MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 11th JULY 2018, 7.00PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER, TOWN HALL, ABERGAVENNY.
Present: Cllr T Davies (Mayor)
Cllr N Tatam
Cllr G Jones
Cllr P Simcock
Cllr D Simcock
Cllr F Morgan
Cllr M Hickman
Cllr L Van de Vyver
Cllr M Lewis
Cllr M Harris
Cllr R Harris
Cllr T Konieczny
In attendance: J Lee (Town Clerk)
1. Apologies for absence
Received from Cllrs S Dodd, T Thomas, M Groucutt.
2. Declarations of Interest
Cllr R Harris is a member of MCC Planning Committee. He took no part in the decision making and voting on these items and acted, where required, in a factual advisory capacity.
3. Presentation from Mark Hand & Rachel Lewis, MCC Planning.
Councillors received a presentation from Mark Hand and Rachel Lewis on LDP revision, pre-application consultation process and development management process.
The new LDP will be for the period 2018-2033. Although the LDP will not be adopted until 2021, the evidence base will be from 2018 hence the start date.
The LDP revision officially started in May 2018 and the process is published in the Delivery Agreement approved by WG.
The stages are:
- Initial call for candidate sites late July
- Issues, vision & objectives
- Develop growth strategy
- Preferred strategy
- Further call for candidate sites
- Deposit Plan
The Town Council can input at all stages. MCC intend to develop options around the Growth Strategy and consult with T&CC and others.
There was some discussion regarding the allocation of additional employment sites, this is challenging due to the restrictions re the BBNPA boundary, topography and infrastructure constraints ie railway line. The demographic of Monmouthshire also plays a part, there is an under-representation of 25-44 age group in comparison to other areas in Wales, is that because of the lack of employment opportunities? The candidate site process is for all land uses not just residential. The LDP can allocate sites for residential development but does not specify the developer ie public or private. MCC is considering more innovative solutions to ensure that housing sites are built out.
With regards to Town Council comments on planning applications, if the Town Council objects the planning application is referred to a delegated panel who will undertake a site visit. All Town Councillors for the ward in which the application falls can participate in these site visits and can voice their opinion.
Pre-application Consultation. The regulations stipulate that developers have to prepare a design & access statement, plans, environmental statement before the pre-application consultation. The amount of preparation does give rise to consultees feeling that ‘it’s a done deal’ and that their comments will not make much difference. MH suggested that if the PAC report submitted by the developer as part of the planning application has not sufficiently taken on board comments by the Town Council, then the Town Council should reiterate these comments to MCC as part of the comments on the planning application process.
MH indicated that a request has been made from another Town Council for planning training and that MCC would consider providing training.
4. The following applications were recommended for approval
DM2018/00809 – Two storey side and rear extension to house and erection of detached annex Avenue Cottage, Pentre Road, Abergavenny
DM/2018/00908 – Variation of condition to extend the opening hours on a Friday & Saturday from 0.00 to 2.00am
DM/2018/00566 – Construct a domestic double garage and new access
The following application was recommended for approval if the proposed changes meet with the approval of MCC Heritage Manager.
DM/2018/00943 – Advertisement consent for stainless steel letters and an aluminium hanging sign at Burton Menswear
5. To consider a response to the WG Consultation on changes to the Use Class Order
The Committee discussed the WG consultation and agreed a response to proposals that are pertinent to the town.
The Committee agreed with the UCO proposals relating to betting shops, hot food takeways, public houses and café & sandwich bar use
The Committee agreed with the GDPO changes relating to permeable hard surfacing, electric charging points, solar PV and small scale hydro but disagreed with the proposal relating to mast heights.
ACTION: Town Clerk to prepare a response and submit to WG
6. Any other business
No AOB
The meeting closed at 8.22pm
