Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors George Potter, Maddy Redpath, Joanne Shaw and Fiona White.  Councillors Catherine Houston, Joss Bigmore and Jane Tyson attended as substitutes for the above detailed councillors respectively. 

In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must not participate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must also withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, you must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

Councillors are further invited to disclose any non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on this agenda, in the interests of transparency, and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter.

Councillor Sue Wyeth-Price declared a personal interest in application 22/P/00367 The Firs, Ash Green Road, Ash, Guildford, GU12 6JJ.  Councillor Wyeth-Price would speak as a Ward Councillor on this application and then leave the room for the duration of the consideration and decision made.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 24 May 2023 which will be attached as part of the supplementary late sheets at the meeting. A copy of the minutes will be placed on the dais prior to the meeting.

The minutes of the Planning Committee held on 24 May 2023 were approved by the Committee and signed by the Chairman as a true record. 

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee.

The Committee noted the Chairman’s announcements.

The Committee considered the above-mentioned full application for residential development of 7 houses and associated bicycle and garden stores and associated landscaping and extensions and alterations to The Firs (existing dwelling).

Prior to the consideration of the application, the following persons addressed the Committee in accordance with Public Speaking Procedure Rules 3(b):

·        Mrs Debra McLeod (to object) (Democratic Services Officer read out speech);

·        Mrs Gill Squibb (Chairman of Ash Green Resident’s Association) (to object) and;

·        Mr Patrick Reedman (DHA Planning) (in support)

The Committee received a presentation from the Senior Planning Officer, Jo Trask.  The Committee noted the supplementary late sheets which included updated comments from Surrey County Council Highways, Natural England and Surrey Wildlife Trust.  Two additional letters had been received and some proposed amendments to the wording of conditions 2, 3, 4 and 6.

This application was previously due to be considered by the Planning Committee at its meeting on 1 March 2023.  However, planning officers deferred the application to allow them to further consider the previously proposed culvert and biodiversity enhancements.  The current scheme had been amended to remove the culvert and now proposed a bridge section over the water body.  Surrey Wildlife Trust were now satisfied that the ecology of the current stream would be improved.

The application site was located within the Ash urban area, located to the north of Ash Green Road, the railway line was to the west with an area of ancient woodland located close by and to the south, Green Belt and countryside.  The site was also located within the 400m – 5km Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area (TBHSPA) and Flood Zone 1 where a body of water ran from north to south through the site.

The application was for seven two bedroom dwellings and a part single, part two storey extension to the current dwelling onsite.  All units would have vehicular access via the creation of a new access onto Ash Green Road.  A small bridge section, 3m wide would provide vehicular access across the stream linking the east and west portions of the site.  A 15metre buffer zone to the ancient woodland would provide visual amenity only.  The details of the buffer zone and its enclosure would be secured under condition.

The existing water body runs north-south through the site and was culverted both as it left the site to the north and again to the south.  The application offered an opportunity to secure ecological enhancements to the existing water body to improve the biodiversity and ecological value.  A buffer to the water body and its enclosure would be secured by condition.

The existing access would be removed and replaced with a new separate pedestrian access and new bicycle and bin storage.  The new access point was 6m in width.                   

The proposed dwellings were sited to maximise the opportunities on the site, being located closer to the rear boundary, the northern boundary, which backed onto the railway line, maximising the amount of amenity space with a southern aspect,  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL5

The Committee considered the above-mentioned outline application for the demolition of existing house and outbuildings and erection of 22 dwellings with associated parking and creation of new vehicular access (all matters reserved except access, layout and scale).

Prior to the consideration of the application, the following persons addressed the Committee in accordance with Public Speaking Procedure Rules 3(b):

·        Mr Rahim Vellani (to object);

·        Cllr Paul Golding (Ash Parish Council) (to object) and;

·        Mr Andrew Kamm (Applicant) (in support)

The Committee received a presentation from the Senior Planning Officer, Peter Dijkhuis.  The Committee noted that agreement had been confirmed with the applicant in terms of the conditions, the informed terms and a broad agreement of the S106 financial contributions regarding private SANG land that would make the scheme applicable to policy.  The scheme would be in reserved matters for one year with commencement in two years which evidenced the delivery of the application.

The site was located at the edge of the northern allocation and was within the edge of the Green Belt.  The site was close to Ash Station, the village and community facilities. The Committee was given an overview of the various schemes within the allocation in the immediate area that were either under construction or coming forward and the various planning applications/or appeals.

The Committee noted that if the Orchard Farm site was approved, a green meadow to the north of the site would provide connectivity through to the Woodlands and Streamside sites onto the Green Belt.  This was compliant with the policy requirement of creating a green wedge between the various settlements.  The character of the settlements was suburban with private gardens and landscaping.  Ash Road Bridge was elevated over the railway line to about 6 metres and was a visual intrusion and prominent within the settlement area.

The site was effectively in three portions, the southern portion, the Woodlands which was in the middle and northern portion and southern portion.

