DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL

 

Planning Committee

 

Minutes of the Meeting held on 4 December 2006 at 8.00pm in the Parish Office

 

Present:  Cllrs A Allen (Chairman), A Keeler, M Telling, J Thomson, M Wood

Additional members:  Mr J Alexander, Mr P Watts

In attendance:      Mr D Bolwell

                            Mr A Wells

                            Mrs E Blyth, Assistant Clerk

 

Public Question Time

One member of the public was present and made representations regarding the planning application at 57A Main Road (06/02135/FUL).  She objected to the locating a funeral parlour so close to Almshouses, where she and her neighbours would be unable to avoid seeing the hearses loading and unloading.  She was also concerned at the implication of 24 hour traffic to the premises and the health and safety implications of chapels of rest.

 

169 Apologies for absence

Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr S Berlyn.

 

170 Declarations of Interest

Members were reminded that they must declare any personal or prejudicial personal interests they know they may have in items of business on the meeting’s agenda.  They would need to repeat their declaration at the appropriate point in the meeting and leave the room if the interest was a prejudicial one.  Unforeseen interests must be declared similarly at the appropriate time.

 

171 Minutes

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

 

172 CBC and ECC Planning applications and decisions

Planning Applications were considered and responses agreed.  At the appropriate times, two letters from residents to CBC regarding 06/02135/FUL and 06/02133/ADV (57A Main Road) and one letter relating to 06/02153/FUL (land at Colemans Lane) were taken into account in determining the Committee’s comments.

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 planning decisions shown in Appendix B be noted.

 

173 CBC Planning Committee  

No papers had been received.

 

 

174 Work to trees

RESOLVED:

a) That the Committee did not wish to make any comments on the application for work to trees shown in Appendix C;

b) That the decisions on work to trees shown in Appendix C be noted.

 

175 CBC Parish Councils’ meeting

The Chairman and Cllr Keeler had attended the meeting for Parish Councils held at the Civic Centre on Wednesday 22nd November.  It had been announced that from January 2007 CBC would be starting to move to electronic notification of agendas and other papers, including planning applications.  Initially electronic and paper communications would operate in parallel.  Two planning training sessions for parish councillors had been arranged for January 2007 (details are reported below under minute 177).  The Borough also reported that it proposed to stop consulting Parish Councils about work to trees, except where a tree was to be felled.

(Note: Since the meeting the Borough has decided to continue to consult as normal on work to trees in view of the concerns raised by Parish Councils.)

 

176 CBC Local Development Framework - Planning consultations

The Committee considered what response, if any, to make to consultations on documents which formed part of the Local Development Framework.  The closing date for comments was 19th December.  The documents were as follows:

Core Strategy and Development Control Policies DPD

Chelmsford Town Centre Area Action Plan DPD

Affordable Housing SPD

Urban Site Guidance SPD

Sustainable Design and Construction SPD

Members who had studied the documents reported that the terms of the proposals were broad and non-specific and it was difficult to formulate comments.  The area-specific SPDs, not yet produced, were likely to be the ones on which detailed comment would be required.  In discussion, the Committee agreed with Mr Alexander’s suggestion that the importance of keeping development within defined settlements and preserving green areas should again be stressed to CBC.

RESOLVED: that the following comment be submitted in response to the Core Strategy & Development Control DPD: The Parish Council supports the key elements of the Spatial Strategy (para 2.23), especially the safeguarding of the Green Belt and valuable landscapes, and Policy DC13 (Infilling in the countryside).  It would like to see the same protection from development applied to the ‘green wedges’ in other areas, such as Area 12 (Danbury), as to the Green Belt, so that there is no development outside defined settlements.

 

177 CBC Planning training sessions

CBC had put together a two-hour planning training session for Parish Councillors to be held on two occasions in January: Wednesday 17th from 2pm - 4pm and Tuesday 23rd  from 7pm - 9pm.  Details of the content, which was similar to the session attended by some Danbury councillors and staff recently, had been circulated to all Councillors.  Committee members wishing to attend either of the sessions were asked to inform the Parish Office so that places could be booked.

178 Feedback to CBC on completed building works

A list of possible cases on which feedback to CBC might be useful was circulated.  Members were asked to consider the list, and any possible omissions, for discussion at a later meeting.

 

180 Danbury Planning Framework

The Chairman reported that he was preparing a summary of the Parish Plan project process in connection with the required Sustainability Appraisal.

 

181 Digital Projector

It was reported that the projector and screen had been ordered and received at the Parish Office.

 

182 Correspondence

Planning Appeal: Proposed fence at 2 Simmonds Way: Three residents had written to the Planning Inspectorate asking that the appeal be refused, and had copied their letters to the Parish Council.

 

183 Enforcement

Bergen, Southview Road: CBC had considered the deviation from the approved plans regarding the hipped roof of the new extension, and had decided that it was a minor amendment and no further planning application was required.

