THE LEIGH PARISH COUNCIL
: leighpc@hotmail.co.uk : theleighpc.org.uk
MINUTES OF THE ADDITIONAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 13th MARCH 2024 AT 7.30PM
Present: Cllr. J. Arkell (Chair), Cllr A Bowness, Cllr. K. Morton.
In attendance: K. Tilling (Parish Clerk), and 4 members of the public.
1. Welcome and Apologies:
Councillors and parishioners were welcomed to the meeting. Apologies were received from Cllr Glazebrook and Cllr Theyer.
2. Declarations of Interest:
There were no Declarations of Interest required by Parish Councillors in attendance regarding the items on the agenda.
3. To discuss planning applications and consider responses for the following:
APP/G1630/W/23/3330019 22/01217/FUL: Paddock Cottage, The Leigh. The Parish Council have received notice that an Appeal has been lodged against the refusal of planning permission. The original response made by the Parish Council is on the planning portal (dated 11 May 2023) and will be sent to PINS as part of the Appeal process.
The reason for refusal by TBC last September was “The retention of the change of use of the paddock area as residential curtilage and its associated domestic paraphernalia along with the erection of the proposed car port with home office above represents a significant encroachment into the surrounding countryside and discernible harm to the character and appearance of the area, contrary to Policies RES10 and RES11 of the Tewkesbury Borough Local Plan 2011-2031 and Policy SD4 of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031.”
The Parish Council have no further information to add to their response and will await the decision of the PINS officer. Parish Councillors discussed what TBC policies RES11 and RES10 entailed – RES11 focuses on agricultural land and change of use to a domestic garden while RES10 considers Alteration and extensions of existing dwellings with an emphasis on acceptable design parameters.
APP/G1630/C/23/3334967 23/00212/ENFC: Paddock Cottage, The Leigh. This Appeal is linked to the above Appeal and was originally part of planning application 22/01217/FUL. An Enforcement Notice has been issued requiring that the small plot of land to the side of the property is returned to its original state and that all domestic paraphernalia is removed, including the fencing. The applicant has confirmed that he has been given some poor advice. The Parish Council comments from May 2023 should be forwarded to PINS and there is no further comment to be made.
24/00087/PIP: Land at Part Parcel 1160, Church Lane, The Leigh Land Off A38, Coombe Hill, Gloucester. Permission in Principle for residential development of 1 new dwelling. This application seeks a ‘Planning in Principle’ decision for a family sized detached dwelling with a large garden and off-road parking. The scale, design and landscaping details are to be reserved for future consideration under technical details consent. It is reported that the design will reflect the character of the existing two storey dwellings located linearly to the west. The Parish Council are aware that local individuals will be submitting their own personal comments direct to TBC if they have not done so already. The only detail provided is for the access, with all other matters such as appearance, scale layout and landscaping all remain as reserved matters. Unfortunately, all the reserved matters are the parts of a planning application that matter most to the residents that live closest to this location. It is important to know this information before a considered response can be given. Therefore, it is not possible to make comments based against material planning considerations when everything is a reserved matter. The Parish Council have stood by this view in all previous planning applications that are either Outline (OUT) or Planning in Principle (PIP), e.g., 23/00293/OUT, 20/00539/OUT, 12/01216/OUT. Previous bad experiences with older outline planning applications only strengthens the Parish Council concerns and mistrust of this cheaper way to obtain planning permission. Once the principle to build has been established it then gives the applicant free range to change almost everything within the application. The Parish Council do not support this type of application as they do not know what they are signing off.
