Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Peter Stevens.

(Councillor Peter Stevens had previously indicated that to avoid the perception of pre-determination and bias due to his close association with the applicant in his capacity as Portfolio Holder for Operations, he would not be present during the consideration of Planning Application No: DC/17/0521/FUL.)

Any Member who is substituting for another Member should so indicate together with the name of the relevant absent Member.

There were no substitutes present at the meeting.

Report No: DEV/SE/17/041

Creation of municipal operational hub comprising waste transfer station, household waste recycling centre (including reuse building), fleet depot (including offices), public realm maintenance depot and associated infrastructure including accesses, internal roads, parking, weighbridges, landscaping scheme and shared use path to connect existing footway on Barton Hill to proposed accesses

(Councillors Robert Everitt, Paula Fox, David Nettleton and David Roach declared local non-pecuniary interests as Members of Suffolk County Council and remained in the meeting for the consideration of this item.)

Creation of a municipal operational hub, comprising waste transfer station, household waste recycling centre (including reuse building), fleet depot (including offices), public realm maintenance depot and associated infrastructure including accesses, paths, internal roads and paths, parking, weighbridges, and landscaping (as amended)

This application had been originally referred to the Development Control Committee on 19 July 2017 because it was a Major Development, the Parish Councils had objected, and because the applicant was the Council.  Furthermore, the Officer recommendation to grant planning permission was contrary to the adopted Development Plan.

The application was deferred from consideration at the 19 July meeting to enable Officers to source further information on specific matters identified by Members during discussion, for reporting back to the Committee. 

Amended plans and additional information were then submitted by the applicants; and the planning application was reconsidered at the meeting of the Committee on 21 September 2017, where Members resolved to grant planning permission.

However, the Service Manager (Planning – Development) explained that a matter of policy was raised during the public speaking section of the Committee on 21 September, and following the meeting Officers provided the Chairman with advice with regard to this matter and recommended that further clarification of planning policy was required.  As a consequence, the Chairman asked Officers to provide a further report for the Committee on the application.

Therefore, Report No DEV/SE/17/041 formed a comprehensive and stand-alone Committee report.  The Service Manager advised the Committee that no regard was to be given to the previous reports considered in July and September.

Furthermore, Members were required to consider the planning application afresh and to reach a resolution, with no weight to be given to the Committee’s resolution to grant planning permission in September.

Lastly, the Service Manager reminded the Committee that if they resolved to grant planning permission Officers would consult the Secretary of State in order to provide him with an opportunity to consider whether to call the application in for his own determination.

The Principal Planning Officer then advised on the following updates further to the publication of the agenda:

·         A change to the description of development which had been formally agreed with the applicants:

Creation of a municipal operational hub, comprising waste transfer station, household waste recycling centre (including reuse building), fleet depot (including offices), public realm maintenance depot and associated infrastructure including accesses, paths, internal roads and paths, parking, weighbridges, and landscaping (as amended).

·         Corrections to the figures stated in Paragraph 162 of the report in respect of the Transport Assessment:

For an average day over 7 days the proposal would result in 1660 trips associated with the HWRC, 44 trips associated with the WTS, 206 associated with the depot, 142 242 staff trips resulting in a total of 2052 2152.

The Officer explained that despite this typographical error  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.