MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES
Draft Minutes subject to formal ratification at the next Planning Meeting.
Minutes of a Planning Committee Meeting held on Monday, 1st August 2011 at the Parish Office, Melbourn Village College, The Moor at 7.15pm.
Present: Cllrs. M. Sherwen (Chairman), J. Hales, M. Linnette, A. Mulcock, P. Simmonett and R. Wakerley
In Attendance: The Clerk, Cllr. Barrett and 3 members of the public.
215/11 Apologies for Absence: Cllr. Gatward
216/11 Declaration of Interests: There were no declarations of interest.
217/11 Minutes of the meeting held on 18th July, 2011:
It was proposed by Cllr. Simmonett, seconded by Cllr. Hales and agreed that the minutes of 18th July 2011 should be signed as a true record.
218/11 Matters Arising: There were no matters arising.
219/11 Village Car Park:
The quotation received from Timotay Landscapes and any others received for work to the car park will be dealt with at the full Parish Council meeting on 22nd August.
Cllr. Wakerley wished to know if the additional quotations requested would all mirror the quotation which had been sourced by Huck Partnership. He was told that they would all be as the specification provided by Huck Partnership.
SCDC have decided that for the time being it would retain the ownership of the garages.
At this point the chairman read out a letter received from Limbach Banham with regards to a Land Registry mistake when the car park had been registered to Melbourn Parish Council. Cllrs. Barrett and Hales will pursue this matter at SCDC and the Council will wait to hear what they have to report before replying to the letter from Limbach Banham.
Cllr. Sherwen reported that the work to the drains by ADM will be carried out this week.
220/11 Police Site:
The Working Party had been advised not to continue with their association with the Residents group. Cllrs. Hales and Simmonett had passed this on to Mr and Mrs Ellis.
One Hundred Houses are to discuss their plans at an open meeting. Mr and Mrs Ellis will inform those concerned of this.
One Hundred Houses Society have been successful with their funding bid for their four year programme, which means that all projects in the pipeline will now go ahead. Jerry Morson, Operations Director for Hundred Houses Society, is to write in answer to the letter sent to him by the Council with regards to the situation of the residents on the site. This letter will clarify what the intentions are with regards to the housing options of those existing residents.
There is to be a meeting at Iceni Homes on 17th August to discuss the proposed Community Building. Those Councillors attending this meeting will bring details of matters discussed back to the Council and the interested residents.
221/11 Village Green registrations:
Cllr. Linnette reported that he had measured the verge in Orchard Road and that he would give these measurements to the Clerk.
Cllr. Hales reported that changes have been proposed in the regulations regarding village greens. He urged Councillors to check any small pieces of land in the village so that the Council did not fall foul of the changes in the law.
The Clerk is to e-mail all Councillors requesting that they forward to the Clerk any information on pieces of land in the village that may qualify for Village Green registration. These will then be discussed at the next Planning meeting on 15th August.
222/11 Notifications or Planning Consultation documents:
There were no Notifications or Planning Consultation documents received.
223/11 Planning Applications:
(a) Planning Application in respect of 49, High Street, Melbourn: Lean- to (Retrospective) S/1307/11 on behalf of Mr Dipak Solanki.
Recommend Refusal with comments:
1. Not complying with the enforcement order, in existence.
2. Structure and design not in keeping with Conservation Area.
3. The Committee believe the structure has to be removed prior to a new planning application.
4. Insufficient information in Design and Access Statement relative to proposal.
(b) Planning Application in respect of land to the rear of 151-155 High Street, Melbourn. Erection of a Detached house. S/1166/11 on behalf of Mr Graham Newton.
Mr Newton addressed the meeting and explained about the access to the back of the properties and that residents of house No 151 had two parking spaces at the back of the properties. Resident from house No 153 had no parking spaces provided. Residents of house No 155 had their own parking by the side of the house.
He also explained that the Conservation Area stopped by the back fences of the houses so the new house would be in the curtilage of listed buildings but not in the Conservation area.
The Council said it was concerned by the apparent dominance of the new building due to the slope of land. Mr Newton explained that the land could be levelled. The Council also had concerns with the catering for wheelie bins and access from the site.