The first matter to highlight was in relation to access and movement onto Harpers Road.  It was a narrow rural lane with a ditch on one side which collected water from the southern part of the railway.  It was screened by a large landscape frame with the woodlands maintaining the rural character. 

Surrey County Highways had confirmed that in order to reduce the safety concerns with regard to children and cyclists on the lane that improved signage was installed to highlight public rights of way, pedestrian movements and crossing points with new traffic speed limit signs.  This was secured by condition and subject to its implementation, the County Highway Authority had no objections.

In terms of visibility, the private estate road would have good visibility in the northern direction as well accessing the site from the southern portion.  Vehicle tracking movements studies had been undertaken and resulted in no objections being raised by Environmental Health or Surrey Highways.  The site sat as a parcel as part of a bigger strategic allocation.  There were various other  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL6

The Committee considered the above-mentioned full application for change of use from agricultural land to equestrian use including the erection of a stable building and sand school.

Prior to the consideration of the application, the following persons addressed the Committee in accordance with Public Speaking Procedure Rules 3(b):

·        Mrs Nicola Hetherington (to object) and;

·        Ms Emily Hall (WS Architecture and Planning) (in support)

The Committee received a presentation from the Senior Planning Officer, Lisa Botha.  The Committee noted the supplementary late sheets which clarified the comments received by Shere Parish Council as well as detailing an additional letter of objection.  The site was located within the Green Belt, Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).  The site was in a rural area comprised of open fields which extended to the rear of Chase Cottage and Abinger Fields northwards along to Sutton Place.  The proposed sand school was 40 metres by 20 metres located to the rear of the residential curtilage of the dwelling running east to west.  The proposed stable building would be comprised of an earth substrate and a condition was recommended to secure details of this.  No fencing was proposed to be erected around the sand school itself and a condition was proposed to secure details should the applicant wish to install fencing at a later date.  The proposed stable building would measure 11 metres by 7.35 metres at its maximum height and would have a pitched roof made of wooden boarding and corrugated sheeting.  From the footpath the proposed sand school and stable building would not be visible as it was lower than the elevated ground it would be built on.

Planning officers had concluded that the change of use of land and the engineering operations to create the sand school would not represent inappropriate development within the Green Belt.  The proposed use would be required for outdoor recreation and the sand school would represent an engineering operation.  Both elements would preserve the openness of the Green Belt and would not conflict with the purposes of including land within it.  No in principle objections were raised to these elements of the proposal.  The proposed stable would constitute appropriate facilities in connection with a change of use of the land.  As such it was not construed as inappropriate development within the Green Belt.  The principle of development was therefore considered acceptable. The stable building would be in keeping with the character of the area, appropriately designed and in scale for its intended use.  Whilst the site was positioned in an elevated position in the landscape, the site was relatively visually contained and would not be prominent from distant views.  Furthermore, stable buildings such as this would not be unexpected in this rural context.  Whilst the site was located on the best and most versatile land, the land could easily be brought back into agricultural use if required.  It was acknowledged that the site was in a sensitive location and should  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL7

The Committee considered the above-mentioned full application for construction of three houses with associated parking, landscaping and access following demolition of the existing building. 

The Committee received a presentation from the Senior Planning Officer, Lisa Botha.  The application was recommended for approval subject to conditions and a legal agreement.  There was an amended condition on the supplementary late sheets which took into account sustainability factors with regard to materials to be used and an additional condition to deal with surface water drainage on the site. 

The site was located within the urban area of Ash and was within the 400m to 5km TBHSPA.  It was also located within a residential area and comprised of a mix of detached, semi-detached and terrace properties which were predominantly two storeys in height. 

The site was comprised of a detached bungalow with an L-shaped footprint with double garage on a wide plot in need of modernisation.  The southern side of Alexandra Road was comprised predominantly of more narrow plots to the west of the application site there were wider plots with large detached properties.  The existing bungalow would be demolished and replaced by three detached dwellings onsite. 

Cycle stores were proposed to the rear and two parking spaces for each dwelling.  Planning officers were satisfied that the loss of the existing building was of no particular architectural merit.  The site represented a transition between smaller plots to the south-west and wider plots with detached properties.  The three detached dwellings would sit comfortably on the site and would retain good separation distances to the side boundaries with rear gardens provided with a depth of over 10 metres.  The frontages of the properties would be mainly hard surfaced to provide parking with some landscaping proposed to soften the visual impact.  No objection had been raised by the County Highway Authority.  No trees would be felled to enable the development and suitable measures were proposed in order to prevent damage to trees located close to the boundary of the application site.  The proposed dwellings would provide good living conditions for any future occupants and would not materially harm the amenities of neighbouring properties.

The Committee discussed the application and agreed that the development provided wider plots and separation distances than other neighbouring dwellings.  The proposal was considered to be a good use of space whilst also providing much needed housing.

A motion was moved and seconded to approve the application which was carried. 

In conclusion, having taken consideration of the representations received in relation to this application, the Committee

RESOLVED to approve application 22/P/01847 subject to the amended and updated conditions as  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL8

Committee members are asked to note the details of Appeal Decisions as attached at Item 6.

The Committee discussed and noted the appeal decisions.