PLANNING COMMITTEE

Lytchett Matravers Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting on Thurs Oct 1st 2015 in the Methodist Church, Wareham Rd, Lytchett Matravers at 7:00

PRESENT were: Cllrs C Wood, A Huggins, E Wilson, P Webb, A Cottman, J Taylor and Mr T Watton (Parish Clerk)

One member of the public were present.

1. APOLOGIES: Cllr R Carswell.

2. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST: There were none.

3. Public participation (standing orders suspended). A local resident living near to the Wessex Water reservoir referred to the consultation Wessex Water had held in the village this week on the proposed development on the reservoir site. He wondered when the Parish Council might be debating what it knows of this proposal so far.

Cllr Wood explained that the site is within the settlement boundary – which thus permits Wessex Water to put forward such a proposal. The Council had first heard about the planned consultation meeting on 21st September. Not all Council members had been able to attend. The Parish Council will formally respond when asked to do so by PDC (The Planning Authority) after a planning application has been submitted.

Cllr Webb expanded on Cllr Wood’s remarks by stating that at this stage Wessex Water have approached PDC Planning officers for pre-application advice. He commented that it would be normal and in the interests of the applicant to incorporate feedback both from any public consultation exercise and advice from the Planning Officers when compiling a formal Planning Application. Cllr Webb pointed out that during the process of PDC determining a Planning Application, a Parish Council is just one of a number of consultees. He also remarked that some input from residents locally has already been gathered on the matter of housing developments in the village – through the process of putting together the Neighbourhood Plan, which is now nearing finalisation.

Cllr Wood added that it seems inevitable that the site in question will bedeveloped to some extent; but the exact design of the proposal is likely to be influenced by inputs such as PDC Planning Officer advice and any outcomes of public consultation exercises. She also confirmed that the Council would expect Wessex Water to inform the Parish Council about the insights they had gained from any public consultation exercises. She stressed that a key aim of the Parish Council when dealing with Wessex Water in this matter, and in eventually responding to a Planning Application itself, will be to influence the proposed development to be as attractive as possible – with as low a density of dwellings on the site as possible.

Finally, it was pointed out that the developers will have to abide by relevant content with the Lytchett Matravers community’s Neighbourhood Plan. Cllr Webb confirmed that Wessex Water do already have a copy of the latest draft of the Neigbourhood Plan.

4. Minutes of meeting held on 21st Sept 2015 were unanimously agreed as an accurate record and were signed by the meeting Chairman.

5. MATTERS ARISING.

6/2015/0523 Mr & Mrs Thompson. The Firs, Flowers Drove, Lytchett Matravers BH16 6BX. Form link from dwelling to existing garage and convert garage into living accommodation. Erect new garage. PASS shows that this application has not yet been determined.

6. 6/2015/0473 OOTA Property Ltd. 4 Penrose Close, Lytchett Matravers, BH16. Severance of curtilage, erection of bungalow with detached garage and formation of new access from Burbidge Close. The Council wishes to raise an OBJECTION to this proposal on the grounds of concerns about the practicality of access to the plot on which the proposal is shown. The council notes the SSE cable clearance zone – as shown on drawing MDS/1113/P103. The narrowness of the access seems not to be viable for developers’ vehicles during construction. Concerns were expressed about ongoing access for emergency vehicles. Some doubts were also expressed about the accuracy of the drawings – specifically whether the entrance to the proposed property is correctly marked on the drawing MDS/1113/P102.

7. 6/2015/0582 OOTA Property Ltd. Site rear of 1 Foxhills Crescent, Foxhills Road, Lytchett Matravers. Sever land and erect detached two bedroomed chalet bungalow with access from Foxhills (amended scheme to PP 6/2014/0643 to reduce plot and building size). The council wishes to raise an OBJECTION on the same grounds as given to the earlier proposal (6/2014/0643) in that no material changes have been made. The earlier objection was…”that the proposal appears cramped on this plot and thus an example of overdevelopment. Both the design of the building and its scale in relation to the size of the plot appear to be out of keeping with the surrounding properties and general street scene”. It was also noted that the proposed building appears to be placed forward of the building line.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. There was none.

9. MATTERS OF INTEREST. There was none.

There was none.

The meeting closed at 7:37pm

Modified by/on …………………. Signed by/on ………………….

Minutes of Planning Committee meeting 1st October 2015