Agenda item

Planning Application - 1.5 storey rear extension to accommodate 4no. GP Consulting Rooms, Treatment Room, Interview Room and associated administrative and storage areas (following removal of existing portacabin)

Planning Application - 1.5 storey rear extension to accommodate 4no. GP Consulting Rooms, Treatment Room, Interview Room and associated administrative and storage areas (following removal of existing portacabin)

This application was originally referred to the Development Control Committee on 5 August 2020 following consideration by the Delegation Panel.

The application was referred to the Delegation Panel as Stanton Parish Council raised concerns, which was contrary to the Officer recommendation of approval.

At the August meeting the Committee resolved that they were ‘minded to’ refuse the application, contrary to the Officer recommendation, due to insufficient parking provision at the site and highway safety issues being exacerbated by surgery users parking on the neighbouring streets, primarily Parkside and Grundle Close. The proposal was also considered to be contrary to Policies DM2 and DM46.

Accordingly, a Risk Assessment was produced for further consideration by the Committee which the Planning Officer took Members through as part of his presentation together with videos of the site by way of a virtual ‘site visit’.

Officers continued to recommend that the application be approved subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 32 of Report No DEV/WS/20/047.

Speakers:    Julia Hiley (NHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group – supporting body) spoke in support of the application

                   Dr Nick Redman (GP, Stanton Doctors Surgery – applicant) spoke in support of the application

Councillor Jim Thorndyke, as Ward Member for Stanton, opened the debate and spoke on the history of the application.

Councillor Ian Houlder remarked on the remote consultation methods currently being operated by GP surgeries, due to Covid-19, and the reduction in footfall this resulted in. 

Accordingly, he proposed that the application be approved as per the Officer recommendation and this was duly seconded by Councillor David Roach.

(During the debate Councillor John Burns again lost connection to the meeting, hence he was advised that he was unable to take part in the vote on this item.)

Upon being put to the vote and with 15 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention it was resolved that

Decision

Planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1.   The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than 3 years from the date of this permission.

2.   The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and documents.

3.   The development hereby permitted shall be constructed entirely of the materials detailed on the submitted plan – application form.

4.   The site demolition, preparation and construction works shall be carried out between the hours of 08:00 to 18:00 Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 08:00 to 13:30 Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

5.   The use shall not commence until the area within the site shown on Drawing No. 4735-0110 P01 for the purposes of secure cycle storage have been provided and thereafter that area shall be retained and used for no other purposes.

6.   No patients shall be on site within the extension hereby approved outside of the following hours: 

Monday - Friday – 08:30 – 18:30

(On conclusion of this item the Chair permitted a short comfort break and asked that an adjournment slide be displayed in the live stream, before reconvening the virtual meeting and taking a roll-call of those present.)