Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 25 March 2015.

The Minutes of the meetings held on 25^th March 2015 and 19^th May 2015 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest received.

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 4(1)) concerning Planning Application No. 15/00277/FUL in respect of the demolition of an existing bungalow and detached garage and the replacement with a new house.

The Western Area Planning Committee on 10^th June 2015 had considered the proposal for the demolition of an existing bungalow and detached garage and the erection of a new house. The site was within the village of Inkpen which did not have a defined settlement boundary and lay within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Committee had determined that the application should be approved as the proposed design of the dwelling was attractive and it would improve the site and give further variation to the village architecture. The Committee considered that the proposal would be well accommodated within the site and that there would be no adverse impact on local wildlife in the area.

During the debate Members had been made aware that Officers considered that the proposal for the replacement dwelling would be contrary to the development plan and that a recent appeal for a similar scheme on the site had been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate. The Western Area Planning Committee held on 10^th June 2015 had resolved to approve the application, subject to conditions. However, as previously mentioned the application, if approved, would comprise a departure from current Development Plan Policy in the Core Strategy 2006 to 2026 and West Berkshire District Local Plan Saved Policies 2007 and it was therefore referred up to the District Planning Committee for consideration and resolution by the Development Control Manager.

Since the Western Area Planning Committee meeting, a consultation response had been received from the North Wessex Downs AONB and this was attached as an appendix to the report. The North Wessex Downs AONB had objected to the application and considered that the design and siting of the dwelling in this current application did not appear to have addressed the reasons for the Appeal on the last application which was dismissed by the Planning Inspector. The North Wessex Downs AONB also considered that the current scheme remained at odds with the surrounding pattern of development and failed to meet the aims of local plan policy, the AONB Management Plan or the AONB Position Statement on Housing.

A response had also been received from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) since the Western Area Planning Committee on 10^th June 2015. The CPRE objected to the proposal and considered that the size and volume of the development would have a negative visual impact on the public footpath and was contrary to the adopted AONB Management Plan 2009-2014.

A further representation objecting to the proposed development had been received noting that the Design and Access Statement submitted with the application confirmed that pre-application advice had taken place.  In addition the representation sought to clarify that a neighbour had not provided a positive response during a face to face encounter with the applicant.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.(1)