Agenda and minutes

The Committee is asked to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd November 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23rd November 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

No questions were submitted.

No questions were submitted.

The following disclosures were made:

(i)              by Councillor Lennie – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that she came to the meeting with an open mind.

(ii)             by Councillor Lennie – in respect of planning application P/23/0668/2 (Watermead Business Park, Thurmaston) who had received an e-mail and letter from a local resident, but confirmed she would make her decision without pre-determination. (The item was subsequently deferred to the next meeting).

(iii)           by Councillor Lawrence – in respect of planning application P/22/2227/2 (Barrow Road, Sileby).  He was Ward Councillor for Sileby and Seagrave and would be speaking on the item and would not be taking part in the discussion or vote.  He sat in the public gallery for the duration of the item.

(iv)           by Councillor Lawrence – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open mind.

(v)             by Councillor O’Neill – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open mind.

(vi)           by Councillor Lowe – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open mind.

(vii)          by Councillor Lowe – in respect of planning application P/23/0668/2 (Watermead Business Park, Thurmaston).  He disclosed that he was a member of Thurmaston Parish Council and confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open mind.

(viii)        by Councillor Seaton – in respect of planning application P/23/0668/2 (Watermead Business Park, Thurmaston) who had received an e-mail and letter from a local resident, but confirmed she came to the meeting with an open mind. (The item was subsequently deferred to the next meeting).

(ix)           by Councillor Snartt – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open mind.

(x)             by Councillor Snartt – in respect of planning application P/23/0668/2 (Watermead Business Park, Thurmaston) who had received an e-mail and letter from a local resident, but confirmed he came to the meeting with an open mind. (The item was subsequently deferred to the next meeting).

(xi)           by Councillor Charles – in respect of planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) who had received an e-mail and a letter from the agent who would be speaking at this meeting, but confirmed that he came to the meeting with an open  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

The list of planning applications to be considered at the meeting is appended.

An agenda variance was requested to allow planning application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) to be considered first, which was agreed by the Chair and the Committee.  This was due to Councillor Jones, who had called the application in and was speaking on the item, needing to attend a Cabinet meeting. 

The Chair drew the Committee’s attention to page 3 of the Extras Report which referred to revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  It was anticipated that the NPPF would be published after the meeting and may potentially mean that the applications on the agenda would need to be reassessed against the new NPPF before a decision could be released.

In these circumstances it was good practice to give delegated authority to officers in consultation with the Chair of the Plans Committee to assess the impacts of the NPPF in a ‘delegated decision update report’ and, where the changes were considered to have minor or no material bearing on the decision members took, to amend the conditions (including adding/deleting conditions) as may be necessary.  The update report would be held on the public file.

If this was the case then a recommendation would need to be approved for each of the applications, that delegated authority be given to officers in consultation with the Chair of Plans Committee to amend decision notices in light of the revised version of the NPPF where these changes were minor and would not materially affect the decisions taken by Committee.  An additional recommendation for each item was therefore put forward.

Reports of the Head of Planning and Growth, setting out applications P/23/1625/2, P/22/2163/2, P/22/2227/2, P/23/0668/2 and P/23/0805/2 were submitted (item 5 on the agenda filed with these minutes).  An Extras Report in respect of applications P/23/0668/2 and P/23/0805/2 was also submitted (also filed with these minutes). 

Planning application P/23/0668/2 (Watermead Business Park, Thurmaston) was subsequently deferred (details given at the item number).

There were late requests to speak from Mr Martin Betts (applicant) in respect of application P/22/2163/2 and Ms Karen Maycock (Kingfisher Area Residents Group) in respect of application P/23/1625/2.  The Chair and members of the Committee were in agreement for these requests to be granted. 

Mr Betts had been introduced as speaking on behalf of the agent, but confirmed he was in fact the applicant and it was confirmed that Kingfisher Area Residents Group was a fully constituted group and the representative was therefore eligible to speak in lieu of there being a Parish Council in Loughborough. 

