked the Committee to refuse planning permission on the grounds that the additional traffic would cause an unacceptable severe congestion impact without the necessary mitigation measures, which were not guaranteed.

 

Members were of a mixed opinion, raising concerns regarding access, traffic congestion, speed of traffic on Friday Street and the imposition of the application.  Members noted that their request had been met for the mitigation measures to Pennine Way be resolved pre-commencement of the works.

 

Councillor Murray proposed a motion to approve the application in line with the officers’ recommendation. This was seconded by Councillor Diplock and was carried. 

 

RESOLVED: (by 5 votes to 2 against and 1 abstention) that Planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the report.

 

61.

Date of Next Meeting

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the next meeting of the Planning Committee which is scheduled to commence at 6:00pm on Tuesday, 23 March 2021 in a virtual capacity, via Microsoft Teams, and in accordance with section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and section 13 of the related regulations, be noted.