 

184 Matters for report (for information only)

Cllr Thomson reported that a revised application to develop the site at 10 Hyde Lane had been submitted.  It had not yet been received at the Parish Council.

 

185 Forthcoming meetings

18th December 2006, 8th and 22nd January 2007

 

 

Business having been concluded, the Chairman closed the meeting at 10.01pm.

 

 


DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Planning Committee Minutes: 4 December 2006

Appendix A

CBC Planning Applications

 

Ref no

Property

Street name

Proposal

Committee date

Comments

06/02135/FUL

57A

Main Road

Formation of new entrance from service yard in connection with funeral parlour use

04/12/06

1 The Council has no comment to make regarding the provision of new entrance doors per se. However, we are extremely concerned about the proposed 24 hour service from the premises (06/02133/ADV) in close proximity to Almshouses;
2 We feel there may be an adverse impact from vehicular traffic movements on the main road and in the narrow lane to the yard;
3 There appears to be no provision for cooling or air handling plant. We are very concerned about the noise generated should such plant be necessary, and also about the visual impact of any external equipment;
4 We are concerned at the Environmental Health implications of the new use;
5 Some of the Almshouses have a clear view of the doors and yard, and we feel this is insensitive;
6 We understand that a statement in the House of Commons by Nick Raynsford MP suggested that siting of funeral parlours adjacent to almshouses was insensitive and could cause disquiet.  The statement also said that a Chapel of Rest required planning permission.  Will you please confirm or deny.

06/02153/FUL

Land at

Colemans Lane

Change of use to keeping horses and erection of 8 no. stables with tack and hay store

04/12/06

1 We are extremely concerned at the traffic implications for Colemans Lane, especially as the scale of the proposal suggests a commercial use which would generate unacceptable, large vehicle movement on this very narrow lane;
2 We are also very concerned about waste and effluent from the horses finding its way into the watercourses and causing contamination downstream from the site.

06/02230/FUL

Alver

Colemans Lane

Single storey rear extension (resubmission of 06/01401/ FUL - refused Aug 06)

04/12/06

No comments (No representations)

06/02231/FUL

Trotwood Cottage

Colemans Lane

Single storey rear extension (resubmission of 01402/FUL - refused Aug 06)

04/12/06

No comments (No representations)

ECC Application:

 

 

 

 

ESS/59/06/CHL

St Clere's Hall Quarry

Main Road

To continue to operate St Clere's Hall Farm Quarry and to continue importing aggregates for processing etc and subsequent sale, to March 2012 without complying with Condition 4 of permission ESS/23/03/CHL, in order to increase the maximum permitted number of daily movements of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight to 240 (120 in/out) on Mon to Fri and 114 (57 in/out) on Sats

04/12/06

1 We are concerned at the nearly 50% increase in traffic movements from Mon to Friday which will cause disruption to traffic, especially in the early part of the day when a significant proportion of the increase will take place;
2 There will inevitably be an increase in the sediment falling from lorries onto the road leading to road safety issues.


 

DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Planning Committee Minutes: 4 December 2006

Appendix B

CBC Planning Decisions

 

Ref no

Property

Street name

Proposal

Committee date

Comments

Dec'n & Date

06/01974/FUL

16

Belvedere Road

Two storey rear extension

 

23/10/06

No comments
(No representations)

Approved
17/11/06

06/02010/FUL

22

Mill Lane

Two storey front extension

 

23/10/06

No comments
(No representations)

Approved
21/11/06

06/02011/FUL

Lingard

Colemans Lane

Single storey rear extension and two storey porch to front elevation

 

23/10/06

No comments
(No representations)

Approved
21/11/06

 

 

 


 

DANBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Planning Committee Minutes: 4 December 2006

Appendix C

Work to Trees

 

Ref no

TPO ref

Property

Street name

Proposal

Committee date

Comments

Decision/ Date

06/05237/TPO
Essex Wildlife Trust

1974/05

Backwarden Wood

Danbury Common

Wood management: Fell 4 Silver Birch; crown reduce 17 Oak; coppice 2 Hornbeam; crown lift 1 Hawthorn over path

 

04/12/06

 

 

Decisions on work to trees:

 

 

 

 

 

06/05214/TPO
Danbury PC

1989/18

8,
path rear of

The Hawthorns

Pedlars Path: Fell 1 Ash in dangerous condition

N/A

N/A (application made by PC's consultant)

14/11/2006

06/05215/TPO
Danbury PC

1985/52

39,
path rear of

Danbury Vale

Pedlars Path: T7 Oak - any necessary surgery following inspection by tree officer; T8 Oak - remove lowest branches and crown lift

 

N/A

N/A (application made by PC's consultant)

14/11/2006

 

 

Danbury Parish Council Planning Committee Minutes

4 December 2006