DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Planning Committee

Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 April 2006 at 8.00pm in the Parish Office

Present: Cllrs A Allen Chairman), G Gardiner, A Keeler, J Thomson, M Wood

In attendance: Mrs E Blyth, Assistant Clerk

Public Question Time

No members of the public were present.

257 Apologies for absence

Apologies were received and accepted from Mr J Alexander, Mr R Chandler, Cllr S Berlyn, Cllr M Telling and Mr P Watts.

258 Declarations of Interest

Members were reminded that they must declare any personal or prejudicial personal interests in any items of business on the meeting’s agenda. No declarations were made.

259 Minutes

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th March 2006 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Minute 254: Betting Licence, Stratford House: A Hearing was to be held on Monday 10^th April. Mr Allen would attend on behalf of the Parish Council.

(Post-meeting note: The Hearing was subsequently deferred until a date in July.)

260 CBC Planning applications and decisions

Applications received and published in the agenda were considered and responses agreed. A number of applications had been received after publication of the agenda, and the Committee agreed that these should not be considered until residents had had the opportunity to raise concerns. The planning approval at 23 Nursery Lane (06/00064/FUL) did not include a condition regarding the protection of trees at the site as the Parish Council had requested. This would be checked with CBC.

RESOLVED:

a) that the responses to planning applications shown in Appendix A be submitted to Chelmsford Borough Council, and that none of the these applications need be referred to the local Ward Members;

b) that the applications which arrived too late for inclusion in the agenda be deferred to the next meeting and CBC be asked to take account of the Council’s responses even though they would be submitted up to three working days after the deadline;

c) that the planning decisions shown in Appendix B be noted, and that the issue of the protection of trees at 23 Nursery Lane (06/00064/FUL) be raised with CBC.

261 CBC Meetings

a) CBC Planning Committee meeting of 29^th March 2006: The Chairman had attended this meeting on behalf of the Parish Council. A number of Danbury residents also attended. The applications at 2 Dilston (06/00093/FUL) and Cliftonville, Southwood Chase, (06/00280/FUL) had been considered, the former following a site visit and the moving of a window to avoid overlooking properties to the rear. Both applications were approved, despite strong local objections;

b) Meeting at the Parish Office on 29^th March 2006: The Chairman reported on this informal meeting which had been arranged at the request of Cllr Ian Wright. It was attended by Cllr Wright, Mr D Green, Head of Town Planning Services, and Cllrs S Berlyn and A Allen. The Clerk and Assistant Clerk (Planning) were also present.

Cllr Wright and Mr Green were concerned at the number of applications being referred to the CBC Planning Committee by Danbury Parish Council. They argued that only significant developments should be referred, and that Planning Officers, acting under delegated powers, would take proper account of concerns raised by the Parish Council. In discussion Mr Green described planning policies as ‘general principles’, and said that proposals must cause ‘actual harm’ to justify refusal. He saw the role of Town Planning as being to ‘manage inevitable change’. In response Mr Berlyn and Mr Allen put their own views of the Parish Council’s role in protecting the character of the village and representing residents.

At the conclusion of the meeting the following actions were agreed:

· Parish Council to request meetings on site with a Planning Officer to discuss particular applications;

· Parish Council to propose dates/times for an information session at which Town Planning would explain its policies and practices to Councillors/staff;

· Parish Council to arrange for individual Councillors/staff to shadow a Planning Officer to improve understanding of the officer’s role;

· Town Planning department to invite Parish Councillors to attend the next training day arranged for new members of the CBC Planning Committee;

· Town Planning department to arrange for CBC Customer Services to contact other parish councils to see whether there was support for a joint planning training day with a professional trainer.

262 Danbury Planning Framework

The Chairman reported that the proof had been returned to the printers as some changes had not been made.

263 Trees

A variation to TPO 2005/49 at St Joseph’s Nursing Home was noted. The variation replaced an Area Designation with the identification of 18 individual trees.

264 Correspondence

05/002403/FUL Green Burial Ground, Colemans Lane: The Case Officer had written on 24^th March confirming that the final consultation response had been received and that he was preparing his report for consideration by senior colleagues.

265 Enforcement

a) 35 Hopping Jacks Lane (06/00314/FUL): CBC had been contacted because work had begun at the site before the application had been determined. CBC had confirmed that any work done was at the owner’s risk;

b) Fly-posting for Waterside Caravan Park: The Enforcement Officer had established that the signs were being put up for the weekend and removed by Monday morning in an attempt to avoid enforcement action. If photographic evidence could be provided he would pursue the matter.

c) Road signs: The 40mph sign at eastern edge of village was still missing. Mr Allen also raised the matter of the disappearance within hours of a 30mph sign, revealed when conifers near the junction of The Heights and Well Lane were cut back.

RESOLVED: that the missing 40mph sign and the disappearance of the 30mph sign be raised with ECC Highways Department.

266 Matters for report

No matters were raised.

267 Forthcoming meetings

Meetings are scheduled for 24^th April, 8^th May and 22^nd May 2006.

Business having been concluded, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.25pm.

DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL Planning Committee Minutes: 3 April 2006

Appendix A CBC Planning Applications

Ref no	Property	Street name	Proposal	Committee date	Comments
06/00261/FUL	89	Mill Lane	Roof extension to create new first floor	03/04/06	Despite the rather mixed street scene, the scale, massing and bulk of the proposed extension make it out of character with, and unsympathetic to, the currently prevailing street scene comprised of more modestly sized dwellings (Env1).
06/00291/FUL Amended	13	Hay Green	Alterations and extensions including demolition of existing rear single storey extension and car port, new conservatory to rear, new shower room and pitched roof to porch. Amended to retain carport and add new roof light to carport.	06/03/06	No comments
06/00502/FUL	Bay Lodge	Mill Lane	Double bay carport	03/04/06	No comments
06/00515/FUL	13	The Avenue	Erection of front porch	03/04/06	No comments
06/00547/FUL	Bricktop	Bakers Lane	Insertion of rear dormer	03/04/06	No comments

DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL Planning Committee Minutes: 3 April 2006

Appendix B CBC Planning Decisions

Ref no	Property	Street name	Proposal	Committee date	Comments	Dec'n & Date
05/01877/FUL	Little Owls Day Nursery	Well Lane	Retention of pitched timber roof advert display structure	23/01/06	We believe the sign would be more acceptable if it were affixed flush to a wall. The structure as existing is overpowering. The sign alone, fixed to the wall, would be acceptable	Approved 24/02/06
05/02469/FUL	Shaftmoor	Horne Row	Loft conversion with dormer windows to front	06/02/06	No comments	Approved 03/03/06
06/00064/FUL	23	Nursery Lane	Ground floor side and rear extension	23/01/06	Please ensure that surrounding trees are subject to protection	Approved 24/02/06