Apologies were received from Councillors Chesters, Gubb and Mack.

(Please complete the form provided at the meeting or telephone the Corporate and Community Services Team to prepare a form for your signature before the meeting.  Items must be re-declared when the item is called, and Councillors must leave the room if necessary)

There were no declarations of interest announced.

The Senior Planning Officer addressed the Committee and advised of the following:

·       The dwelling, Wesley House, was within a conservation area but was not listed

·       Wesley House was owned by the Church to which it was attached.

·       The House was not in use to the condition of the building.

·       The stone wall to the front of the property would remain.

·       There would be two parking spaces for the new dwellings.

·       The new dwellings would have a similar footprint and roof shape to the original house.

·       The rear garden would be split to provide some garden for the new dwellings, and a portion would be retained for use by the church (current owners).

In response to questions, the Committee were advised:

·       Conditions could be considered to require the use of the existing stone and/or similar materials on the new dwellings.

·       Wesley House had been constructed with some porous stone, and had no insulation. There were issues with damp, damaged roof and the foundations (which were in need of underpinning).

The Committee were shown the following:

·       The view of the front of the building from the front parking area

·       The view of the property from the rear garden.

·       The garage building which would be demolished to provide spaces for bin storage.

·       The side of the church building.

·       The boundaries of the plot to the rear.

Councillor Leaver arrived at 10:40am

RESOLVED that it being 10:45am the meeting be adjourned and reconvene at 11:30am on site at the second location: Land at Glebeland Villas, Bishops Nympton.

Councillors D Spear and L Spear left the meeting (10:45am)

Demolition of existing private garage blocks and erection of 2 dwellings, with parking provision for existing dwellings and associated works (amended description, red line, plans and additional information). Report by Lead Planning Officer (Majors) (attached).

The Service Manager (Development Management) addressed the Committee.

The Service Manager (Development Management) advised of the following:

·       The application was for two bungalows. These would not be ‘affordable housing’ but be unrestricted dwellings.

·       The application had originally been for three dwellings.

·       The land was owned by North Devon Council (NDC). The applicant was North Devon Homes (NDH). The applicant would be leasing the land from NDC. The Authority’s Property Manager would be attending the Committee meeting when the application would be considered.

·       The garages had been vacant for a number of years due to safety issues regarding asbestos.  Any parking currently on the site was un-authorised/informal. 

·       The existing bus shelter (near plot one) would be replaced.

·       The bench would remain in situ.

·       A total of 17 garages would be removed and the new plan provided 15 formal parking spaces. Although approximately 30 parking spaces were on site at present these were informal and no permission was in place for a number of these spaces.

·       There would be a layby providing short term parking – which could be used by carers/visitors

The Committee viewed the following locations:

·       Plot one: the ten garages to be demolished. 

·       The proposed dwelling would be built in the area where garages 20 and 21 were currently.

·       The location of the seven proposed formal car parking spaces, along the kerbside.

·       The four spaces at the end of the current row of garages. These would remain in place. These were on land already owned by NDH.

·       The location of plot two. There were currently seven garages on this plot. A block of three to the left- and across the corner were a further four.

·       The committee were directed through a space between these two rows of garages to the property behind. From there, the Service Manager (Development Management) showed the committee the boundary of the new plot.

·       The end of the road which was a hammer-head area in which vehicles could turn.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Service Manager (Development Management) advised:

·       The time allowed to park in the layby could be set under conditions

·       No assessment had been undertaken to check on the number of local residents who had carers who would need to use the space.

A representative from Bishops Nympton Parish Council was invited by the Chair to comment. The representative stated that the informal parking spaces were used to capacity and that delivery vehicles had nowhere to turn around, and had to reverse back up the road.