A meeting of the Planning Committee of West Chiltington Parish Council was held at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 5th July 2005 in the Parish Office at the Reading Room, Church Street, West Chiltington.
Present: Harvie Steele (Chairman), Neil Longson (Vice-Chairman), Celia Rayner, Estelle Warriner, Jonathan Trees, Pietro di Marino
Also in attendance: Tony Thomas (Clerk to the Council)
The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed everyone.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Michael Jackson, Roger Watts, Paul Royce
2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
It was agreed that the minutes be approved as an accurate record of the previous meeting, held on 23 June 2005. The Chairman signed the minutes.
3. MATTERS ARISING
There were no matters arising from the minutes.
4. CURRENT APPLICATIONS FOR COMMENT
DC/05/1371 - Robert J Ewins, Heather Nook, 2 Heathermead - Erection of a replacement garage
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1419 - Mr And Mrs R Ewins, Heather Nook, 2 Heathermead - 2-storey rear extension
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1425 - Charles James Homes, Quilters, Grove Lane - Erection of 1.8m high gates (Lawful Development Certificate - Existing)
This matter is being dealt with by the legal department at Horsham District Council and was therefore not discussed.
DC/05/1433 - Mr And Mrs Barsham, Willetts Farm House, Broadford Bridge Road - Alterations to bedroom extension and loggia (amendment to planning permission WC/161/03)
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1460 - Mr M Harding, Avening, Heathfield Copse - 1st floor side extension
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1502 - Ebury And Stone Ltd, Wychacre, Harborough Hill - 1 freestanding signboard
Parish Council – The members objected strongly to the overall size of the sign and felt that a
10’ x 8’ sign was unduly obtrusive to the street scene. They also objected to showing a picture of the kitchen of the new houses and felt this should be incorporated into Sales Literature, and the overall size of the sign reduced accordingly. The site name is also incorrect; it should be Wychacre not Ebury Meadows.
DC/05/1470 - Alex Ross, Woodpeckers, Monkmead Lane - Single storey rear sunroom extension
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1516 - Mr AJ. White, Pinelands, Nyetimber Copse - Renewal of unimplemented planning permission (WC/69/00) for a 2-storey and first floor extension
Parish Council – no objection
DC/05/1525 - Mr And Mrs C Timmis, Badgers Wood Stud, Broadford Bridge Road - Conversion of barn to dwelling
(Harvie Steele declared a personal interest in the application as he is a near neighbour of the site and took no further part in the discussion)
Parish Council – the members have strong objections to this application. The permission to use the barn in support of the equestrian stud was given on the understanding that the barn could not be used for residential purposes. The applicants were warned four years ago, when they were found to be living in the barn, that the domestic conversions they had carried out must be removed as they only had planning permission for messing facilities. The barn was built specifically for the use of the land as an equestrian stud and to grant permission for residential occupation would go against the previous planning decision, and appear to condone the flagrant breach of the previous conditions imposed.
5. PLANNING DECISIONS AND APPEALS
(i) District Council decisions:
DC/05/1071- Mr & Mrs Rymer, land east of Conifers, The Common - erection of a dwelling
Parish Council - objections. Outline application DC/04/1220, allowed on appeal, refers specifically to a 2 bedroom retirement chalet bungalow. What is now proposed is a 3-bedroom chalet bungalow, with a conservatory not shown on the outline application. The position of the building is shown further east on the plot, closer to the boundary with the neighbouring property, and further north towards the road. The plans show a house with a steeply pitched roof, which is too large for the site, and which will appear cramped and out of keeping with neighbouring development. The steeply pitched roof will make the house an intrusive and incongruous feature of the street scene, detrimental to the visual amenities of the locality.
Any new house on the site should be built precisely in accordance with the appeal decision.
District Council decision – REFUSED – by virtue of its scale and siting would be unduly prominent in the street scene, and represents a cramped form of over development.
6. CORRESPONDENCE
No correspondence has been received
7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
(i) Overgrown hedge: Estelle Warriner reported an overgrown hedge at the junction of Harborough Hill and Castlegate restricting visibility. The Clerk would report to County Highways.
(ii) Car Park flower beds: The Clerk is still looking for someone to take over the maintenance of the flower beds at the car park in Haglands Lane, and trim the shrub adjacent to the car park exit. It was agreed to try to find a replacement gardener from the ranks of the allotment tenants, or add the task to those of Garden Care.
(iii) Local policing: Neil Longson reported that the police had set up a mobile speed camera on Harborough Hill and gave tickets to four motorists and warnings to a further six.
(iv) Co-Option – Three candidates have now put their names forward for the vacancy on the council and they will attend the Parish Council meeting on the 12th July 2005 when the vote will take place.