Erection of a dwelling. Report by the Senior Planning Officer (attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Senior Planning Officer (SE) regarding planning application 77772 (circulated previously).

Mr Robert Mead (applicant) addressed the Committee.

Councillor Wilkinson (in his capacity as Ward Member and had called in the application for consideration by the Committee) addressed the Committee.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Senior Planning Officer (SE) advised the following:

·       That the planning application was for a local needs dwelling.

·       The Certificate of Lawfulness was for a caravan located within the curtilage of the existing dwelling.

·       The current measurements for one of the double bedroom was slightly below the national space standard.  However with slight adjustments, the national space standards could be achieved.

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

·       Planning Law required planning applications to be determined in accordance with the Local Plan.  In accordance with policy ST07, West Down was not classified as a rural settlement.  In accordance with Policy DM24, West Down was not a rural settlement as it did not have a prescribed service or facility. Therefore policy ST04 applied as the site was located in the open countryside.  Policy DM28 rural workers dwelling could not be applied.  This was for a local needs dwelling which was not located in a rural settlement in accordance with the Local Plan.

·       There is an existing granted lawful development certificate for the proposed siting of a caravan in the curtilage of Teasel Cottage.  This was approved as the siting of the caravan does not change the use of the land would not require a formal planning application.

·       The proposed dwelling was outside of the development boundary. If it was located within a rural settlement as defined in the Local Plan and the applicants had a local connection, then the local needs dwelling would be triggered subject to a section 106 agreement.

·       There were small hamlets and villages that had services and facilities such as a church, school, village hall and therefore could be defined as a rural settlement.

·       There was a need for consistency and for the application to be determined in accordance with planning policies and the National Planning Policy Framework.

In response to a question from the Committee, the applicant’s wife confirmed that she was a midwife and worked at both the hospital and within the community.

RESOLVED (unanimous) that the application be APPROVED subject to a section 106 agreement to secure the local needs dwelling and power being delegated to the Service Manager (Development Management) to attach any relevant planning conditions in consultation with the Ward Member.

In determining this application, the Committee considered the following which was of particular relevance to this application and in relation to material planning considerations:

(a)  That the development of a dwelling house in this location did meet the local social and economic needs and therefore outweighed the potential harm and conflict of policy ST07;

(b)  Acknowledged the cluster of other buildings in the vicinity and considered this particular application to be a sustainable development;

(c)  Took account of the number of services located nearby including the proximity of bus stops and local pub, and the role of the applicant’s wife as a local NHS Community midwife.