Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To receive details of any changes in membership.

Cllr V Hughes had replaced Cllr W Clark on the committee on a permanent basis.

To receive declarations of interest by members of any interests on respect of items on this agenda, and to consider any dispensations.

Members may however, also decide, in the interests of clarity and transparency, to declare at this point in the meeting, any such disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, as well as any other registerable or other interests.  

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED,     that the press and public be not excluded during discussion of any items on the agenda today.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 January 2024 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,     that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 January 2024 be agreed as a true and accurate record.

Any Member of the public who wishes to make representations relating to an item on the agenda for this meeting should apply to do so no later than 0:01am (one minute past midnight) three working days before the date of the meeting.  Anyone wishing to make representations to this meeting should contact the officer named on the front of the agenda, providing a written summary of the issues they intend to raise.

The Chair announced that those that had registered to make representations would be invited to address the Committee at the appropriate point in the meeting.

To consider an amended scheme for the erection of 111 houses, 6 bungalows and 8 apartments with associated roads, car parking, landscaping infrastructure and access from Beetham Road, land off Beetham Road, Milnthorpe (copy enclosed)

The Strategic Planning Committee considered a planning application for the erection of 109 houses, 8 bungalows and 8 apartments with associated roads, car parking, landscaping, infrastructure and access from Beetham Road, at land off Beetham Road, Milnthrope.  This was a proposed amended scheme.

There was an update sheet tabled, which covered the following:

Late representations

One late letter of representation, which reiterated local concerns in respect of foul drainage and surface water disposal, already discussed at length in the January Report and the update report.

The representation raised a specific point in respect of surface water drainage: that the developer had “yet to quantify what was the minimum level of rainfall required to overwhelm the system”.

The Principal Planning Officer explained that the planning requirement was actually more complex. Surface water drainage systems were not designed up to a point of failure; they were designed to withstand a 1:100 year storm event (which had a 1% annual probability), plus other allowances such as an additional volume of 40% for the anticipated effects of climate change.

The starting point for these calculations was the greenfield run-off; an approximation of the run-off rate for the pre-development site based upon a range of variable, including soil type, the size of site, geographical area, annual local rainfall levels, etc.). All of these assumptions accorded with national planning guidance and, in this case, had been approved by the lead local flood authority.

The existing greenfield run-off from this site was uncontrolled, such that it could leave at any point on the boundary, even entering the gardens of adjoining properties. If the proposed development and its associated surface water drainage scheme were completed this situation would be improved, with all surface water from events with a return period of up to 1:100 years being completely controlled.

The officer then informed members that a number of  the conditions needed further amendment to ensure consistency with the latest proposed changes.

Approved plans

Condition (2)

Site Layout

The plan reference for the latest Site Plan (Coloured) needed to be corrected to read: Site Plan (Coloured), 076-P-02 Revision P

Trees

The Survey of Existing Trees was updated to Revision A in Appendix B of the Tree Survey Report, February 2022 (Updated January 2024), so should now read: Survey of Existing Trees c-1912-04 Revision A

House types

The following plan could be deleted; there were no longer any Wastwater house types in the development. Wastwater - Plans & Elevations 076/WAST_3

The following plan needed to be added. This was the bespoke Grizedale bungalow (with a hipped roof) proposed for plot 101: 076/GRIZ_P101_3, Grizedale (Plot 101), Plans & Elevations

Condition (11):

Accessible and adaptable homes

Condition 11 needed to be updated to reflect the position on the latest site layout. As explained in paragraphs 8.24 – 8.27 of the January Report, achieving the M4(2) standard could be particularly challenging on sloping sites where, as here, units needed to respond to the topography in a locally appropriate manner and maintain adequate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

To consider any urgent items of business.

There were no urgent items.