The proposed plot is next door to two recently built dwellings, the closest being Paddock Cottage. This has just had a planning application refused on the grounds of a “change of use of the paddock area as residential curtilage and its associated domestic paraphernalia along with the erection of the proposed car port with home office above represents a significant encroachment into the surrounding countryside and discernible harm to the character and appearance of the area, contrary to Policies RES10 and RES11 of the Tewkesbury Borough Local Plan 2011-2031 and Policy SD4 of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031.” A house is much larger than a car port with home office and therefore it is safe to say a larger encroachment into the surrounding countryside. Its proposed location is not considered to be ‘infill’ as it is on the edge of the linear form of dwellings. It is outside of any identified service village boundary and therefore is covered by RES 3 New housing outside of settlement boundaries. RES 6 is concerned with Rural Exception Sites and this is not considered to meet the criteria as it has not been labelled as affordable housing. Planning Officers are also reminded to acquaint themselves with the adopted Leigh Neighbourhood Development Plan as this does not fit the Plan. Following its adoption and the TBC ten-year plan, the Parish Council consider that the parish have now taken more than the required number of new houses originally proposed and there is certainly no requirement for further family houses following a housing needs survey. It is noted that Highways has recommended refusal. The Parish Council have recently adopted a Biodiversity Policy and are unable to respond to any environmental impacts against this location without the necessary detail other than the obvious loss or agricultural land and the partial removal of an established hedge. It is also worth reminding the planning officers that with increased and now prolonged flooding within the village, one of two lanes is frequently impassable, creating additional traffic using the narrow unlit Church Lane. The Parish Council are aware of TBC’s lack of five-year housing supply and the tilted balance that is referred to in the planning statement for this application. However, this should not be used to trample over all the other policies that have been put in place to protect existing residential areas.
The Parish Council have been made aware that local sites have cut back their house building as demand has dropped. If this is the case, then this questions the need for pushing through applications using the tilted balance argument.
4. To approve any new CIL spending.
The RFO now has the bill for the hearing loop in the church – £6112. This expenditure was approved at the last meeting.
Car Park resurfacing and enlarging – The car spaces outside the church need to be widened to help with the large farm traffic passing daily. By stoning the ditch (this is not a watercourse leading to or from anywhere) and then extending the tarmac, extra width can be achieved. Car will then be able to park ‘herringbone’ opposite the church. The spaces will be white lined. Area to be surfaced is approx. 262 square metres. Cllr Bowness has been coordinating the required three quotes, but price is coming in at £28000 plus Vat, which the Parish Council can reclaim.
Swift Boxes – residents at the Wharf have requested that the Parish Council consider purchasing Swift Boxes with CIL money. It is probably too late to get them in place for this season. The Clerk has been dealing with a resident that has also been in contact with the Winchcombe Swift Group. The rolling out of any boxes would be a phased event, starting with the older houses at Coombe Hill and the Wharf. A note needs to go out in the newsletter and in the media asking for resident feedback before the Parish Council will commit to purchasing boxes. Parish Council are mindful of its Biodiversity Policy, and this would fit very well. The Wharf resident has arranged a meeting with the Winchcombe volunteer for Monday 15th April to look at the houses and confirm if they are suitable to have boxes installed. The swift boxes have been priced as £45 each and are the strong durable ones from GWT. There are cheaper wooden options that do not last as long. A member of the Winchcombe Swift group might be able to install them if the Parish Council were able to make a small donation to their group. Del is leaving GWT, and the new contact is Martin Inneson.
Bus Shelters – The Parish Council are proposing to install several bus shelters at Coombe Hill. The resident on Villards Close that has a driveway facing the back of a shelter is unhappy about its siting. Stating that it would be a place for ‘yobs to congregate and make a mess and noise’. Councillors are currently looking at the procurement of the shelters and will visit the site and share the proposed shelter design with this applicant. They are of a high quality, country design to be made of wood and will be L shaped with no sides to allow people to walk through the shelter using the pavement. This shelter is to have a rubbish bin – also a complaint from the same household- and a small notice board. The Parish Council are unaware of any young people that hang around the area at night and thought this comment was a little unwarranted.
5. Any other business.
A report from Cllr Theyer in his absence confirmed that Highways have agreed to fell the Ash Tree outside Ken Poulton’s over concerns that it is damaging his wall. They will treat the roots with Eco plugs to prevent regrowth. The work should be carried out by the end of March.
Village verge cutting – Having had discussions with Highways over this, The Parish Council have decided that Highways can continue to do their usual cuts. Any additional cutting can be agreed and paid for directly by the Parish Council. This will keep it simple. Councillors were reminded that Highways only cut verges – they do not cut overgrown hedges.
Passing Only sign – for the area at the end of Church Lane. After the last meeting this was agreed and that a letter is to be sent to the residents along Church Lane for their views. The Parish Council needs to know if there will be any objections to a low-level sign saying Passing Place Only, No Parking, in the hope it will alleviate the currently parking and littering situation.
The RFO also reminded the Councillors that it is time to think about getting ready for the Auditors.
Meeting closed at 21.10pm