Mr Newton left the meeting at this point.
The Chairman then read out a letter received from Mr Davis of 157 High Street and endorsed by the residents of 151 and 153 High Street setting out their fundamental objections to the development under the headings of PPS3: Siting and Design: Impact on properties to the south-east of the site: Visibility of the site: Appearance of the Site and car parking.
Recommend Approval with comments:
1. Site to be lowered in order to ensure roofline in not obtrusive.
2. As previous applications, are visibility and splays at exit sufficient?
3. There needs to be additional parking ie 3+ for the development as well as the two already available for 151 occupants.
4. Need to cater for refuse bins on collection days for 151, 153 and new property based on kerbside collection.
(c) Planning Application in respect of 10 Dolphin Lane. Conversion of garage into living accommodation and erection of garden store. S/1371/11 on behalf of Mr and Mrs Walker. Recommend Approval.
[Cllr. Mulcock declared a Personal and Prejudicial Interest in the next item as he sometimes carries out work for PA Consulting. Having declared this interest he then left the room.]
(d) Planning Application in respect of Cambridge Technology Centre, Back Lane. Installation of 78 solar photovoltaic panels roof of building. S/1230.11 on behalf of Ms Jessica Cheney of PA Consulting. Recommend Approval.
[Cllr, Mulcock returned to the meeting at this point]
(e) Application to carry out Tree Works subject to a Tree Preservation Order or situated within a Conservation Area – 21 High Street work to four trees: (a and b) Two Yew Trees crowns reduced approximately by 20% to allow more light to Beech hedge. (c) Yew Tree crown reduced by approximately 30% crown lift due to new building being erected. (d) Horse Chestnut tree cut back limbs touching roof of house. No comments.
(f) Application to carry out Tree Works subject to a Tree Preservation Order or situated within a Conservation Area – 34 High Street work on Ash Tree crown lifting specifically cutting three branches overhanging Kay’s Close. This is because they extend a long way over No.1 Kay’s Close and there is a lot of dead wood on them and large dead branches have already fallen on the garden of No.1 Kay’s Close and hence not safe. No comments.
(g) 9 Trigg Way – Erection of detached bungalow including vehicle access to rear of 9 Trigg Way. S/1391/11 on behalf of Mr and Mrs White. Recommend Refusal with comments: Considered to be contrary to current guide lines. Will set precedents. Inadequate access and parking.
(h) Units F and G and Farside House, Melbourn Science Park – Additional Windows. S/1382/11. Recommend Approval.
(i) Planning Application in respect of West Barn, Grange Farm, New Road. Change of use from agricultural to residential and prosed new car port. S/1399/11 on behalf of Mr Colley. Recommend Approval.
(j) Planning Application in respect of West Barn, Grange Farm, New Road. Proposed New Orangery. S/1403/11 on behalf of Mr Colley. Recommend Approval.
(k) There were no more Planning Application received.
224/11 Correspondence:
(a) Letter from Shona Smith on behalf of D. Bevan – Melbourn Conservation Area Appraisal. Noted.
(b) Huck Partnership – copies of amended drawings for the Village Car Park. Noted.
(c) E-mail from Jenny Clark – Map of land adjacent to 35 Medcalfe Way.
The Clerk will e-mail Jenny informing her that the Council are not in agreement with the sale of this land. It would like to keep the open vista, greenness and airiness of the site.
(d) CCC – Supplementary Planning Documents and Adoption Statement in connection with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mineral and Waste Core Strategy Development Plan. Noted.
(e) Greengage Rise – Petition from residents with regard to the Planning Application No. S/1298/11 for land to the Southwest of 50 Greengage Rise.
The Clerk will acknowledge receipt of this petition.
(f) There was no further correspondence received.
225/11 Urgent matters:
The Clerk asked if the Council would pay the sum of £32 for the hire of All Saints’ Community Hall to be used for the Community Transport meeting on Thursday 29th September. This was agreed to by the Committee.
The Clerk is to write to Mr Chris Collison at SCDC and ask him to confirm in writing if the building being erected at the back of Riverside Guest House has received planning permission.
There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.48 p.m.