Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2020 be confirmed.

Please note that, in accordance with the Members' Code of Conduct, when declaring interests members must disclose the existence and nature of the interest, and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) or personal and/or pecuniary.

No declarations of interest were received.

Simon Cousins, Planning Team Leader, on behalf of the Arboricultural Officer:

a.    advised members of the reasons for proposed works to trees in the City Council’s ownership and sought consent to progress the works identified, as detailed at Appendix A of his report

b.    highlighted that the list did not represent all the work undertaken to Council trees, it represented all the instances where a tree was either identified for removal, or where a tree enjoyed some element of protection under planning legislation, and thus formal consent was required

c.    explained that Ward Councillors had been notified of the proposed works.

Members discussed the content of the report in further detail.

Members requested:

·         Further clarification behind the need to fell a Sycamore tree in Abbey Ward described as the current form of the tree preventing effective future management.

·         Why the felling of two trees in Minster Ward was a retrospective application.

Simon Cousins, Planning Team Leader, on behalf of the Arboricultural Officer offered the following points of clarification to members:

·         The felling of a Sycamore tree in Abbey Ward to the rear of Greetwell Close was necessary as it severely overhung the property boundary to the rear. The tree would need to be taken back to the boundary to make it safe, and in terms of its worth this action would make it unable to regenerate. It was considered appropriate therefore to replace it with a more suitable specimen in a suitable position within the Ward.

·         Access to the property at 25 Thurlby Crescent in Minster Ward was through the house only. The property became vacant and it was felt wise to carry out the felling of two trees in the back garden whilst it was empty. Both trees had stem defects with the potential to cause unpredictable collapse. It wasn’t practically possible to bring the request to Planning Committee before the works were undertaken, hence a retrospective notice for work undertaken was presented this evening.

RESOLVED that tree works set out in the schedules appended to the report be approved.

The Planning Team Leader:

a.    advised that planning permission was sought for two dwellings within a previously developed site at Byron Place, 19 The Colosseum, Lincoln

b.    referred to additional paperwork circulated to members further to the previously issued Planning Committee agenda, containing site location plans, visuals of the proposed dwellings and photographs in relation to this planning application

c.    described the location of the previously built site known as the Colosseum consisting of a crescent of 14 terraced houses with basements and then two full floors of accommodation and a further third floor of accommodation within the roofspace, originally built in 2015 under application (2012/1433/F)

d.    reported that the specific site subject to the current application was granted planning permission for a 'sunken garden' under application 2014/0550/F, the area currently used as garden land by the occupants of No. 19 The Colosseum

e.    confirmed that the two additional dwellings proposed would be attached to the side of No. 19, continuing the crescent shape of the previous development in form and design

f.     described the development accessed from Newport by way of a private road within the ownership of the applicant, following the original scheme of 14 dwellings, a further 4 dwellings and an apartment were constructed directly off the access road and a further 3 dwellings fronting Newport following the demolition of a pair of semi-detached houses under application (2016/0191/CXN)

g.    provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

·         Policy LP1: A Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

·         Policy LP2: The Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy

·         Policy LP11: Affordable Housing

·         Policy LP13: Accessibility and Transport

·         Policy LP26: Design and Amenity

·         National Planning Policy Framework      

h.    advised members of the main issues to be considered as part of the application to assess the proposal with regard to:

·         Planning Policy

·         Visual Amenity

·         Residential Amenity

·         Highways, Access and Parking

·         Other Matters

i.      outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

j.      concluded that :

·         The principle of the use of the site for residential purposes was considered to be acceptable in this location.

·         The development would relate well to the site and surroundings, particularly in relation to siting, height, scale, massing and design.

·         The proposals would also not cause undue harm to the amenities which occupiers of neighbouring properties may reasonably expect to enjoy.

·         The application would therefore be in accordance with the requirements of Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Policies, as well as guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework.

Members highlighted that the current development for two dwellings was clearly linked to the previous scheme for 14 dwellings on site, which had been below the threshold for an element of affordable housing at the time, however over the threshold with the two additional proposed dwellings now applied for. Members referred to the original scheme having been completed for more than 5 years and therefore an affordable housing contribution could not be sought under Policy LP11 of the Central Lincolnshire Plan. They commented on the reality that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95.

Kieron Manning, Assistant Director – Planning:

a.    presented a report to update Planning Committee on the content of the recent White Paper consultation from Central Government on reforming the planning system

b.    referred to paragraph 2 of the report and outlined the two consultations published by the Government on 6 August 2020 relating to the Planning System, one being a fairly straightforward consultation on proposed changes to the current planning system, the second proposing major changes to the planning system as part of an overhaul by the Government calling our ‘outdated and ineffective planning system’

c.    advised that the ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper published in early August saw significant changes at both Policy and Development Management stages, the Government had stated that it had the potential to alter the planning system more than any previous reforms since the inception of the planning system in 1947

d.    advised that in the forward to the White Paper, the Prime Minister stated that the government’s ambition was to create a planning system which was “simpler, clearer and quicker to navigate, delivering results in weeks and months rather than years and decades”

e.    advised that since 1947 planning applications in England had been assessed on a case-by-case basis against a long-term local plan, with permission ultimately decided by committee

f.     reported that the new system proposed to diminish this, with land instead classified into three zones within a new Local Plan, with outline planning permission awarded automatically if proposals met specific criteria within specific zones

g.    explained that the White paper proposed that the following three categories would apply to all land within a district boundary as part of the local plan allocation process:

                                          i.    Growth

                                        ii.    Renewal

                                       iii.    Protection

h.    referred to paragraph 4 of the report and summarised the key proposals covering the following main areas:

§  Local Plan Proposals

§  The Role of Councillors and Development Management

§  Public Engagement

§  Section 106 Agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

§  Housing Targets

§  Design

§  Enforcement

§  Delivering Changes

i.      explained the implications of the proposed changes at paragraph 5 of the report

j.      advised that the consultation was open until 29 October 2020 and that subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government “would seek to bring forward legislation and policy changes” to implement its reforms acknowledging that “we have not comprehensively covered every aspect of the system, and the detail of the proposals would need further development pending the outcome of the consultation”

k.    highlighted that the proposals would require primary legislation followed by secondary legislation and an updating of the National Planning Policy Framework

l.      reported that at the time of drafting this report none of the key organisations within the sector had issued their formal response to the White Paper but the Assistant Director – Planning had been part of a number of webinar discussions attended by LGA, DCN,CCN, POS, MHCLG and a range of Council representatives from across the country where many of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.