In accordance with the procedure for public speaking at meetings, the following objectors, applicants or their representatives and representatives of a parish council and a community group in Loughborough attended the meeting and expressed their views:

(i)       Mr Simon Atha (on behalf of the agent) in respect of application P/23/0805/2;

(ii)      Ms Birgitta Worrall (objector) in respect of application P/23/1625/2;

(iii)      Mr Alistair Lucking (applicant) in respect of application P/23/1625/2;

(iv)     Ms Karen Maycock (on behalf of Kingfisher Area Residents Group) in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

RESOLVED

1.     That in respect of application P/23/1625/2 (6 Wren Close, Loughborough) planning permission be granted subject to planning conditions for the reasons set out in the report of the Head of Planning and Growth and that the Head of Planning and Growth be given delegated authority to determine the final detail of the planning conditions, in consultation with the Chair of the Plans Committee.

2.     That if applicable, delegated authority be given to officers in consultation with the Chair of Plans Committee to amend the decision notice in light of the revised version of the NPPF where these changes were minor and would not materially affect the decisions taken by Committee.

The meeting was adjourned at the close of this item at 7.25pm for 10 minutes.

RESOLVED

1.     That in respect of application P/22/2163/2 (Land off Prestwold Lane, Prestwold) planning permission be granted subject to planning conditions for the reasons set out in the report of the Head of Planning and Growth, with the added condition of restricting the type of vehicles to be stored to domestic cars (Officers to be given delegated authority to finalise the detail and wording regarding the type of vehicles), and that the Head of Planning and Growth be given delegated authority to determine the final detail of the planning conditions, in consultation with the Chair of the Plans Committee.

2.     That if applicable, delegated authority be given to officers in consultation with the Chair of Plans Committee to amend the decision notice in light of the revised version of the NPPF where these changes were minor and would not materially affect the decisions taken by Committee.

RESOLVED

1.     That in respect of application P/22/2227/2 (Barrow Road, Sileby) planning permission be granted subject to the completion of the Unilateral Undertaking under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act and planning conditions for the reasons set out in the report of the Head of Planning and Growth and that the Head of Planning and Growth be given delegated authority to determine the final detail of the planning conditions, in consultation with the Chair of the Plans Committee.

2.     That if applicable, delegated authority be given to officers in consultation with the Chair of Plans Committee to amend the decision notice in light of the revised version of the NPPF where these changes were minor and would not materially affect the decisions taken by Committee.

This item was removed from the agenda immediately prior to the meeting and was deferred to the next meeting of the Plans Committee to be held on 25th January 2024.   

The Head of Planning and Growth explained that the item had been considered by members of the Plans Committee previously on 28th September 2023 and that the item had been deferred in order for the applicant to be invited to consider amendments to the scheme.  Those same Members were required to consider the update to that report. 

Unfortunately at this meeting held on 14th December 2023, the Committee was inquorate for this item, with only 8 members of the Plans Committee present who originally considered the application in September.  Therefore the item was deferred until January 2024.

RESOLVED

1.     That in respect of application P/23/0805/2 (Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough) planning permission be granted subject to completion of Section 106 planning obligations and planning conditions for the reasons set out in the report of the Head of Planning and Growth and the amendment to condition 24 as set out in the Extras Report, and that the Head of Planning and Growth be given delegated authority to determine the final detail of the planning conditions, in consultation with the Chair of the Plans Committee.

2.     That if applicable, delegated authority be given to officers in consultation with the Chair of Plans Committee to amend the decision notice in light of the revised version of the NPPF where these changes were minor and would not materially affect the decisions taken by Committee.

A list of applications determined under powers delegated to officers for the period from 14th November 2023 to 4th December 2023 is attached.

A list of applications determined under powers delegated to officers for the period from 14th November 2023 to 4th December 2023 was submitted (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).