PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE
Minutes of the Parish Council Planning Committee held on 16 April 2020 
Via remote log-in commencing at 7.30pm.

1/PC20	ATTENDANCE AND APOLOGIES

It was noted that as an application for a new dwelling was due for consideration that full council had been summoned to attend the meeting, rather than just the Planning Committee members.

COMMITTEE PRESENT VIA REMOTE LOG-IN (DUE TO CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK):  Cllr Mrs Crutchfield (Chair of Planning Committee), Cllr Nicholls, Cllr Blunt, Cllr Hawkins and Cllr McCarthy.
OTHERS PRESENT VIA REMOTE LOG-IN:  Clerk: Laurie Eagling.  Three members of the public: Mr Clare, Mr Quinn and Mr White.
APOLOGIES: Cllr Mitra, Cllr Stoddart and Cllr Saintey.
	ABSENT: Cllr Weber and Cllr Frearson.

2/PC20	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE MEETING
Cllr Hawkins declared that he had previously carried out some work for the applicant of 140 Vicarage Road but that he had no pecuniary interest in the applications or with the applicant.  No other declarations of interest were declared, or dispensations requested, by members of the council.  

3/PC20	QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS
It was RESOLVED to accept comments from the members of public, relating to the applications, at the point that each application was discussed.

4/PC20	APPROVE MINUTES
	It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 October 2019 were a true and correct record of the meeting and the Chair was duly authorised to sign on behalf of the council.  

5/PC20	CORRESPONDENCE
Receipt of the planning notifications from Buckinghamshire Council and a number of objections relating to planning application 20/01028/APP were noted.
It was noted that applications had now been received in respect of Unit 5 Quarry Court and Robin Cottage on Chequers Lane, which would be considered by the full council meeting on 30/4/20.

6/PC20	PLANNING MATTERS

1.	Applications:  
a.	140 Vicarage Road, 20/01029/APP, side porch extension.  No members of the public wished to comment on this application.  No objections had been received by the parish council.  Following consideration of the application, it was RESOLVED to advise Buckinghamshire Council that the parish council had no objection to the application.
b.	Land to the rear of 140 Vicarage Road, 20/01028/APP, erection of detached dwelling car port and associated access arrangements.  
i.	It was RESOLVED to note that 6 objections had been received by the parish council and these also appeared on the BC planning portal along with other comments relating to highways, ecology and archaeology. 
ii.	It was RESOLVED to accept comments from the members of the public.  The residents who spoke wished to reinforce the content of their written objections.  
iii.	It was noted that the applicant was not in attendance at the meeting and had made no contact with the parish council.
iv.	Each council member in turn discussed their views of the application.
v.	It was RESOLVED to advise Buckinghamshire Council that the Parish Council was strongly opposed to the application on the following grounds:
1.	It was noted that the application site falls within the settlement boundary defined within the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan (PNP) but that the application did not comply with other PNP policies that require development to be of a scale, density, massing, height, design, layout and materials that reflect and enhance the local area,
2.	The scale, bulk, mass and siting of the proposed dwelling would be an overdevelopment of this particular site,
3.	The proposals would have an overbearing impact and cause an unacceptable loss of amenity and privacy for the neighbouring properties, as well as a negative impact on the adjacent Area of Attractive Landscape and the rural character of the site,
4.	There is insufficient visibility from the proposed highway access which may represent a highway safety danger and would prohibit meeting the highway requirements,
5.	The majority of the objections cited in the previous refusal in 2006, and subsequent refusal at appeal, still apply including the highway access and overdevelopment issues – indeed the dwelling proposed in the most recent application is more than double the size of the one previously deemed harmful to the character of the area and larger than the combined footprint of the adjacent two semi-detached properties.
vi.	It was further RESOLVED to submit a separate request to Planning Enforcement to investigate the access off the highway/driveway installed, for which planning permission has not been sought/granted.  It was noted that a resident of a neighbouring property cited that land within his boundary/ownership had been utilised by the applicant without their permission.  The parish council encouraged the neighbour to also submit their own request to Planning Enforcement.
c.	49 Old Farm, 20/01038/APP, Single storey front extension and conversion of garage to habitable accommodation.  No members of the public wished to comment on this application.  No objections had been received by the parish council.  Following consideration of the application, it was RESOLVED to advise Buckinghamshire Council that the parish council had no objection to the application IF the dwelling could still comply with the on-site parking requirements defined by BC and the Neighbourhood Plan for this size property, especially as located in a congested area of the village.

2.	Decisions:  None notified by Buckinghamshire Council.

3.	Applications outstanding with BC:  Rear of the Bell(Haldi), 7 Queen Street, 35 Glebe Close and Portland House on Westfield Road.

4.	Enforcement:  
a.	7 Church Road – outstanding with BC
b.	Drive access for Land to the Rear of 140 Vicarage Road – see 7/PC20-1b.vi above.

7/PC20	REPORTS:  No reports received.

8/PC20	MATTERS FOR REFERRAL:  No matters were identified as requiring referral to full council meeting on 30/4/20.

9/PC20	DATE OF NEXT MEETING:  to be advised.

10/PC20   	CLOSURE OF MEETING:  There being no further business to be transacted, the Chair closed the meeting at 7.56pm so that attendees could join the 8pm Clap for Carers.

Signed:			Date:	________________
	 Chair