North Yorkshire Council
Thirsk and Malton Area Constituency Planning Committee
Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 20th July, 2023 commencing at 10.00 am.
Councillor Caroline Goodrick in the Chair, plus Councillors Alyson Baker, George Jabbour, Nigel Knapton, Malcolm Taylor and Steve Mason (Substitute for Joy Andrews).
Officers Present: Alpha Love-Koh and Lily Hamilton, Democratic Services Officer and Hugh Smith, Senior Planning Officer.
Apologies: Councillor Joy Andrews and Lindsay Burr MBE. .
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Copies of all documents considered are in the Minute Book
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Apologies for Absence
Apologies noted (see above).
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Minutes for the Meeting held on 15 June 2023
Minutes of the meeting held on 15 June 2023 were confirmed and signed as an accurate record.
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Declarations of Interests
There were no declarations of interest.
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Public Questions and Statements
The Chair informed the Committee that this item would be taken out of numerical order, and it was addressed following the conclusion of Item 5.
There was one public statement from Phillip Tate which was shared by the Chair of the Committee.
" I fully appreciate that this Committee is still feeling its way as part of a new Unitary Authority but I would like to make a suggestion that could transform it from being simply a variant of its original form to something much more exciting and proactive. The suggestion is predominantly concerned with Housing policy but could equally apply to Industrial development.
At present, Planning policy is essentially a wish list of ambitions which is used to determine whether or not an Application should be granted Approval. This is generally known as Development Control. Only rarely does a Planning Authority actually initiates Development. I think the direction of travel should be completely different. I think that a Planning Authority should be the sole purchaser of land for Development and use its power of Compulsory Purchase to acquire land that it has previously determined would be in its region's interest to develop.
When land is Compulsorily Purchased, the Vendor only receives the value of the land at the time of its sale. This value is not inflated by the intended use of the land. Thus farmland earmarked for Housing Development would be acquired at the going rate for Agricultural land. The land would then be put on the open market for sale and the uplift in value would accrue to the Planning Authority and not the original owner. This money could then be used to subsidise social housing.
The land could also be sold with pre-conditions for such things as the mix of housing , its density and the provision of amenity.
Moving towards this model should be attractive to both Councillors and Officers. The elected members could actively improve their community and the Officers would be able to use their training in Town Planning constructively instead of merely reacting to unsolicited applications.
But there is a warning that comes with this suggestion. I had originally intended to ask a question about an Application in my own neighbourhood to site a temporary home. This application has been under consideration for eighteen months. Clearly if we are going to move towards a proactive form of Planning and Development , we are going to need a style of management that is worthy of such responsibility. Decision making is going to need to be fleet of foot and able to evaluate considerations that are genuinely material to a proposed development. Last month in reviewing the scheme for 43 houses in South Kilvington , it was felt necessary to mention that both a fox and a deer had been spotted on the proposed site. Of the members present, not a single eye was rolled.
I look forward to hearing Members initial thoughts about acquiring land and positively driving an Agenda for Development using powers of Compulsory Purchase. "
Jill Thompson, Planning and Development Manager gave the following statement which was read by the Chair of the Committee:
“Thank you for your statement and suggestions. Unfortunately, this is not a matter that the area planning committee can provide a detailed response to. The question will be referred to the Council’s legal and estates teams and the relevant Portfolio Holders and a full response will be provided in due course.”
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21/00480/FL - CONSTRUCTION OF 44NO. TWO, THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM, TWO STOREY DWELLINGS WITH ASSOCIATED GARAGES AND INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING DRAINAGE ATTENUATION BASIN, OPEN SPACE AND PLAY AREA AT LAND ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SANDS LANE HUNMANBY YO14 0LT ON BEHALF OF GLEESON REGENERATION LTD, M COPE, E COPE & J BAILEY
Considered:
The Assistant Director Planning – Community Development Services sought determination of a planning application for the construction of 44no. two-, three- and four-bedroom, two storey dwellings with associated garages and infrastructure including drainage attenuation basin, open space and plan area on land on the south side of Sands Lane, Hunmanby.
The Planning Officer reported two consultation responses as an update : The Local Lead Flood Authority confirmed no objection to the Exceedance Flow Plan, but some additional information relating to micro-drainage calculations is still required; the Environmental Health Officer does not object to the application, subject to suitable acoustic protection from railway noise. These matters would be delegated to officers in accordance with the recommendation and in consultation with the Committee Chair and Vice-Chair.
The applicant’s agent Matt Smith spoke in support of the application.
During consideration of the above application, the Committee discussed the following issues: · The location of the affordable houses, and how these are situated amongst the development. · The future management of the play area, and if the Parish Council have been offered a role in this. · Whether a benchmark had been taken for Biodiversity net gain. · The benefits of a construction management plan to control the hours of work for surrounding residents.
The Committee indicated that they were minded to grant permission subject to site construction hours being specified in a relevant condition, as well as a benchmark for biodiversity net gain being established, with delegation of the decision following consultation with the Chair.
Voting Record A vote was taken and the motion was declared carried unanimously.
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Any other items
The Chair invited Councillor Jabbour to confirm that due to a change in political proportionality he is no longer on this committee and two appointments have been made, Councillor Cross as a committee member and Councillor Andrews as Vice-Chair.
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Date of Next Meeting
Thursday 17 August 2023 – Ryedale House, Malton
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